We encourage you to read the statement issued by the President of the Board of Directors of the Foundation Institute for the Development of Legal Education and Civil Society on the use of the name Eye of the Young. The statement is available below.

Warsaw, August 23, 2022

Statement
Foundation Institute for the Development of Legal Education and Civil Society
Regarding the use of the name “Okiem Młodych” (Through the Eye of the Young)

In recent hours, we have been observing a far mistaken identification of the project we have been implementing over the past year, “Okiem Młodych. Comprehensive program to raise public awareness of representatives of the younger generation in the post-pandemic era” with the initiative carried out on Twitter – Okiem Młodych (@OkiemMlodych22) and TikToku (okiemmlodych). Our activities and the project we implemented have nothing to do with this initiative.

The Institute for the Development of Legal Education and Civil Society is an apartial, independent think-tank that has been working since 2020 to identify social challenges and propose solutions to localized problems. In 2021, we launched the Project “Through the Eyes of the Young. A Comprehensive Program for Raising Social Awareness of Representatives of the Young Generation in the Post-Pandemic Era”. As part of the project, we conducted research and analytical work focused on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the situation of young people in Poland. The project ended on July 31, 2022 and is currently not continuing.

The results of the project are publicly available at: www.oko.irepso.pl. These include analyses from: the situation of students or youth advisory bodies at local government units.

As a result of the confusion between our project and the newly created initiatives, within hours our work was met with unwarranted heckling, damaging the work of people who are not politically involved. This hayt comes mainly from people who have not taken even a moment to verify information found on the Internet.

The goal of our organization is to stimulate discussion based on data and analysis, without a preconceived thesis or the promotion of certain views. We are pleased that young people want to engage in public life. On the other hand, we were surprised to learn that the newly created initiative is identified with our Institute, as related to the project we implemented.

The aim of the “Through the Eyes of the Young” Project was to draw substantive attention to selected problems of representatives of the younger generation, on the basis of research and facts. For this reason, we wanted to strongly emphasize that our Institute does not conduct political activities and cannot be associated with the activities of three young party activists. Their activity can in no way be linked to the project we conducted.

Respecting the involvement of young people in public life and their right to express their own views, including activists associated with the initiative carried out on Twitter and TikTok, we make an appeal to change the name, as it confuses both initiatives.

Pawel Potocki

President of the Board of Directors of IREPSO