I.Sagan, EUDIMENSIONS Final Project Conference Brussels, 7/05/2009
Department of Economic GeographyUniversity of Gdańsk
Political Contingencies and Cross-borderPractices of Civil Society.
Polish Case Studies
Iwona Sagan
1. Civil society as a precondition and a solution to the successful EU Neighbourhood Policy
2. Two Polish case studies: similarities and differences
3. Eastern and Western idea of civil society
4. Possible ways of civil society transnational cooperation improvements
I.Sagan, EUDIMENSIONS Final Project Conference Brussels, 7/05/2009
Department of Economic GeographyUniversity of Gdańsk
Why the civil society perspective is so important for EU policy of integration and neighbourhood?
One of the most significant difference between totalitarian ideologies like communism and western liberalism is the existence of the civil society with its voluntary associations like trade unions, political parties, religious communities, pressure and lobby groups and clubs, which fill the space between the family and the state.
Gellner
I.Sagan, EUDIMENSIONS Final Project Conference Brussels, 7/05/2009
Department of Economic GeographyUniversity of Gdańsk
Civil society as the precondition for a social change
Civil society is sorely needed to fill the communicative and the democratic space that divides the European Union internally and from its neighbours.
A bottom-up process of civil society activity might bring together different economic, social and political spaces of EU and its neighbours more effectively and substantially than the efforts of top-down information campaigns.
I.Sagan, EUDIMENSIONS Final Project Conference Brussels, 7/05/2009
Department of Economic GeographyUniversity of Gdańsk
• Solidarity was a nation-wide civil society movement perceived by majority of people as another embodiment of Polish struggle for independence;
• national identity and dignity became the main task of Solidarity;
• Solidarity confirmed the power of values in political life;
• Solidarity emerged as an organization not only independent fromthe state but first of all opposing the state apparatus - this
showedthat people could organize themselves without the state
supportand that this organization worked even better than the
stateprovided services
The power of civil society - Solidarity movement in Poland
I.Sagan, EUDIMENSIONS Final Project Conference Brussels, 7/05/2009
Department of Economic GeographyUniversity of Gdańsk
Polish Case Studies
• case study Poland – Russia
(Kaliningrad Oblast)
• case study Poland - Ukraine
I.Sagan, EUDIMENSIONS Final Project Conference Brussels, 7/05/2009
Department of Economic GeographyUniversity of Gdańsk
• young borders – 1945;young borders – 1945;• common past - ethnic minorities on both sides of borders;common past - ethnic minorities on both sides of borders;• closeness of languages, mentalities, everyday culturescloseness of languages, mentalities, everyday cultures;;• weak regional economies on both sides:weak regional economies on both sides:
mainly agriculture, mainly agriculture, old industryold industryhigh unemploymenthigh unemploymentlow enterprise activitylow enterprise activity
• 1945 – 1989 borders were dividing lines:1945 – 1989 borders were dividing lines:cross- border interactions were limited to few border cross- border interactions were limited to few border
crossing pointscrossing points cooperation limited to border security issues;cooperation limited to border security issues;• after the transition –cooperation has started to developafter the transition –cooperation has started to develop in both in both cases;cases;
Common phenomenaCommon phenomena
I.Sagan, EUDIMENSIONS Final Project Conference Brussels, 7/05/2009
Department of Economic GeographyUniversity of Gdańsk
Different transformational pathways Polish – Russian border line
Strongly asymmetrical civil societies development being a result of democratization processes advancement: - on the Polish side – deep going tradition of CS mobilization; well formally rooted and politically independent CSOs; numerous active networks and organizations interested in CBC - on the Russian side – the lack of CS tradition; central state controlled and politically dependent CSOs; reluctant partners in CBC reflecting political preferences and interests of Centre in their activity and attitude
In the result the Polish-Russian border is still a border line with border crossing points perceived as a source of problems and with a lack of regional and local networks able to build the bottom-up cross-border neighbourhood relations.
I.Sagan, EUDIMENSIONS Final Project Conference Brussels, 7/05/2009
Department of Economic GeographyUniversity of Gdańsk
Different transformational pathways Polish – Ukrainian border zone
Although still asymmetrical in a stage of development civil societies heading for the same pattern on both sides of a border.
„The Orange Revolution” was a civil society mobilisation momentum which significantly intensified and improve the cross-border relations. The civil society movement though concentrated around values has triggered good neighbourhood practices in social and economic spheres as well.
The unification power of civil society activity is strongly present despite the troublesome history dividing the nations. Poland has become an accepted model and supporter in the democratization and transition processes.
In the result the Polish-Ukrainian border has become a border zone with developed regional and local networks of cooperation able to build the bottom-up cross-border neighbourhood relations.
I.Sagan, EUDIMENSIONS Final Project Conference Brussels, 7/05/2009
Department of Economic GeographyUniversity of Gdańsk
Eastern European perspective: Western European perspective:
differences in vision of civil society
ethical standards, unity around values, anti-state and anti-politics attitude
plurality, fragmentation, citizen’s involvement in grassroots activity
the main aim
to renew the role of trust in the social relationships
to introduce more plurality in the social life to oppose and to supplement the pragmatic state’s administration
similarities
• to develop the strategy, which enable people to participate more in public life • to reformulate the idea of citizenship and the relationship between ethics and politics • to develope the civil society for freedom
Eastern and Western idea of civil society
based on Koczanowicz, 2003
I.Sagan, EUDIMENSIONS Final Project Conference Brussels, 7/05/2009
Department of Economic GeographyUniversity of Gdańsk
From the Polish-Ukrainian case it is clear that only pragmatic values and procedures are not enough to motivate people to be involved in public issues. The emotional engagement of people is necessary to motivate them to organise themselves to act for the common good.
One of the fundamental tasks but also one of the most difficult tasks in the process of EU integration and neighbourhood policy is to turn the evoked common commitment to values into permanent structures of CSOs. The voluntary associations of CS must be complemented by a set of practices and institutional frameworks that link them to the local, regional and state units instead of only opposing them.
It may lay the solid fundament for European public sphere not isolated by the border lines.
How to institutionalize the Eastern idea of civil society?
I.Sagan, EUDIMENSIONS Final Project Conference Brussels, 7/05/2009
Department of Economic GeographyUniversity of Gdańsk
The development of education - with special emphasis on social sciences:
Boundaries are not ‘natural’ phenomena, they are produced by social and political interactions in human history. That is why the role of social and humanistic sciences is crucial in their understanding, reading and deconstructing them.
examples: - Central–Eastern Europe Institute in Lublin- Institute of European Integration of Ivan Franko National University
- Civic Education Project funded by the Open Society Institute revitalizing the social sciences in Eastern Europe to strengthen the foundations upon which democracy can develope
The possible strategies to strengthen CS cooperation
I.Sagan, EUDIMENSIONS Final Project Conference Brussels, 7/05/2009
Department of Economic GeographyUniversity of Gdańsk
The development of communication:
- environmental and cultural heritage joint projects realised by NGOsexample: renovation of the Polish cemetery in Lviv
- or music events are one of the most effective way of communication;
- the role of Internet
The possible strategies to strengthen CS cooperation