The symbol of what happened to the collections in Poland may be September 16, 2024. On that day, Simon Holovnia announced that there was a collection of gifts for the floods in the Sejm. He informed in the Communication that "in action, which is simply a joint initiative of all the clubs and parliamentary circles, not only Members and staff of the Chancellery of the Sejm may participate, but all curious persons. Gifts, in peculiar water in containers of 5 l, hermetically sealed food, cleaning agents, etc., may be brought to the point located in the shelter at Wiejska Street.’
So we had almost unprecedented political consent. Politicians and policymakers from all sides shouted: Collect!
Let us effort to realize the absurdity of this situation: in the mediate of a flood persons selected to lead the state together encourage citizens and citizens to assist victims from the bottom up. And the Sejm becomes a helpful hub.
The flood had, of course, dramatic consequences, but it did not cover the full country, and the situation was not extraordinary adequate for the state to stay helpless towards it – like at the beginning of the war in Ukraine, erstwhile reaching for the aid of the full society was a necessity.
We're utilized to the fact that all crisis situation, bigger or smaller, we're trying to get the drop. Does it surprise us, then? most likely not. It should, due to the fact that it's a sign that state management is on the line.
Criticizing collections is always difficult. Well, it's easy to come across a cold-hearted charge, a deficiency of sensitivity. After all, it is better to have more than little help, coffee does not regulation out tea, and it is better to aid as you can, than to sit with your hands on.
It's all true, at least in part. However, we must bear in head that collecting money besides has negative consequences that require reflection, and possibly even serious reform. At the same time, and possibly the most important, collection criticism is never the criticism of those involved, and even more so – of those who search aid in this way.
It's worth realizing the scale. A year ago, on the occasion of the decade, the service Zrótka.pl made available any interesting numbers. He competed in 2013, and the next year (the first full year of operation) ended with payments of little than 800 1000 PLN. A year later, the deposits amounted to over PLN 3 million. In the following years, the increase was actually avalanched: in 2016, the sum exceeded 5 million, in 2018 – 40 million, in 2019 it approached 100 million, and in 2022 more than 300 million zlotys were collected.
The leader of the Polish discharge section – Siepomaga.pl – announced over 3 years ago that as much as 1.5 billion zlotys were collected through it. It can be assumed that this sum has now exceeded 2 billion.
According to Rzeczpospolita in terms of online collection Poland ranked 5th in Europe, although the diary reported at the same time that this marketplace is shrinking in our country. And the net is not everything, due to the fact that the collection is besides organized by NGOs, parishes and dozens of another entities. Poles and Poles gather for everything – from saving homeless animals to buying Turkish drone for Ukraine.
In 1 period much of Poland will live The large Orchestra of Christmas Charitywhich has grown to be 1 of the most crucial events in our country. Last year only the biggest drop in Poland gathered close PLN 282 million. Meanwhile, our liberal government is pushing for changes in the wellness contribution that will origin yearly losses for the National wellness Fund to be greater than the funds collected by the large Orchestra of Christmas Charity... since its beginning in 1993!
Together with the Marshal's collection of gifts, which was quoted in the beginning by the Marshal of the Sejm, this example best shows how dysfunctional we have become in this respect society.
The beginnings of this love for collections can be sought during the transition. In the 1990s, the state was ineffective as an organization. Not only in terms of pure fiscalism – that the budget simply lacked money. Structural changes were besides a problem. This is simply a good example of wellness protection. The Siemaszkowski model operating during the period of the Polish People's Republic of Poland (which assumes the full backing of this area from the state budget) did not respond to the needs of the democratic society. The answer was a number of activities which proved to be mostly chaotic, specified as the "self-allocation" of hospitals or the introduction of sick pay registers. Consequently, the strategy inactive did not respond to request and at the same time the public ceased to believe that it would always meet these requirements. wellness care is just an example; it was akin in another areas.
It is not by accident that the large Orchestra of Christmas Charity grew just erstwhile assurance in the inefficient state fell dramatically. In November 1991 – the year of the emancipation of hospitals – the political situation in Poland was well assessed by 13 percent of the population and the economical situation only 6 percent.
Interesting results can be found in a survey conducted by the Public Opinion investigation Centre that same month: Do we want to pay for education and treatment? The vast majority of respondents advocated that wellness care should not be paid. Only 2% indicated that medical care should be paid in full, and 65 percent of respondents felt that no payment should be made at all.
The authors concluded: “The results of the survey show that the concept of, for example, partial markets of conventional budgetary spheres, specified as wellness and education, do not find besides many supporters in our society so far. This could be expected, however, given the fact that the offer of remuneracy in specified basic areas is directed to a society most convinced of the expanding material difficulties each day. According to 80% of respondents, the overall standard of surviving of the population is decreasing, and 64% say that the situation of their families deteriorated compared to the erstwhile year".
Since then, the state has not been able to convince us that at least in these delicate spheres it will fulfil its task and prove to be “careful”. On the contrary – it taught us that where it does not work, we must take matters into our own hands. A mechanics as old as the world, but it was erstwhile organized within smaller communities. The untrustworthy peasants “take matters into their own hands” and cast an additional field of potatoes which they shared behind the master's back. In times of democracy and capitalism, the equivalent of these reflexes of self-defense became the large Orchestra of Christmas Charity, as well as online collection services. Only that this time the country accepts these self-generous mechanisms and even fetes – due to the fact that in any part they do their job.
