Homo Faber

FAQ

What does "Homo Faber" mean?
The name of our organisation is a Latin phrase meaning "Man the Maker", "Man the Creator" – a craftsperson, a working person. It is to some extent contrary to others, more spiritual Latin phrases describing human beings. Even our name shows clearly that we are down-to-earth, practical and hard-working. On the other hand, even a smith can be an artist. Unfortunately, we have to disappoint fans of Max Frisch – we weren't inspired by the title of his novel.

What is the most important activity for you?
A good but difficult question. We are a group of different people and probably every person from our organisation would answer this question differently. The core of our activity is dealing with issues connected with human rights and changing the reality in small but specific steps.

How do you get funding?
Our biggest dream is to be financially supported by a group of residents of Lublin who would like to give us small amounts of money regularly. It would give us independence and, simultaneously, we would feel an actual support of our actions. Unfortunately, this method of financing of social initiatives is still not popular in Poland. The main financial sources of our daily activity are membership fees, donations from good people and 1% of income tax from individuals. To finance bigger projects we search for grant giving organisations or institutions which are eager to support our NGO. These are, for example, Stefan Batory Foundation, European Refugee Fund or Lublin City Hall. If you need more details you can check precise sums and reports in our Public Information Bulletin or in descriptions of our projects.

How many projects annually do you realize?
In order to answer this question one has to define a word "project". If we assume that it is something specific, having its own separate budget (coming from an external sponsor) and a precise time limit, it turns out that we realise only a few project per year. However, when we add other activities and programmes that we introduce regardless of the funds – the amount of the things we do increases. Practically every week we organise meetings, debates, discussions and trips. We talk to people with various problems and conduct lessons and workshops. Presence in the city is our main strong point. In case of any violation of human rights we are able to react immediately. We don't have to organise anything, gather or look for each other. We are already here.

Is your activity limited only to project-based work?
No, it isn't. The vast majority of our activity, for example our conscious and careful functioning in Lublin, is rather non-project. Project-based work enables us to realise more expensive ideas (f.ex. working with children in refugee centres in Lublin region or monitoring actions which require an enormous amount of time).

Do you conduct any human rights workshops or trainings?
Yes, we do. It has become a habit that, for example, the police ask us to conduct series of workshops concerning human rights. We also work in schools, culture centres and other places where people are ready to listen about (and discuss) the contemporary problems and challenges related to human rights.

Who do you usually help?
We don't keep statistics because of the character of our activity. Generally we try to support residents of our city (and the region) by protecting them against discrimination and safeguarding their rights, f.ex., right of asylum.

Do you work with children?
Yes, we do. We work with children in the refugee center in Lublin.

How do you finance your projects?
First and foremost, we write projects. Usually we simply hit upon and idea, get excited about it and start searching for financial means to realise it. Sometimes it doesn't work.

How to get involved in your activities?
Contact us and we will answer all your questions.

How can I download logo of Homo Faber and the projects conducted by your organisation?
Click here to download our logos.