Forum
History of Forum
History of Forum

The Lower Silesia Political and Economic Forum was initiated during the intense discussion about subjectivity and forms of Lower-Silesian self-government. Even though the scope of the Forum meetings became much wider, it still discusses fundamental issues connected with the region.
The idea of the Forum appeared on the turn of XX and XXI century – precisely before the Polish accession to European Union and the reform of self-government, constituting Lover Silesia as a one Voivodeship body.
Agreement considering appointment of The Lower Silesia Political and Economic Forum has been signed on 7th of May 1999 by its originators: professor Jan Waszkiewicz - the first Marshal of Lower Silesia, academic teacher, oppositionist to communist rule and oppositional publisher; and Janisław Muszyński, first not communist Wroclaw’s Province Governor after 1989, businessman, animator of business organisation in Lower Silesia.
From the start, Forum’s mission was to initiate and develop dialogue between different Lower Silesian environments regarding crucial for the region issues. It was useful for creation of long-term development strategy for Lower Silesia. Participants of the Forum work on common opinions concerning social, political and economical issues. The place of the sessions remains the same – the Palace in Krzyżowa. Sessions of the Lower Silesia Political and Economic Forum are always held in the form of plenary sessions and working groups. The Forum also receives statements from interested environments, public opinion, national and local authorities.
Birth of Idea
Worth mentioning is complete independence of the Forum. This makes it possible to talk about controversial subjects, which are not in the centre of attention of public opinion and authorities. The mission of the Forum was always to create and expand new ways of the public debate and exploring the subject beyond the current political and economical situation . Quo Vadis Polonia debate was an example of such discussion, regarding the future development for next fifty years.
Lower Silesia Political and Economic Forum is totally self-financing private event – working on similar rules as Swiss Davos Forum. There were ten Lover Silesia Political and Economic Forums in Krzyżowa:
1999 year – Development Strategy for Lower Silesia
2000 year – Unemployment and labor market in Lower Silesia
2001 year - Knowledge – tool for shaping the region’s future
2002 year – European Future of Lower Silesia
2003 year – How to reduce the distance between Lower Silesia and European Union
2004 year – Social capital of Lower Silesia
2005 year – Lower Silesia – area of freedom
2006 year – Lower Silesia 2020- a good place to live
2007 year – Creative Lower Silesia for creative Europe
2008 year – Lower Silesia in a perspective of generational changes
Mission and Forum’s objectives
The Lower Silesia Political and Economic Forum is a social movement which wants to create the future of Lower Silesia. The Forum mission is initiating and developing the social dialogue as an alternative to political struggle. The aims of this dialogue are: to define challenges, crucial for competitiveness of Lower Silesia in Poland and Europe; to propose objectives for regional development and to create social consensus for their realisation. Forum is looking for partnership areas from public and private sector to create balance regional development of Lower Silesia, with regard to transparency rule. By focusing the attention of Lower Silesians on main tasks, challenges and objectives, Forum aims at reducing the economic distance between the region and other European countries.
The objectives specified in the agreement on establishing the Forum are formulated as follows:
1. The hereby established LSP&EF aims are initiating and maintaining the dialogue among various Lower Silesian environments on subjects significant for the regional development
of, especially within the economic and political areas.
2. The initiators are convinced that the idea of LSP&EF suits the regional integration aspirations, creates the economic growth and social development of Lower Silesia.
3. At least once a year, the LSP&EF shall organize a meeting of possibly the most numerous group of representatives of various environments to discuss the most crucial issues of the regional development. The meetings of LSP&EF are conducted on plenary sessions and in working groups. LSP&EF may take stands aimed at the interested groups, the public opinion, as well as local and national authorities.
4. The working groups should commence their work before the LSP&EF Summit starts and it is not necessary that this work finishes once the meeting is closed. The mode and scope of their work is chosen solely by the will of their participants.