It is worth mentioning what strengthens this state. Firstly: real state handicaps in any areas – wellness and social services frequently do not respond to crucial needs (always due to deficiency of money, but increasingly present besides due to deficiency of qualified staff). This makes it natural to fill gaps with another institutions. It is apparent and indisputable that in many respects the Polish state could operate more efficiently.
However, the another side of the medal that we think about little frequently is more interesting: it's not that bad. In keeping with the most crucial example of wellness care, last year's planet wellness Organisation ranking, our country ranked 31st (in 194 countries rated), ahead of Denmark among others. In most rankings, we look rather well against countries from our region, with a akin history. Of course, we are inactive in this kind of rankings clearly behind most Western European countries, but this should not falsify the full picture. Poland is simply a country that is doing much better in many areas than in the year of the founding of the WOŚP. It is even more hard to accept that we owe this progress, whatever it may be, to the Polish political class, which has been working on it for over 3 decades – regardless of the option it represents. possibly a strong political conflict is the main reason why it is not easy to adopt specified a perspective.
This creates another paradoxical situation erstwhile the state tries to act in reality against its citizens and citizens whose expectations have been reduced – it tries to give them what they no longer want due to the fact that they pay for it privately. In addition, the charitable bodies that de facto compete against the State in this context have a major interest in sustaining this state.
An example one of many statements by Jerzy Owsiak, this time in consequence to Russia's start of full-scale aggression against Ukraine: “It was the citizens who organized the aid 99 percent. All I can say to the government is that it's large that you don't bother helping us. Society has mastered this art perfectly, so I truly don't anticipate anything from the strategy anymore.”
The founder of the large Orchestra of Christmas Charity speaks in this way of a state that, however, has become active in Ukraine on an unprecedented scale. On the another hand, I believe that Oatsiak's words are compatible with the feelings of many of us: the state is inept, we will do it better. Dirty infirmary corridors contrast with fresh medical equipment covered with red hearts.
But it's an illusion. The one-time collection will always be effective, especially with fireworks and star concerts, but the state operates on a larger scale, conducting long-term processes. 1 life saved by an online collection will make more emotions than thousands of lives saved by effective prevention. And the drone on which the full of Poland was thrown, we will remember better than the tons of military equipment that our state transmits to Ukrainians, frequently simply not being able to inform the public.
No wonder that we will feel more satisfaction by clicking on the well-prepared collection website than by filling out the PIT on the taxation office website. And finally, as the example of the Marshal's initiative shows, the state is besides beginning to usage civic belief in the magical power of collections.
When collection is an exception to the rule, their effect can be even positive. The state can't handle everything; society can respond more flexibly and more precisely. Moreover, it may happen that the state, for ideological reasons, is oppressive towards certain phenomena or groups, then the ability becomes a necessity. This can happen regardless of the side of the dispute, due to the fact that oppression of the state may as well concern religion and sexuality. In fresh years we besides see this in the case of humanitarian crisis on the Polish-Belarusian border. civilian organisations operating there, contrary to their country, are based on collections.
The problem begins erstwhile collections become a permanent part of the social landscape, including in areas as universal as wellness and social care. As a result, the majority of the population does not want to participate in the creation of communityhood – from trusting public institutions, by supporting efforts to warrant them adequate resources, to major reforms – by viewing the state as either helpless or brake, and by refocusing its energy on bottom-up activities.
Then what is the top strength of the state is shaken: building a coherent, developing community. We give it up for individual acts that are actually the subject of various games. After all, it is widely known that any part of the medical collection is just a more neatly packed deception erstwhile desperate loved ones are sold hope alternatively than a real treatment. The state does not finance any treatments not due to bad will, but due to the fact that they are not effective. However, from the position of the society again loses, as it seems to be a solid organization that can't – and does not want – defend its citizens.
Another object of the game is the issue of the availability of collections – what makes any of them more popular. Not all individual in request (or loved one) manages to organize an effective collection. It is the consequence of a number of factors that should not substance in this situation, specified as social capital or human capital. aid is given to people who are more rotated, have connections or just luck, their collection has been captured by the media, celebrities or algorithm.
Participation in the collections attracts – it gives a sense of community and affluence, which is not guaranteed by the co-creation of society, and besides suppresses remorse. This has made us addicted to this act, but our solidarity ends erstwhile we close in the web page Złożka.pl or Siepomaga.pl.
Finally, I repeat: all this does not mean that specified services should be boycotted. It is crucial to understand, however, that life in a planet funded from collections is simply a curse, not a blessing. And it shows weakness, not the strength of the state and society. The large Orchestra of Christmas Charity works in Poland not due to the fact that we are so great, but due to the fact that during the transformation the state failed to fulfil its duties. That's why I wouldn't want her playing for the remainder of the planet and 1 more day. On the contrary, I want that she could halt as shortly as possible.
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Jan Radomski – a sociologist, PhD student at Adam Mickiewicz University, is scientifically active in resistance, especially the concept of a “trace” in discourse, as well as narratives concerning socio-economic systems.
