Kashubian Institute for Development (KIR) was created at 4th March 2002. Our mission is to make Kaszuby a civil society region. The main goals of our organization are: the development and promotion of Kaszuby region; initiating and creating social and economic activities; propagating knowledge and practical enterprise skills; the popularization European integration; human resources development; youth environment development; the improvement of public security; economic education.

Experience:

• In cooperation with High School of Public Administration in Szczecin and Bertelsmann Foundation KIR organized the European Union Days in Kościerzyna (6-7 May 2002). Our job was to prepare the conference and to get subsidy.
• Kashubian Institute of Development was the co-organizer of V Kashubian Economic Forum (1-2 May 2002). Our association prepared professional training for entrepreneurs.
• On January 2003 KIR worked on opening a Communal Centre of Information for the Unemployed and entrepreneurs in Kościerzyna. We got a grant of 75 000 zloty from the Polish Ministry of Labour and Social Policy. The Centre arouses interest among Kościerzyna local community. It is working and helping unemployed to find a job.
• On 17 March 2003, KIR organized a professional training for teachers and secondary school students. The meeting concerned "Youth Program" - European Commission Program.
• On 16 April 2003, in cooperation with Kościerzyna Center KIR organized a conference "Accession Treaty in Kościerzyna". We invited 300 young people, Gdańsk University Professors and experts from the Pomeranian Voivodeship Office.
• On 9-10 and 16-17 May 2003 in cooperation with Kościerzyna local authority KIR organized a professional training "European integration - history and work of European Union". About 70 teachers from Kościerzyna secondary schools took part in this event.
• Within the confines of the The Chancellery of the Prime Minister Programme: "Technical assistance for states in period of transformation" KIR got the subsidy of 6255 zloty. Moreover, we got a grant (6500 $) from Poland-America-Ukraine Cooperation Initiative (PAUCI). The purpose of the grants was to support further cooperation between Kościerzyna (Poland) and Pryluky (Ukraine) to assist Pryluky in enhancing the capacities of its local governmental institutions and improving its business environment. We organized trainings for Ukrainian clerks in Kościerzyna, a study visit by representatives of Kościerzyna to Pryluky, an exchange of 2-week interships in local administration of partners' city. Local authorities of Kościerzyna and Pryluky were our partners in this project. As a result of the project Kościerzyna got in close touch with Ukrainian town Pryluky.
• In January 2004 KIR opened a University of the Third Age. We got a grant from the Polish Charity Academy. We organized meetings and lessons for old age pensioners.
• From December 2003 till September 2004 we were realizing project "The Convention of the Kashubians - the role of ethnic groups in European Union" financed by European Commission. The target group of the project was the whole Kashubian community. In particular, Kashubian Institute for Development turned to teachers, pupils, Kashubian folk artists and everybody interested in the activities. All Kashubian villages and towns representatives took part in the events. The main result of the project was preparing the Kashubians to European integration and preserving their ethnic and cultural character. Having accomplished the project "The Convention of the Kashubians - the role of ethnic groups in European Union" Kashubian Institute for Development was capable of teaching Kościerzyna District teachers European Union issues. We could arouse children's from Kościerzyna District interest in European Union issues. The main activities of the project were: training conference for Kościerzyna District teachers, meetings with ethnic groups representatives from EU regions, competitions for pupils, folk groups review, the Convention of the Kashubians 2004, the conference for ethnic and national minorities. Some of the most interesting activities were meetings with ethnic groups representatives from EU regions. Young people from Spanish Galicia, Holland Frisia and German Bavaria came to Kościerzyna to meet young Kashubian people. Our guests from UE regions presented their history, tradition and culture. Meetings with Galicians, Frisians and Bavarians were an opportunity for people living in Kościerzyna District, especially for school children, to meet European Union. They learnt a lot about different cultures, languages and traditions. For Kashubian Institute for Development it was a real pleasure to host young people from different European ethnic groups. We learnt a lot about different regions and established strong relations with these European ethnic groups. We are still in touch and think of another common projects in order to exchange experience and learn different European cultures.
• From September 2004 till May 2005 Kashubian Institute for Development carried out a project titled "Pomeranian farmers as the leaders of agricultural areas development". Our main goal was to prepare farmers from Pomeranian Province to effective gaining grants from European Union budget. It should result in intensive development of agricultural areas and keeping natural balance between environment and agriculture. The project was co-finaced by Cooperation Fund
• We also organized two polish-german projects: "Common language - common future" and "Educational cooperation between Koœcierzyna and Cölbe" which were co-financed by Foundation for Polish-German Cooperation.
• In May 2005 Kashubian Institute for Development organized a conference "4th European Union Days in Kościerzyna", the project was co-financed by the Office of the Committee for European Integration. In October 2005 we organized a conference "The role of educational institutions in preventing contemporary public menace concerning children and the youth". The meeting was financed by Ministry of Education.

Official address: ul. Długa 31, 83-400 Kościerzyna,
Corresponding address: ul. Świętojańska 10, 83-400 Kościerzyna, Województwo Pomorskie
Phone: +48 58 680 87 63
Fax +48 58 680 87 63
E-mail: biuro@kir.org.pl
www.kir.org.pl