The „Resilience Laboratory” is launched, using reading and dialogue as tools to strengthen social resilience and local cooperation.
The Universal Reading Foundation (FPC), with the support of the PZU Foundation, is creating the "Resilience Laboratory," which aims to connect local leaders around building strong, cooperative, and resilient communities.
„The "Resilience Laboratory" aims to create a collaborative space for representatives of local governments, schools, libraries, social welfare centers, healthcare services, employment offices, and cultural institutions. The program responds to growing social challenges: polarization, disinformation, and the weakening of local ties.
The central element of the initiative will be the Collaboration Hub—a three-day, weekend workshop program for 120 leaders from thirty locations across Poland. Working in cross-sectoral teams, participants will develop collaborative skills, build trust, and learn how to counter disinformation and strengthen the information security of their communities.
The lab is based on the premise that reading and conversation around text can be a viable tool for building social resilience. Participants will learn, among other things, working methods inspired by the "shared reading" approach, developed in Scandinavian countries, which supports critical thinking, dialogue, and mindfulness of others, counteracts loneliness, and builds a network of relationships that serves as the foundation for local self-organization.
The joint effort will result in plans for collaboration between institutions in participating municipalities, lasting partnerships (e.g., libraries, schools, clinics, and local governments), and a network of alliances for social resilience and information security. By sharing the relationships and outcomes of their implementation, the solutions developed can be used in other local communities and scaled nationwide.
The organizers emphasize that the goals are ambitious and far-reaching. The lab aims to strengthen social capital and cooperation between institutions, develop critical thinking skills and counteract disinformation, and build a sense of empowerment.
and shared responsibility for the community, using reading as a tool to strengthen dialogue and social trust. The project is consistent with activities promoting education, culture, public health, and information security.
The project's assumptions are fully aligned with the PZU Foundation's efforts to strengthen social capital. We believe that building cross-sectoral collaboration, developing critical thinking skills, and strengthening trust are the foundations of well-functioning, resilient communities. – he points out Maia Mazurkiewicz, President of the Management Board of the PZU Foundation, initiative partner.
Why is it important?
Research shows a decline in social trust and a growing sense of uncertainty, while reading levels, which are key tools for developing critical thinking, are also declining.* The "Resilience Lab" responds to these challenges by connecting diverse communities.
and strengthening cooperation where it is most needed – locally.
Today, research shows that only one in five of our fellow citizens trusts others**, local institutions rarely cooperate, and residents have a limited sense of influence. At the same time, readership statistics show that the number of people who read regularly is declining***. We know that reading, which is the foundation of dialogue and empathy, on the one hand, and critical thinking, on the other, can be used as a tool to build trust, foster social resilience and local cooperation, and support resistance to disinformation. It turns out that our Laboratory is based on the same assumptions as the recently published Swedish government strategy: "Sweden – a reading nation," in which resistance to disinformation is transformed by the proverbial "all cases.". – says Maria Deskur, president of the Universal Reading Foundation.
The project is aimed at local leaders – people active in:
- local governments,
- schools and educational institutions,
- libraries,
- cultural institutions,
- health care,
- employment offices
- social assistance and social organizations and business.
Participation in the Laboratory
Participation in the "Immunity Lab" is free for qualified participants. The organizer provides accommodation, meals, and participation in the full workshop program.,
as well as access to online consultations with experts to develop local action strategies.
The following are invited to participate in the project: four-person teams from 30 cities and towns
in Poland. We particularly welcome those involved in social, educational, and cultural activities, as well as initiatives that support residents. A key element of the project is the sectoral diversity of the teams, so it is recommended that they be composed of representatives from diverse backgrounds – for example, libraries, non-governmental organizations, social welfare centers, healthcare facilities, and local governments.
The Universal Reading Foundation invites all people who want to have a real impact on their local communities and build their resilience through cooperation and dialogue to participate
and reading.
Applications and detailed information are available on the project website:
https://www.fpc.org.pl/laboratorium-odpornosci/
Organizers: Universal Reading Foundation, Reading Poland
Partner: PZU Foundation
The Universal Reading Foundation is an organization that promotes reading as a tool for social, educational, and cultural development, supporting the building of strong and informed communities. It coordinates the work of the informal Reading Poland Coalition – individuals, institutions, and companies united by the awareness that Poland's future depends on how well we manage to raise the level of reading.
* Maryanne Wolf, 2024
**CBOS, 2023
*** Batory Foundation, 2022
