The Club of Catholic Intelligentsia (KIK) was founded in 1956 and brings together Christians – especially Catholic laypeople – who are committed to a society based on solidarity, openness and justice. The club is independent of government agencies and the church hierarchy. It does not belong to any political party, but closely observes social, cultural and political developments – and intervenes when necessary.

Since its foundation, KIK has been committed to dialogue between churches, respect for human rights, the emergence and development of the Solidarność movement, support for political prisoners and the return of democracy and freedom to Poland in 1989. KIK played an important mediating role, particularly in the late 1980s, including in the round table talks, where 20 members belonged to the Solidarność delegation.

Today, KIK is a vibrant association in Warsaw with several thousand members, including many families. Eight specialist sections are responsible for a wide range of projects, in addition to club-wide initiatives.

• Help for the Ukraine through our KIK Ukrainian Action initiative
• Support for refugees, including:
  • The crisis intervention points on the Polish-Belarusian border (humanitarian aid)
  • The Guest in the House section (social support for refugees)
• Support for young people through:
  • Scout camps in summer and winter
  • Educational opportunities throughout the year
  • Sailing camps organized by the Santa Maria Sailing Club
• The magazine Kontakt – a magazine that combines Christian thinking with a left-wing social perspective
• Help for people in need, such as homeless individuals or persons affected by sexualised violence in the church – via our hotline and a support network

The Ukrainian Action of KIK was launched in February 2022, immediately after the start of Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine. From the very beginning, our volunteers have been actively involved in providing aid transports, evacuating children with disabilities, setting up a hostel for war refugees in Warsaw, and offering leisure activities for refugee children.

In June 2022, the initiative was formally established in order to structure our work and make it more professional.

Today, there are over a dozen projects supporting Ukrainians in Poland and Ukraine.

Our activities at a glance:

• Joint camps and leisure activities for Polish and Ukrainian children and young people: hiking camps, stationary camps and bivouacs create encounters, build friendships and help to overcome language and cultural barriers.
• Play For Peace – integration and training camps for youth aged 15 to 17 years: with cooperative games, experiential learning methods, outdoor training and teamwork.
• Mountains of Leaders – a training programme for young adults (aged 18–26) that focuses on trust, communication and constructive conflict resolution.
• SzkoUA – the Ukrainian school in Warsaw provides education to around 270 Ukrainian children each year according to the Polish and Ukrainian education systems.
• Tutoring and learning support by Polish teenagers for refugee children from a wide variety of backgrounds.
• Trampoline –a project to support children and parents in starting school and to create a safe and supportive leisure environment.
• Recreational camps for children and mothers, who have lost their fathers or husbands in the war – supervised by psychologists and psychiatrists.
• Artistic workshops and prayers for Ukraine – creative, spiritual spaces for community and expression.
• Fundraising campaigns, e.g. for power generators, which Polish paramedics urgently need at the front.