Sektor 3.0, a conference for Polish NGOs interested in technology-driven social change, was an unusual event. For two days in May (5/23 – 5/24) contributors, participants, and organizers met in the local Warsaw venue to share experiences, listen, and collaborate. The event was actually created by participants themselves within the framework previously set by the Polish NGO Stocznia — The Unit for Social Innovation and Research. This framework is described in their sociological report on the state of IT, third sector, and local communities in Poland. The second-day conference agenda was created using ideas suggested by first-day participants and volunteers.

The opening day agenda highlights included a speech by TechSoup Global’s co-CEO Daniel Ben-Horin: In his video-taped talk, he said, “What's true about the Arab Spring is even truer about small projects in little villages. New tools allow citizens to obtain an entirely different level of data about public officials. New tools allow them to publish this data and create a new level of pressure for change. New tools allow communication with new allies. New tools allow best practices and solutions to be shared between Tunisia, the United States, and Poland. These truths apply to the smallest social change effort anywhere in the world.

Another highlight was the discussion panel with Edwin Bendyk, academic and Polish new media and new technologies critic, and David Barnard from SANGONet, a member of the TechSoup Global Network. Rebecca Masisak, TechSoup Global co-CEO, also presented at the conference. She participated in a workshop that focused on the strategies of transferring tech knowledge to NGOs.

Fundacja TechSoup played a key role running the conference — Adam Gieniusz and Alicja Peszkowska presented about the barriers that separate NGOs from technology, and Alicja also moderated three discussion groups talking about how to build tech competency.
During the second conference day, Patrycja Urbańska and Emilia Olejnik ran a session on a Tech Portal for Polish NGOs, Paulina Barańska talked about social campaigning, and Dorota Dublanka about law restrictions to the non-profit online activity. Daniel Ben-Horin, along with Ruxandra Popa from TechSoup Romania, ran a workshop on working with volunteers.

Sektor 3.0 goal was to create a platform for further collaboration and communication around the topic of ICT for Polish NGOs. We are looking forward for the event to be continued and we strongly believe TechSoup can play important role in the follow up activities and next editions of the conference.


For more:

• View Daniel's Ben-Horin key note speech

• Read more about the concept of the conference

• Read more about ICT, NGOs, and local communities in Poland (In Polish only)

• View the videos from the sessions on Problematyka.org