BNP Paribas Wealth Management Special Prize for Tomasz and Barbara Sadowski

BNP Paribas Wealth Management Special Prize for Tomasz and Barbara Sadowski

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Tomasz and Barbara Sadowscy, the founders of Barka Foundation for Mutual Help in Poland, were awarded the 7th BNP PARIBAS WEALTH MANAGEMENT PRIZE FOR INDIVIDUAL PHILANTHROPY HONOURS. ‘The Jury’s Special Prize was awarded for their social integration work and promotion of Barka social franchise model in Poland and abroad. The Barka Foundation for Mutual Help empowers and reintegrates socially marginalised groups through education, training, entrepreneurship and housing programmes. Read more

The concert ”Friends for Barka UK” in Embassy of the Republic of Poland in London

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The concert has as a purpose raising awareness about the issue of homelessness of Central and Eastern European migrants in the UK and the work of Barka UK in tackling it. Barka charity was established in the capital in June 2007 in response to an appeal by London boroughs and organizations, due to the growing concern about homelessness among Central and Eastern European migrants. Read more

Janusz Smura

New leader in Barka Ireland

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Since the beginning of March we are hosting in Barka Ireland a new leader. Janusz Smura, used to be a rough sleeper for twenty years and street drinker in many countries in Europe. He get the support from the Barka Foundation and till now he is celebrating his soberness for 15 years already. He get also a lot of support from the AA meetings. Read more

Consular meeting

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On the 25th April 2014 with the assistance of Wojciech Dziegiel, the First Secretary of the Embassy of Poland in Dublin, we organised a meeting for consular representatives from Eastern and Central Europe. Read more

Barbara Sadowska participated in the EU- Africa Business Forum

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Barbara Sadowska , Vice President of the Barka Foundation, participated in the EU- Africa Business Forum, held on 31 March and 1 April in Brussels. The Forum, attended by over 1000 participants, was co-organised by the European Union and the African Union. Read more

Gazet Van Antwerpen: Polish ex-homeless guide compatriots back home

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Alderman Homans invests 170.000 euro in a mobile team. Antwerp launches in mid-February a social project of organization Barka which guides Polish homeless to Poland to help them rebuild their life there. The project has already proven to be a success in other European cities, but Polish homeless people in Antwerp are skeptical. Read more

De Standaard 15.03.2014

Barka helps Polish homeless in the streets of Antwerp

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„There is nothing worse than going back home as a loser”

Before
In January, the chairman of OCMV in Antwerp, Liesbeth Homans went to Utrecht to become acquainted with Barka. That Polish welfare organization tries to convince Polish people, who  abroad fell into problems and live in poverty, to go back to their own country and start putting their lives back together there. Read more

Larisa Melinceanu – study visit in Barka Network in Poland report

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Study visit to Barka Poland 24 February – 28 February 2014

General impressions

During this study visit we were shown the main center of Barka foundation in Poznan, the social enterprise in Posadowek, the social co-operative in Wladyslawowo, the partnership with Association Gebiczyn and local authorities of Wielkopolskiego, the social enterprise in Chudopczyce, the city Rawicz (there where progress are registered in the effort of establishing a new partnership with the local authorities, other representatives of civil society and interested commercial organizations) and the established partnership with the local authorities of Poznan. Read more

„I know, how it is to live on the street” – Gazet van Antwerpen

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„I know, how it is to live on the street” – Ex-homeless guides  Polish drifters back home.

After great success in England, Ireland and the Netherlands also Antwerp invited Polish organisation Barka. They guide homeless people back to their  home country. The team responsible for the project here has started this week. Read more

Social economy is not a sector

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By Lidia Wesierska Chyc (Barka Network)

Abstract: The article aims to initiate a discussion about thinking of social economy as an integral part of social market economy, not as a ’social economy sector’. Basing on an entry in Polish constitution – about social market economy as a foundation of economic system in Poland, a short analysis of key rules essential for implementing social market economy is conducted: freedom of economic activity, private ownership, solidarity, dialogue and cooperation of the social partners in the area of social economy. There is an argument put forth that economy can be both market and social. Making economy more social has positive effects on its efficiency and competitiveness. There are points supporting this argument listed. At the end the author underlines that although there are positive changes visible in the documents determining the way social economy in Poland is built – like National Program for Development of Social Economy – there is still sector thinking to be noticed in those documents. Changing this way of thinking is a challenge for future.

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