UNIQA Poland has been raising the issue of hate and its consequences for several years. It started in 2020 with the "You have the power to deal with hate" campaign. Since 2022, they have been cooperating with the Lem Institute in this area. In 2023, they also started a partnership with the Empowering Children Foundation. For each school accident insurance (NNW) sold, the company donates PLN 1 to the helpline run by the organization.
In late 2023, UNIQA Polska took another step in developing corporate social responsibility by establishing UNIQA Fundacja. The aim is to educate people about hate, support people affected by this phenomenon, and promote mental health.
UNIQA Polska has been actively involved in educational and communication activities related to the fight against hate since 2020.
These activities responded to the stark realities of young individuals whose lives increasingly revolved around remote learning and digital interactions. The isolation from peers brought forth a surge in online hate speech, exacerbating feelings of loneliness and powerlessness among its targets. UNIQA Polska identified a crucial need for collective action to combat this rising tide of negativity.
That pilot project, 'You have the power to deal with hate,' aimed to educate and support those affected by hate and their families. At that time, UNIQA Polska organized discussions with parents and teenagers who were strangers to hate speech. The conclusion from talking to them was that powerlessness and loneliness were the worst things for them, the feeling that they had to fight back against hate alone.
Establishing the UNIQA Fundacja is the next step towards the targeted building and development of CSR activities under UNIQA Poland.
Its mission extends beyond mere acknowledgment of the problem; it sought to actively engage schools, parents, and communities in the fight against hate. By fostering an environment where individuals feel supported and empowered to speak out against hate, the Foundation embodies UNIQA's commitment to 'living better together.'
The establishment of the Foundation demonstrates the power of the community to improve the well-being of children, young people, and all those at risk of hate. And it shows that UNIQA is a responsible brand that wants to take an active part in creating a better life for all of us by undertaking to find solutions to a social problem. It is also an inspiration and support for anyone who wants to end the problem of hate in their environment.
Karolina Rosińska, responsible for CSR activities at UNIQA Poland, became the Foundation's President. The Foundation's Board consists of managers from UNIQA: Dorota Glamkowska, Head of Legal and General Secretary Department, Paweł Roszkowski, Head of Compliance Department; and Adam Czekalski, Tax Manager. The Foundation's council comprises Marcin Nedwidek, CEO of UNIQA Poland, and Management Board members Piotr Lipa and Jakub Machnik.
For people experiencing hate, the worst thing is loneliness. The feeling that they are fighting it alone. That's why we must learn to notice hate, talk about it, seek help, and provide assistance. For this purpose, we established the UNIQA Fundacja to support the fight against hate.
The Foundation's establishment was accompanied by the premiere of a social spot in which UNIQA focuses all its attention on the phenomenon of hate. The television campaign premiered on 12 October 2023. Well-known and acclaimed artists of the younger generation took part in it: Sara James, singer and runner-up on America's Got Talent; Igo, singer and frontman of 'Męskie Granie,' the most extensive concert tour in Poland, and dance duo Loczniki.At the same time, the company launched the podcast 'HejtOff', a platform for honest conversations about hate with inspirational guests.
The foundation has already had a significant impact after just a short time.. It has not only launched media campaigns but also made tangible strides in educational outreach. Partnering with 40 schools nationwide, it has conducted workshops on cyberbullying, reaching 5124 students, 726 parents, and 1107 teachers. The overwhelming demand for these initiatives - with more than 1000 schools signing up to take part in the project - underscores the pressing need for ongoing support in combating online hate, but also instills hope for a more inclusive and empathetic future.
Looking ahead, the Foundation remains steadfast in its commitment to fostering inclusivity and empathy.
A promising project called 'Hate is a waste of life' is in the pipeline. It's a collaborative effort by the UNIQA Foundation and the Digital Citizenship Institute Foundation. This initiative encourages intergenerational dialogue and promotes communication among primary school communities to address cyberbullying. The project will achieve this through various educational activities, including interactive workshops, webinars, support materials, and access to online diagnostic and educational tools.
SWPS University, the UNIQA Fundacja, and the RESQL team have united in the project 'Break the circle of violence at your school.' This collaborative effort aims to publicise and openly address the subject of peer violence, making the public aware of the scale of the problem faced by children. By countering violence and providing schools with a ready-made, proven tool - the RESQL system, created by lecturers and researchers at SWPS University -UNIQA is involving the community in the fight against hate. This system is an app for anonymous reporting of incidents of hate, which also allows children to get support from a trained teacher e, further emphasizing the collaborative nature of the approach.
"Throw Hate into the Basket" is an educational project aimed at young players training at schools and youth groups affiliated with the Legia Warsaw Basketball Team. Legia is the most prominent basketball club in Poland. Young athletes often face hateful behavior on the court and in online post-match comments. The project aims to help them learn ways to cope with hate through workshops led by a sports psychologist. The Foundation has patronized the Warsaw High School Championships, where panel discussions on hate speech, led by a sports psychologist and a player from Legia Warsaw's First Basketball Team, will be held. During the championship final, the Foundation will award five players who displayed an attitude of fair play on the court.
Collaborative projects, such as 'Hate is a waste of life' and 'Break the circle of violence at your school´, underscore the dedication to creating safe online spaces and countering peer violence. Additionally, initiatives like 'Throw hate into the basket' exemplify the Foundation's innovative approach to addressing hate speech in sports. “This is undoubtedly the phenomenon of hate among young people, or more broadly speaking, issues related to the sense of security and mental health. We will not eliminate hate speech or the resulting behaviors. Still, we can undoubtedly educate parents, teachers, children, and young people in this area, and above all, we can support people affected by hate. This commitment is also essential for our employees, who have a huge social element in them and can and want to influence reality together with us” explains Marcin Nedwidek, CEO of UNIQA Poland.
Jakub Wątor, Karolina Rosińska, Magdalena Chorzewska, Marcin Nedwidek in discussion about hate
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