Country: Poland

Organization: European Students Forum AEGEE Katowice

Idea: The main aim of the project we want to organize is to raise the awareness of gender related issues among university students in the Upper Silesia region of Southern Poland. We also hope that through participation in this project women will learn how not to become victims of violence.

How do you do it: During the 9 days - two-weekend WenDo training courses will take place, in the week between them, we plan to organize a series of gender workshops and lectures. In order to participate students will have to apply through our website. We plan also to make some working lunch during the all event.

Innovation: A project of this type is something new for the Silesian University, where it will take place, and neither the Sociologist's Scientific Club nor AEGEE Katowice have organized such a project before. Self-defense courses for women are common but they usually focus on the purely technical aspects of self-defense, ignoring the psychological aspects that WenDo has. Unlike most WenDo workshops, which are costly, ours will be free and open to whoever wants to participate.

Impact: We hope that organizing such project will lead to the creation of a permanent gender studies department at the Silesian University or one of the other local institutions of higher education, it will make the topic of gender studies more popular and facilitate the exchange of ideas. The WenDo training will teach the participants how to defend themselves and not to become victims, it will also make, if needed, contacting support groups easier.

Ethical Action: Today more women than ever are independent. In order to be successful professionally they have to compete in an environment that has been created by men and for men. This means that many start to exhibit, both in family and professional lives, behavior that is commonly seen as being male in character. Many women today find it very difficult to understand their identity, they don't know how to be women. This project is there to help them cope with this new and difficult situation, to help them find what's best in them.

Replication: The project is relatively easy to repeat as in the last few years gender studies have become a popular topic of discussion both among students and teachers. This means that it is not difficult to find competent people who are able to organize workshops and lectures. At the same time the whole idea of a gender studies program is new enough to make reaching potential sponsors easy. As there is no need for high tech infrastructure the project can be organized everywhere.

Sustainability: The long term goal of the project is to open a gander studies department either at the Silesian University or one of the other colleges in Silesia. As I wrote before each participant, depending on the part of the project she or he will take part in, will have a chance to to learn new things that will make self-development easier, resulting in a more empathic, open and tolerant approach to other people. They will also have a chance to share their knowledge, which will in a natural way. Lead to the spread of information and attract other people.

Position in the Ethics Mosaic of Solutions:

Factor: Otherness

Principle: Developing self-awareness and interconnectedness