1. Association for Legal Intervention
ul. Siedmiogrodzka 5 lok. 51
Warszawa
tel./fax.: (+48 22)
Association for Legal Intervention

2. Association for Legal Intervention (SIP)  was established in 2005 by a group of young activists and lawyers. Since then SIP has evolved into a professional non-profit organization with the aim of combating social exclusion through provision of free legal advice to people whose rights and freedoms are threatened or violated and raising legal and civil awareness in the society.

3. Our Activity
Support – we provide legal and social counselling in individual cases - our counselling is based on Association’s standards and is free of charge.
Information – our association develops and  conducts   trainings   for   professionals  and groups of diverse cultural backgrounds, concerning their rights and duties. We are also aimed at spreading the civil  and legal awareness in the society.
Policy – the aim of our actions is to improve the  situation of marginalized social groups – through conducting research, monitoring the application of the law and presenting our opinions to bills we influence the state  politics and its institutions.

4. Our Association is divided into 3 divisions:
Foreigners Division
Family Division (with Mediation Centre)
„Freedom” Division

5. Foreigners Division’s activities (1/3)
1. Legal advice on individual matters
our lawyers give legal advice and represent refugees, asylum seekers and other migrants in their dealings with the Polish authorities.
2. Integration and intercultural consultations
the integration consultant helps migrants to deal with all kind of everyday life problems;
our volunteers accompany migrants as interpreters (in hospitals, offices, etc.).

6. Foreigners Division’s activities (2/3)
3. Monitoring of observation of the law
we attempt to monitor amendments to the existing law, identify legislative mistakes and check whether the law is observed.
4. Information and education
we participate in conferences, train civil service workers, teachers and refugees, as well as make presentations on tolerance and human rights in educational institutions.

7. Foreigners Division’s activities (3/3)
5. Intercultural and intergeneration exchange
our volunteers work together with asylum seeking and refugee youth as well as with adult migrants and Polish elderly people
they play, cook and visit cultural institutions together

8. SIP’s previous experience in working with youth (1/2)
report on exclusion of asylum seekers youth from Polish educational system (2006);
partner in international project „Immigrant Pupils with Special Educational Needs” ( );
numerous intercultural/integration activities for asylum seeking/refugee children and young Poles (animated by our young volunteers);
pilot projects introducing an intercultural assistnat to some selected schools having pupils with migration background (several projects co-financed i.a. by the Education Office of the City of Warsaw ( ), as a result a possibility to employ such a specialist by a school itself was introduced into the Polish Act on Education (2010);

9. SIP’s previous experience in working with youth (2/2)
CHILDREN IN INTERCULTURAL WARSAW (project finnanced by Education Office of the City of Warsaw): anti-discrimination and mediation workshops for youth at Warsaw schools; a theatre group for children in a Warsaw centre for asylum seekers ( );
partner in the ABUSED NO MORE project coordinated by IARS ( );
research focusing on Polish youth’s anti-refugees attitudes  report Prejudice, fear or lack of knowledge? Young Poles about their reluctance to welcome refugees (2016)

10. SIP’s interest in the YEIP project
for a couple of years we have been observing a worrying radicalization of young Poles
they represent xenophobic attitudes towards all “others”
using the terms of national and catholic values and tradition they risk to become extreme nationalists or even fasists
we would like to better understand this process and to counteract it
partnership with the Education Office of the City of Warsaw will make it possible to conduct the project in close cooperation with Warsaw schools. It will also make it possible to apply its results in practice.

11. Project Team
Dr Witold Klaus Chairman of SIP, lawyer and criminologist, holds PhD in law, researcher
Aleksandra Chrzanowska Board Member of SIP, integration and intercultural advisor for refugees, projects’ coordinator
Ewa Grzegrzółka Board Member of SIP, cultural psychologist, counsellor for migrants, projects’ coordinator
Olga Hilik Pedagogue, coordinator of Voluntary Center in SIP, specialist in youth programs
Elżbieta Grab, Youth programs coordinator in SIP
Dr Aleksandra Winiarska Sociologist and anthropologist, holds PhD in sociology, mediator, researcher

12. Thank you for your attention.