I read your articles and see your enthusiasm at your work and I admire your work very much! Keep going! I agree with Kamil: we have here some politicians who don't care much about our matters and European integration seems to be a question which should stay a question for Europeans according to work of European politicians. I think we need more understanding for each other before we start to unite at other levels.

If I would be Buzek and if I had to collect great professionals and creative and involved people, I would invite team at scholar-online to work in Brussels, because we all can already see how well they are, how creative they are and how brilliant ideas they have. I watched how this project developed up to now and now I see a complete offer, a complete European package which can just be more known in Europe and to make it well known is the task for European Parliament and European Commission for me. They are two main European institution and they should support such involvement like this project here. It is a shame that team at scholar-online have to send requests many times and that European politicians ignore such great initiative! It is a real shame for me and I think it is the time to act, dear Mr. President. Otherwise you and your colleagues will lose the rest of respect which you worked for since the Treaties of Rome! Scholar is a kind of project which Europe in fact needs if it wants to communicate and if politician in fact want to push European integration furthermore (or maybe finally start with it successfully!) I, as a European, demand to look at this project and at least to support it!

DE:
#153 | Peter am 27-08-2009 15:53
I would do the same, Robin. Finally we have something what we like and there is no pressure or appearance, but everyone is acting free and it functions well. That's why Europe should finally dare the important step through its institutions. Don't wait, just do it! Scholar needs political support and recognition to lead the integration process faster or to at least lead it on the right way.

Brussels, 28th August 2009


Dear Ms
Anna Brakoniecka
Scholar-online.eu



Dear Anna, Dear friends,

I would like to thank you very much for your Open Letter where you described the idea of Scholar-online.eu and where your acts are described. I read it with a great interest.

With a great enthusiasm I receive information about every project which supports the integration in Europe and between Europeans, independent on whether a country is a state member of the European Union. The goal to bring people together, to raise a question about false stereotypes which are over national and political borders – that is what we all still need very much.


Your project is for me extraordinary, because it connects ideally two values which are close to me: dialogue and innovation. Dialogue is developed in an innovative way: almost everyone can take part in the discussion, because everything is translated into foreign languages. That is extraordinary beautiful and important, because in a similar way a European Parliament is working. It helps very much to build and enlarge a citizen's society on the European level – a strength which we, politicians, should use, too.


Dear friends! Finally I would congratulate you once more: first to the range of your initiative and additionally I would like to express my support for the idea of Scholar-online.eu. I wish you perseverance and strength for further work and everything the best.


Jerzy Buzek
President of the European Parliament





Chemnitz, 28th August 2009

Dear Mr. President,


we thank you very much for your answer and compliments. We enjoy that you find our project for extraordinary and that you see dialogue and innovation in our conception.


At the same time we won't go further only by congratulations from the politics that is the reason why we asked for your support at the political level. Your voice in the uniting Europe is heard and is honoured in whole European Union. Our project is at its start of development. If we believe in the same values, if we want to build and enlarge commonly a citizen's society on the European level and if we need such initiatives, we expect you to accommodate and to support us politically to enlarge this project. This was the reason why we asked you to help us: to make out of platform Scholar-online.eu a real project at the European level.


We wrote in our Open Letter to you, Mr. President: „II would like to mention that we have financed the project by private means so far, but it is in danger of falling apart, even though it has been a success right from the beginning: it has been welcomed by Europeans with enthusiasm and it is growing rapidly (we get approximately 10.000 new visitors weekly). But the finances are dwindling and without any support the development of the project will come to a halt. (…) We have presented to you a project which has already had a lot of success - without doing any advertising or PR work. It is a project worth investing in.”

I ask you very sincerely once again in the name of our team at Scholar-online.eu: Please support us and help us to keep this project alive and to develop it.



Kind regards,

Anna Brakoniecka and the team at Scholar-online.eu



PS. Naturally we translate your answer into other languages, so that we can reliably present your statement about our project.

PL:
#162 | PoTomek dnia 28.08.2009 17:21
Ania, and I just wanted to ask what's new. And I see the answer and I am glad about it very much. Of course I congratulate you and I agree with every compliment which Mr Buzek wrote.


I wanted to catch your attention on something: maybe write specific what do you expect, because politicians speak always beautifully and there is a minimum of actions behind or minimum of promises to fulfil. It isn't nothing new: it was so, it is so and it will be so.


