Invitation to participate
We warmly invite you to take part in Silesian Forum of Non-Governmental Organisations: „Strong Organisations – Resilient Silesia” – an event which serves as one of the most important platforms for exchanging experiences, discussing issues with experts and showcasing best practice from the Silesian region.
Date and place
Date: 5 November 2025 (Wednesday)
Hour: 09:00 – 16:00
Location: Silesian Museum in Katowice, Auditorium, 1 Tadeusza Dobrowolskiego Street
Registration
Attendance at the conference is free of charge; however, as places are limited, advance registration is required. Please complete the registration form, available via the link below, by 30 October 2025.
Registration form: https://crm.mostkatowice.pl/slaskie-forum-NGO
Conference programme
9.00 – 10.00 | Registration and a welcome coffee
10:00 – 10:20 | Welcome and opening of the conference
10.20 – 11.20 | Developing strong and stable non-governmental organisations
National perspective
Krzysztof Hołyński – Chairman of the Board of KAFOS, MOST Association
Monika Sikora – Under-Secretary of State at the Ministry of Funds and Regional Policy
Łukasz Jachimowicz – Director of the Civil Society Department at the Chancellery of the Prime Minister
Karolina Dreszer-Smalec – Chair of the National Federation of Non-Governmental Organisations
A regional perspective
Katarzyna Loska Szafrańska – moderator – board member of KAFOS, the Foundation for the Development of the Social Economy
Dorota Konieczny-Simela – Director of the Social Rights Office at the Marshal’s Office of the Silesian Voivodeship
Beata Twardowska – Provincial Public Benefit Council
Anna Cekiera – Deputy Director of the ESF Department at the Marshal’s Office of the Silesian Voivodeship
11:20 – 11:40 | The role of organisations in ensuring social resilience
Marcin Wojdat – Paweł Adamowicz Union of Polish Metropolises
Anna Dąbrowska – Migration Consortium
11:40 – 12:00 | Inclusion in practice – how to build a community that does not exclude anyone
Katarzyna Dyktyńska Bańka – Institute for Social Development
Grzegorz Żymła – Institute for Social Development
12:00–12:30 | coffee break
12.30 – 14.30 | Forum workshop area
Block 1 | Development – where organisations can find support for their development:
– Silesia. For our shared development – presentation of the Silesian Voivodeship’s new grant scheme – Anna Woźniak – Marshal’s Office of the Silesian Voivodeship
– The Power of Small Communities and other NIW programmes supporting organisations – best practice and opportunities –
– Social Economy and Economisation – Katarzyna Loska-Szafrańska – ROWES
– PFRON programmes for non-governmental organisations – Iwona Spychała-Długosz, Director of the Silesian Branch of PFRON
Moderator: Milena Skupień-Lisgarten – MOST Association
Block 2 | Inclusion – how not to forget the most vulnerable in our development efforts
– support for people with disabilities – Tomasz Jakubiec – Chair of the Silesian Voivodeship Council of People with Disabilities
– the agency of people who are unable to speak for themselves – Monika Bajka – Guardian Angels’ Home Association
– new social groups and the integration of migrants – Vita Miropoltseva – Vita de lex Foundation
– support for those in the most difficult circumstances – Grzegorz Żymła – Institute for Social Development
Moderator: Anna Kochel – MOST Association
Block 3 | Resilience
A project carried out under the auspices of the National Federation of Non-Governmental Organisations – the „social resilience coordination group”
– an assessment of the needs and capabilities of local organisations in the area of social resilience
– organisations working together to build a sense of community
Moderator: Krzysztof Hołyński
14:30–15:30 | Lunch
Throughout the conference, information stands and information points covering various areas of non-governmental organisations’ work will be available in the foyer of the auditorium as part of the FORUM.
Detailed programme of the conference
The event is organised by Silesian Forum of Non-Governmental Organisations (KAFOS).
The project was funded by the National Institute for Freedom – Centre for the Development of Civil Society as part of The Government’s Support Programme for Non-Governmental Organisations: „The Power of Small Communities”.