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Housing First Europe Hub Conference 2024 in Dublin: Barka Team’s Experience

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From November 18 to 20, the Housing First Europe Hub Conference 2024 was held at the Hibernia
Conference Centre in Dublin. Our Barka team from Ireland, consisting of Aneta Kubas, Tomasz
Flinik, and intern Jewhenija Kolot, had the privilege of attending this impactful event.


Housing First represents a progressive and innovative approach to addressing homelessness.
Rather than focusing on temporary solutions or other issues such as substance abuse, financial
instability, or other contributing factors, Housing First prioritizes providing homeless individuals
with permanent housing. This approach allows them to shift their focus from meeting basic needs
to pursuing long-term goals such as securing employment or improving their overall quality of life.
Experts and practitioners from across Europe and other continents gathered at the conference to
share best practices, develop strategies, and discuss current challenges and potential solutions.
During the event, we participated in a variety of workshops that provided valuable insights. We
learned how different countries, such as Finland and Denmark address homelessness, reviewed
specific approaches to supporting women and mothers, and heard about the challenges Housing
First organizations face in the reintegration of former prisoners.


One of the most enlightening sessions we attended focused on staff wellbeing. The workshop
underlined the importance of self-care, reminding us that in order to take care of others, we must
first take care of ourselves. We learned how to maintain balance, prevent burnouts, and much
more.
Additionally, we took the opportunity to network with representatives from other organizations,
telling them more about Barka and learning about their work and identifying possibilities for future
collaboration.
Attending this conference was an inspiring experience for our team. We got a lot of valuable
information and are looking forward to applying what we have learned and contributing to ending
homelessness.

 

Jewhenija Kolot

Barka’s Role in Strengthening Polish Communities Abroad

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From October 4-6, a convention of Polish community organizations, organized by Forum Polonia, took place in Dublin. Barka for Mutual Help’s representative was also invited to participate and proudly presented its mission and activities at the event. The convention began with a ceremony at Mansion House commemorating the 20th anniversary of Poland’s accession to the European Union.

Dublin’s Deputy Mayor, Donna Cooney, opened the celebration, expressing pride in Ireland’s longstanding bond with Poland. She highlighted Ireland’s early support of Poland’s EU aspirations and the warm welcome extended to Polish migrants, acknowledging the significant impact Polish communities have had on modern Ireland. She shared a personal story of her grandfather’s close relationships with Poles in London, who was honored with the prestigious “Order of Polonia Restituta” by the Polish government in exile. To underscore this special connection, Cooney brought her grandfather’s medals to the event, adding a symbolic weight to her words.

Eamon O’Riordan, a Labour Party politician and former Minister for New Communities, reflected on the 2015 Ireland-Poland football match at Aviva Stadium as a symbol of the Polish community’s presence in Ireland. He pointed out that Polish is now the second-most spoken language in the country, demonstrating the community’s lasting influence. O’Riordan voiced support for greater representation of Poles in Irish politics and sports and encouraged active participation in the upcoming local elections.

The convention featured four discussion panels:

  • Panel 1: Diversity in the Activities of Polish Organizations in Ireland: Between Professionalization and Volunteering
  • Panel 2: Culture and Identity
  • Panel 3: Civic Engagement and Political Involvement
  • Panel 4: Maintaining Ties with Poland through Education

These discussions facilitated networking, promoted the professionalization of Polish organizations, and deepened collaboration to enhance the representation of Polish interests in Ireland. Participants shared insights into their work, with Teresa Buczkowska recounting her experience as an Obama Scholar, and Marcin Piotrowski discussing his roles as a councilor and the organizer of the Folkowisko Festival and Humanitarian Foundation.

Photo: Forum Polonia

Barka for Mutual Help was proudly represented by Aneta Kubas, who presented our mission and achievements to prominent attendees, including Senator Grzegorz Schetyna and Robert Tyszkiewicz, the Polish Senate’s Coordinator for Polish Diaspora Affairs. This gathering underscored the importance of Barka’s efforts in homelessness prevention and providing essential support to Polish nationals and other vulnerable individuals, ensuring they receive guidance and resources when in need.

 

Barka IE na szkoleniu “Senat Polonii Europy”

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Przedstawicielka Barki IE wzięła udział w szkoleniu “Senat Polonii Europy”, w Warszawie. Jest to projekt skierowany do działaczy polonijnych. Łącznie uczestniczyło w nim 25 aktywistów z 7 krajów: Irlandii, Litwy, Łotwy, Grecji, Finlandii, Malty i Armenii.

Uczestnicy Seantu Polonii Europy z certyfikatami ukończenia szkolenia. Fot. Marzena Mavridis

Projekt rozpoczął się 21.09, uroczystą inauguracją w Muzeum Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego,

„Senat Polonii Europy” to 10-dniowy interdyscyplinarny projekt edukacyjno–integracyjny, którego organizatorem była fundacja “Hagia Marina”.

Uczestnicy między innymi wzięli udział w profesjonalnych szkoleniach z pisania projektów (Erasmus) oraz pozyskiwania funduszy, a także z obsługi mediów społecznościowych oraz odbyli serię wizyt studyjnych: seminariów i spotkań z lokalnymi działaczami oraz przedstawicielami NGO-sów. W programie nie zabrakło także licznych spotkań z osobami tworzącymi polską politykę zagraniczną i polonijną – m. in wiceministrem spraw zagranicznych, z przedstawicielem Ministerstwa Kultury, Dziedzictwa Narodowego i Sportu (przedstawienie Programu Ministra i możliwości pozyskiwania środków z ministerstwa) oraz panelu dyskusyjnego z dziennikarzami.

Wśród zaproszonych prelegentów i panelistów byli między innymi: geopolityk dr Leszek Sykulski, ambasador Tomasz Orłowski, dyrektor „Teraz Polska” Michał Lipiński, wicemarszałek Województwa Podlaskiego. A ponadto posłowie, senatorowie, ministrowie, samorządowcy, prezesi instytucji centralnych oraz liderzy z Polski działający na rzecz promocji Polski za granicą.

Aneta Kubas prezentuje w KPRM działalność Fundacji Pomocy Wzajemnej Barka

Poza tym uczestnicy odbyli wizyty studyjne w Drohiczynie i Białymstoku, gdzie poznali historię, zrealizowane projekty, a także plany rozwoju regionu.

W programie nie zabrakło zwiedzania lokalnych atrakcji: Muzeum Motocykli i Muzeum Kajaków oraz wizyty na Górze Zamkowej i podziwiania panoramy Bugu.

Podsumowanie projektu zostało zaprezentowane w Kancelarii Prezesa Rady Ministrów w Warszawie.

Representant of Barka IE took part in a training “European Polish Diaspora Senate” (21.09-01.10). An official inauguration took place at the University of Warsaw.

25 participants from 7 countries: Ireland, Lithuania, Latvia, Greece, Malta, Finland and Armenia visited Polish government buildings and met representatives, professionals and panellists, from journalists to ambassadors, ministers and deputies.

Participants also took a study visit in Bialystok and Drohiczyn.