Centre for Culture and Dialogue Jesuit University Ignatianum in Krakow (JUIK)

Inspired by a Jesuit priest from Cracow, the Reverend Stanisław Musiał SJ, the Centre for Culture and Dialogue came into existence in 1998 and continued working, albeit intermittently, for the next 25 years. Stanisław Musiał SJ (1 May 1938-5 March 2004) was a pioneering figure of interreligious dialogue in Poland: a philosopher, a priest, and an ally of Catholic-Jewish cooperation.

Rev. Musiał was member of the Polish Episcopal Conference’s Council for Dialogue with Judaism from day one in 1986 and worked as the Council’s secretary until 1995. Rev. Musiał sat on the board of directors of “United Nations Watch”, an organisation affiliated with the World Jewish Congress.

In 1987, he actively participated in the events surrounding the transfer of the Carmelite nunnery out of the Auschwitz concentration camp site. He partook in the Geneva meetings on this issue and signed the arrangements adopted there on 22 February 1987. He was an outspoken critic of the erection of crosses at the camp’s gravel pit. Rev. Musiał received the first edition of the Press monthly’s Grand Press Award for opinion journalism. The award came in recognition of his 1997 article “Czarne jest czarne” [Black is Black], in which he had called for the Church hierarchy to respond to anti-Semitic statements made by some clergy. He also received the medal “Meritorious for Tolerance”, awarded in 2000 by the Ecumenical Foundation “Tolerance”. Rev. Musiał received the Jan Karski and Pola Nireńska Award for 2001, awarded by the Jewish Scientific Institute to those who study Polish-Jewish relations and the contribution of Polish Jews to Polish culture. The Club of Christians and Jews “Przymierze” funded the Reverend Stanisław Musiał Award that recognises persons of merit in the Christian-Jewish and Polish-Jewish dialogue.

Despite transformative unification and globalization, social issues that affect modern human being remain the same. Wars, terrorism, lack of respect for the dignity of the person—these are all facts that we encounter daily in society and media. Rapid migration of peoples and the resulting migration of cultural patterns and values are equally important and constantly lead to new human interactions.

Reluctance to learn from each other, intolerance to otherness, and disagreement hampering the setting of common future goals evoke the need to create an institution that fosters understanding across the board. The goal of the Centre for Culture and Dialogue is to provide a platform for dialogue and develop effective communication among individuals, communities, and organisations—those that can serve to reduce negativity in societal relations and provide an educational model in the interpersonal space.

The Centre for Culture and Dialogue is an academic institution that studies and promotes cultural tolerance, dialogue, and Polish social thought. On this basis, the Centre wants to inspire activities aimed at spurring dialogue between representatives of different cultures, nations, religions, worldviews and social groups.

The Centre for Culture and Dialogue conducts this mission by organizing public debates, seminars, symposia and scientific conferences, as well as journalistic and publishing activity, research projects funded internally and externally, and cooperation with other scientific centers in Poland and abroad. The Centre counts with a team of associated experts in many fields. The Centre’s staff constitute an international environment dedicated to fostering in-depth reflection and informed debate on cultural, religious and social transformations taking place in our country.

The Centre’s goal is to create both a spiritual and a physical space for all activities aimed at the mutual rapprochement of cultures. The Centre strives to create true dialogue which, based on comprehensive acceptance, leads to mutual enrichment of its participants. The Centre for Culture and Dialogue operates as an interdepartmental entity at Jesuit University Ignatianum in Cracow and reports directly to the Rector.

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Director of Center for Culture and Dialogue

PhD Paulina Winiarska

Phone: +48 506 540 601

E-mail: ckid@ignatianum.edu.pl

paulina.winiarska@ignatianum.edu.pl

Dyrektor Centrum Kultury i Dialogu

dr Paulina Winiarska

tel. 506540601

e-mail: ckid@ignatianum.edu.pl

           paulina.winiarska@ignatianum.edu.pl