June 17, 2022 / 11:22
Monday, 20 June this year marks the World Refugee Day. On this occasion, the editors of “Gazeta Wyborcza” will offer their pages to immigrants from different parts of the world who came to Poland, fleeing wars and persecution. Unique edition titled “Gazeta Uchodźców” will be available at the newspaper outlets and at Wyborcza.pl/gazetauchodzcow.
– We have chosen to do something unheard and unprecedented. On the occasion of the World Refugee Day, we handed over the preparation of the daily release of “Wyborcza” to refugees who live in Poland or who have travelled through Poland on their migration route. On 20 June, our newspaper will welcome texts prepared by migrants from Ukraine and Belarus, Afghanistan and Syria, Iraqi Kurdistan and Tajikistan, Eritrea and Burma. The authors will include adolescents and adults, women and men, journalists of all genders, but also people of diverse professions – explains Bartosz T. Wieliński, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of “Gazeta Wyborcza” and the Head of its Foreign Department.
Thus, the editors of “Wyborcza” wants to show how much change has recently taken place in Poland – refugees have become a visible part of our country and the word “refugee” ceases to create negative associations.
The 20 June edition of “Gazeta Wyborcza” will be prepared by a number of interesting people, who will discuss their lives in Poland and what is happening in their neck of the woods. They will discuss pros and cons of life in our country, what works well, and what needs to be improved. Readers will also read the results of a survey showing how Poles help refugees in Poland and whether they are afraid of them. All content can also be found at Wyborcza.pl/gazetauchodzcow.
– The unprecedented journalistic initiative, “Gazeta Uchodźców”, will be multifaceted – just as Poland becomes multifaceted before our eyes – adds Bartosz T. Wieliński.
In addition, in “Gazeta Uchodźców”, “Wyborcza” will sum up the fundraiser for the inhabitants of Mariupol, which was launched jointly with HumanDoc on 2 March. Within a few weeks – by 16 May this year “Wyborcza” and “Wysokie Obcasy” raised and provided the organisation with PLN 150 thousand, donated by the readers. The foundation has primarily spent the funds on organising the evacuation of Mariupol’s population. In addition, it provides humanitarian aid transports and also helps those who choose to do so to flee to Poland and other countries.
On 20 June, in the traditional edition and on Wyborcza.pl, an interview will be published with Dominika Springer, Member of the Management Board of the HumanDoc Foundation, who will speak about how the funds from “Wyborcza” and “Wysokie Obcasy” readers have been and will be used.
“Gazeta Uchodźców” video-announcement – a statement by Adam Michnik – here
Since the Russian attack on Ukraine, the “Wyborcza” team has not only reported events from our eastern border but has also been taking further measures to support the war-affected country and its inhabitants. To this end, inter alia, special editions of the newspaper for Ukrainians fleeing the war were created, and Wyborcza.pl sold fundraiser digital subscriptions. In Klub Wyborczej, Timothy Snyder and Adam Michnik, among others, talked about the war in Ukraine, and the title of 2022 Person of the Year was awarded by “Gazeta Wyborcza” in 2022 to the Ukrainian writer, poet, activist, and volunteer, Serhiy Zhadan. Gazeta Wyborcza, which, together with its partners, established a Fund for the Ukrainian media, also joined the group of organisations supporting Ukraine.
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