We are a green, independent think tank, operating on all continents and in 60 countries through our international offices. We have been active in Poland since 2002. We work to promote ecology, democracy, and human rights. We believe that ecology and democracy are inseparable. That is why, wherever we are present, we support individuals and projects committed to these areas.
Politically, we are close to the German Green Party. This movement has developed worldwide in response to the traditional political division into left, center, and right. It is often said that the Greens are neither left nor right, but forward! They represent progressive politics.
Above all, we support civil society, thereby strengthening democracy, and we seek partners who share our values. Together with them, we create space for open dialogue between politics, the economy, academia, non-governmental organizations, and society.
We implement these goals through five programs: Democracy and Human Rights, Europe and International Affairs, Energy and Climate, European Agricultural Policy, and the Baltic Dialogue. The common thread that runs through all our activities is a commitment to shared European values.
Programs:
Democracy & Human Rights
In this area, we accompany social transformations in the countries of the European Union, promoting equal rights for social groups. We place particular importance on combating social exclusion based on gender, origin, sexual orientation, or religion. Our focus is on strengthening social and democratic oversight, as well as fostering participation at various levels of civic engagement.
Europe & International Politics
This program creates a space for discussion on the future of European Union integration and the development of a common European foreign policy. We place particular emphasis on the challenges related to the EU’s Eastern Neighbourhood, especially in the context of relations with Ukraine. In international relations, we highlight the importance of human rights, gender issues, and the cooperation of international institutions and structures.
Baltic Dialogue
In 2022, we launched a new program based on cooperation with the Baltic countries. Together with partners from Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, we are developing new projects and continuing initiatives that advance our goals on an international scale. The program aims to establish ongoing communication with green organizations in the Baltic States, support their activities, and foster cooperation in future initiatives promoting green values — both in the political and social spheres as well as in environmental matters.
Energy & Climate
The aim of this program is to strengthen and deepen the discourse on climate change. Key components include supporting a long-term and just energy transition, promoting renewable energy sources, and increasing energy efficiency. One of the program’s priorities is to create space for discussions on energy security as well as climate change mitigation and adaptation — with particular emphasis on civic participation, gender equality and democracy, and European cooperation.
European Agricultural Policy
This program aims to spark a broad debate about the dominant model of agriculture and the necessary changes it requires. Within this program, we support voices advocating for agroecological farming that addresses climate, environmental, and social challenges. We engage at all levels of public debate—talking with policymakers, scientists, and social organizations who shape the future of agriculture, but above all, with farmers, whom we support in the green transformation.
Activities:
Together with our partner organizations, we organize discussions, expert roundtables, and conferences open to the public. We also publish reports and papers, support independent journalism, and focus all our efforts on themes aligned with our core areas of work.
Our partners include organizations working for social justice, energy and digital transformation, as well as those active in the fields of culture, democracy, civic participation, and sustainable agriculture. We collaborate with organizations such as Polin Museum, CoopTech Hub, Krytyka Polityczna, Roma-Foundation Towards Dialogue, Agro Perma Lab, the Living Earth/Soil Coalition (Koalicja Żywa Ziemia), WWF Poland, the Stocznia Foundation, Dwutygodnik, and the Research Lab on LGBT+ History and Identities at the Institute of Applied Social Sciences, University of Warsaw.
We also closely cooperate with organizations and foundations promoting knowledge on international affairs, such as the College of Eastern Europe, ECFR, German Marshall Found (GMF), the Centre for Eastern Studies (OSW), Pulaski Foundation, Polish Institute of Foreign Affairs (PISM) and the Institute of Public Affairs (ISP).
We organize study trips, roundtables and summer schools – one of them is the Polish School of Agroecology.
Our publications are available in digital format on our website, as well as in print at our office. All of our materials are free of charge and released under open licenses.
The Heinrich Böll Foundation office is located in the center of Warsaw, easily accessible by public transportation, including buses, trams, the metro, and trains. The building where our headquarters is situated is equipped with an elevator.
We are also active on social media. You can follow our activities on Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn. Photo reports from various events we participate in are available on Flickr.
We also produce audio and video programs inspired by our publications and topics of interest – available on YouTube and Spotify under the podcast “Heinrich Böll nadaje z Warszawy”.