Global Education in statu nascendi: Some Reflections on Poland 1

This article presents findings from a participant observation perspective concerning the multi-stakeholder process on global education in Poland in 2010. The vast majority of the information presented is based on interviews with experts on global education in Poland as well as analysis of existing documents. The main thesis of the paper is that the shape of the agreement document on global education between the state (represented by three Ministries) and civil society (represented by a platform of NDGOs) was influenced by four different issues: i) Poland's historical trajectory from being first a Soviet-satellite country, then a post-Soviet country and aspiring member of the European Union (EU), and, finally, in 2004, an EU member; ii) the impacts of transnational advocacy networks (TANs); iii) the characteristics of the Polish formal education system and, iv) the intrinsic characteristics of civil dialogue in Poland. Moreover, we show how the 'global education package' in Poland emerged 'from above' as a consequence of a successful campaigning exercise by the North-South Centre of the Council of Europe which was supported by Polish NGDOs.