The last day of the TGAL study visit

We have just completed the third day of the Think Global, Act Local project study visit. Today we visited two towns in the Warmińsko-Mazurskie Voivodeship - Puck and Gdynia.

In the Kashubian town of Puck, we went to the fishing harbour and marina of Puck, where boat rides on the 'Ohar' were scheduled, as well as a visit to a local craft beer maker from the 'Puck Brewery'. After learning about the history and curiosities of the region and a cruise on the Bay of Puck, we moved on to the Town Hall building for a workshop where the TGAL project activities to date were summarised. A long-term strategy for civic engagement and participatory democracy was also presented - the Proposal for "Eco-Social Transformation - the change is yours!" The hosts from the municipality of Puck furthermore prepared an interesting and engaging mini-content for the participants related to the activities of the town and its surroundings.

We then visited the Museum of Puckland, whose origins date back to the 1970s, when the first exhibition related to Kashubian culture and folk art was opened. The museum headquarters building itself is the former "Hospital". During the tour visitors had the opportunity to learn about Kashubian traditions and rituals, such as the art of Kashubian embroidery, admiring traditional costumes, or taking snuff, according to the instructions of an experienced snuff-maker.

The next item on the agenda was a visit to Gdynia. There, we visited the Wymiennikownia - Youth Centre for Social Innovation and Design. There, we listened to a presentation about the initiatives and activities undertaken by the city and learned about the assets of Gdynia. The employees of the Exchange House also prepared a presentation about the idea and everyday life of this unique place, which supports grassroots youth initiatives and helps to realise interesting ideas. The Exchange House is the responsibility of young people, and further activities and other initiatives are planned on the basis of projects submitted by those interested. Representatives of the Ukrainian minority from the Spilo organisation also made a presentation, outlining forms of support for Ukrainian youth.

The last item on the agenda was a visit to the Neighbourhood House in Gdynia, a place for the development of interests and the realisation of ideas of residents. There we learned more about this creative grassroots initiative, which is a good example of community participation in the local environment.