I suggest:

1) that Mr President Buzek ask media politely to show interest on this project. In this way you will reach many people who don't know anything about scholar yet, and whose opinions could influence the discussions.


2) that Mr President Buzek will present himself in your Gallery of Europeans, as a special guest near prof. Bartoszewski, it would be nice to have Mr Buzek as a special guests, he has surely materials you could use for it


3) that Mr President Buzek takes your project under his patronage, if he likes this project so much (I said already he will like it!) and this fact you could use in the contacts with media (see 1st point)


4) maybe he doesn't know personally much about European fonds, but his assistances or his colleagues have possibly such knowledge where you should give any application away to get some financial help. I don't know how far it could be connected with a patronage, whether it is just a strict media presence or connected with financial support, but you have to try.


5) someone wrote that he could take you into his team – I agree. From Brussels you would have more opportunities than from Germany. And if it would be possible to get this patronage then you wouldn't work just for image of scholar, but for the image of the President of the European Parliament as well.


By the way: nice written: Dialogue is developed in an innovative way

Best wishes
(The neighbour will write something about it, too, she has to prepare firstly something to eat, a kind of pre-evening meal)

DE:
#156 | Jürgen am 28-08-2009 18:57
The leader of delegation of SPÖ, Jörg Leichtfried, spoke about a “positive sign that the President [of the European Parliament] comes from the former Eastern Europe.” Additionally Buzek has a history connected with labour unions. You have to wait how Buzek will manage his role. "I am confident that he will manage it well” said Leichtfried. The EU representative from the Greens, Eva Lichtenberger, spoke as well about a “positive sign, mostly for the new state members, that a representative was chosen from the new state members”. Buzek partially as a member of the labour union Solidarnosc has an “impressive history”. “That is a signal for the human rights”. Additionally she got him to know as a very nice negotiating partner during hard discussions. Critically she spoke about his missing engagement for the environmental policy, he seems to be “blurred”. But she is sure that “you can see over the Polish border” said Lichtenberger.

When I look how the new President of the EP deals with the case of scholar then I don't see any fresh wind, then I don't see any “positive sign” for our Europe and for more integration's work from the side of politicians. To speak beautifully is possible for everyone, but to act? I hoped that the new President of the EP will act more, that he will dare more, that he really do something. Once more you see that a politician is a politician: he doesn't do much and speaks great words. What for do we have them? Shouldn't they represent us or do they want just to fulfil their “work”?

I agree with PoTomek in all 4 points. It is the minimum what I would do if I were Buzek.

DE:
#157 | Peter am 28-08-2009 22:20
I am filled with horror when I think that people like Mr Buzek with such an extraordinary qualification don't appreciate enough the work of team like scholar-online at the field integration work, and that they restrict themselves to a “simply thank you” instead of showing their magnitude and to do what is needed: to strengthen the integration work and really to “to bring people together, to raise a question about false stereotypes which are over national and political borders” whether he admitted himself that we indeed need it.


PoTomek, I would do the same! Then nobody could allege me I didn't engage me enough for right things!

PL:
#165 | Young People UK dnia 28.08.2009 23:56
PoTomek announced me already, so I am. We talked during the dinner and I read twice words of Mr Buzek, the new President of the European Parliament and then the comments of PoTomek and Jürgen, and I can subscribe them with both hands.

I am glad that Mr President kept his word and answered this week – as promised. I like it as well as his words: briefly, compact, but friendly.

What I didn't like was what Peter already wrote: Mr Buzek restricted himself to a “simply thank you” and „have fun” what finally sounded to me like “now you have your answer, so let me in peace”. The last sentence destroyed the nice impression of the first sentences. I thought when he will get to know your project, then he will make more efforts. PoTomek pointed out that I am naively and this time he was unfortunately right. If Mr Buzek thinks this project is so valuable and needed how does he imagine the future of this project? We do it for us, you do it four yourself? What is that for a European attitude anyway? And such an attitude comes from a person representing us in the European Parliament. How do you might enjoy such projects and don't support them? What an ignorance! Is everyone in the EU so? I read your “Words of Recognition” and I see that I can come to such conclusions: you hear so many beautiful words and nothing more. I expected more from Mr Buzek. He seemed to be a man with a character, and I am disappointed. As I can see, I am not the only one here. I hope it isn't the end. When he liked this project so much, then he is able to fulfil four requirements which PoTomek pointed out already. I allow myself to quote PoTomek:


I suggest:

1) that Mr President Buzek ask media politely to show interest on this project. In this way you will reach many people who don't know anything about scholar yet, and whose opinions could influence the discussions.


