Sometimes, understanding the challenges we face means looking beyond a single perspective. This is exactly what we aimed to do at our side event, “From Refugee Protection to Social Cohesion: Building Inclusive and Peaceful Communities,” held on 12 October during the OSCE Warsaw Human Dimension Conference.

Bringing together academic and civil society perspectives, we discussed human dignity under restrictive asylum policies, sustainable approaches to refugee integration, and lessons learned from civil society’s work in Poland.

A big thank you to our speakers, Dr. Ramazan Özgü, Dr. Dominik Wach, Elmi Abdi, and Natalia Gebert, and our moderator, Hubert Iwanow, for sharing their expertise and contributing to the discussion.

We’re also grateful to everyone who joined us and made this exchange possible!

Join us for a side event at the OSCE Warsaw Human Dimension Conference 2026, bringing together practitioners and researchers to discuss how societies can welcome refugees, uphold human rights, and strengthen social cohesion.

📅 Monday, 12 October 2026
🕔 17:00–18:00
📍 Sofitel Victoria, Warsaw, Poland

Speakers:
Ramazan Ozgu — University of Zurich
Natalia Gebert — Dom Otwarty
Elmi Abdi — Dobry Start
Dominik Wach — Jagiellonian University

Moderator: Hubert Iwanow

Join us in Warsaw for an open panel discussion on refugees, migration, media narratives, integration, fake news, online hate, and community dialogue.

Together, we will explore how societies speak about refugees today — and how we can build more empathy, understanding, and social connection. 🤝

🎤 Featured Speakers:

🔹 Dr Marta Pachocka, SGH, CMR UW
Migration researcher connected with the Centre of Migration Research at the University of Warsaw and SGH

🔹Dr. Anna Tatar
Representative of the “NEVER AGAIN” Association

🔹 Aneta Szarfenberg
Researcher and practitioner working on social issues and community dialogue

🔹 Dr. Dominika Bulska, SWPS University
Psychologist and Political Scientist

🔹 Dr Dominik Wach, Jagiellonian University Medical College
Political scientist specializing in migration, integration, and refugee support

Thank you to everyone who joined our panel „How Do We Speak About Refugees Today?” ?

Together, we explored how refugees and migration are discussed in today’s society, examining the impact of public narratives, stereotypes, and attitudes on integration and social cohesion. Through insightful presentations and discussions, our speakers addressed topics such as hate crimes targeting refugees, attitudes toward migrants in Poland, refugee representation in the public sphere, and the challenges of long-term integration.

We are grateful to our distinguished speakers, Dr. Marta Pachocka, Dr. Anna Tatar, Aneta Szarfenberg, Dr. Dominka Bulska, and Dr. Dominik Wach for sharing their knowledge, perspectives, and experience.

Most importantly, thank you to all participants who contributed to the discussions with openness, curiosity, and a willingness to engage with complex but important topics. Events like these remind us that meaningful dialogue is an essential step toward greater understanding, inclusion, and solidarity.