2) that Mr President Buzek will present himself in your Gallery of Europeans, as a special guest near prof. Bartoszewski, it would be nice to have Mr Buzek as a special guests, he has surely materials you could use for it


3) that Mr President Buzek takes your project under his patronage, if he likes this project so much (I said already he will like it!) and this fact you could use in the contacts with media (see 1st point)


4) maybe he doesn't know personally much about European fonds, but his assistances or his colleagues have possibly such knowledge where you should give any application away to get some financial help. I don't know how far it could be connected with a patronage, whether it is just a strict media presence or connected with financial support, but you have to try.


5) someone wrote that he could take you into his team – I agree. From Brussels you would have more opportunities than from Germany. And if it would be possible to get this patronage then you wouldn't work just for image of scholar, but for the image of the President of the European Parliament as well.

PoTomek was even called by his chief and his chief asked whether Mr President really did nothing about this case. PoTomek said that it is how it is. The English translation is there, so we have all the same state of knowledge. His chief said that politicians are all the same. I won't better repeat what he said in detail, because it wasn't so nice. He put then additionally a remark that Buzek is no different than English politicians or mostly these politicians who are already in the EP. They familiarize themselves with “European manners” and “lose the contact with the reality”. We came to such conclusions in a European city where „euphoria” and style like „yes, yes, yes“ are sometimes puzzling. [„yes, yes, yes“ was a scream of Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz, former Polish head of government - AB]

Ania and the beloved team at scholar, we won't forget you, we come up with an idea to support you! Keep your head up!

Mr President, you have really disappointed me. You and some other politicians could learn from the integration work of this team. You just talk much and do nothing, and this team do much and talks rarely. If anybody can help me understand why he is talking so much and why he doesn't act I would be thankful. I hope to see some more reactions from the political side. Call me idealistic if you will, but Mr Buzek was for me up to now one of the greatest choices in the history of the European Parliament and a great person coming from the Eastern Europe. Now I am really disappointed.

PL:
#166 | Stanisław dnia 29.08.2009 11:53

And it seems to me that it is simply an ignorance of Mr. Buzek. I was never a fan of post-Solidarnosc- camp, because it was mostly more screaming about nothing, nor Tusk nor Kaczynski (from the newest history) nor the AWS [alliance of post Solidarnosc parties where Buzek was active – AB] and other alliances didn't show any conceptions to rule a country and how should they rule a EU. On another hand I am glad that a Pole was chosen to a President of the European Parliament, but from his behaviour in the case of scholar I conclude that there will be no other reason to joy during his mandate. I read your Open Letter and his answer, but this answer is no answer to me, it is just what my colleagues already said: „many thanks, do what you want to do and don't count on me”. Does a “positive sign” for Europe and Europeans look like this? Does an answer at a request of the project coordinator in form of a clear scream for help?


I saw the discussions in another area (“I am a European and I am proud of it”) and there were opinions which asked about why do we have politicians, when they don't react at the requests and wishes of citizens. You see it is a European problem.


Politicians do what they want and Europeans do what they want. Thereby the second world is more virtual as you think and should show the wishes and needs of the first world. Should we say thank you to this person already?

I wish there will be another part of correspondence and more actions and not only a simply restriction to what we already know. Finally there is a chance to support the communication and as Mr. Buzek already described it “an innovative dialogue”, there is a chance for success of Europe and Europeans. Is it really so hard to do something more and at least to mention this project in own expressions? Ms Brakoniecka wrote truly:
„At the same time we won't go further only by congratulations from the politics that is the reason why we asked for your support at the political level. Your voice in the uniting Europe is heard and is honoured in whole European Union.“

Your voice is heard up to now, there is still a possibility to show reflexes and to support this project which is – in my opinion – further milestone in the European integration.


Is it not a typically Polish truck to do not appreciate what we have in front of us, even if it is in front of our nose? Even if it is a uncut diamond? We praise the foreign things and we don't appreciate our own things. In the near future there will be no other Pole who will get a second chance (maybe Cimoszewicz, but he will surely act similarly) and then it won't work with a Polish presence in the EU. Poland won't have any reason to be praised for, we will muddle another possibility to promote Poland.