The rules, form and scope of cooperation between institutions cooperating within the Western and Northern Territories Network are governed by the Memorandum of Intent signed on 24th March 2017. During the meeting of the Network Steering Committee in Wrocław, the Directors of all five institutions comprising the Network officially joined the programme, establishing cooperation aimed at deepening research on the complex history of lands incorporated into Poland after World War II.
The content of this Memorandum is a kind of interpretation of the basic goals and intentions of the initiators and implementers of the programme, therefore it is presented below in its entirety.
The Memorandum has been signed by:
1. Zygmunt Wojciechowski The Western Institute in Poznań, Mostowa 27a, 61-854 Poznań, represented by Michał Nowosielski;
2. The National Museum in Szczecin, Wały Chrobrego 3,
70-500 Szczecin, represented by Lech Karwowski, the tasks of which resulting from this Memorandum will be carried out particularly by the “Przełomy” Dialogue Centre – a branch of the National Museum in Szczecin;
3. Wojciech Kętrzyński The Scientific Research Centre in Olsztyn, Partyzantów 87, 10-402 Olsztyn, represented by Jerzy Kiełbik;
4. The “Memory and Future” Centre in Wrocław, Grabiszyńska 184,
53-235 Wrocław, represented by Marek Mutor;
5. The State Scientific Institute – Silesian Institute in Opole, Piastowska 17, 45-082 Opole, represented by Bernard Linek;
– hereinafter referred to as Parties.
In the belief that:
– the historical and cultural values created by Poles in Western and Northern Territories after the period of great suffering and devastation of World War II had a great significance in the history of Poland, continued the best traditions of the Republic of Poland and had an influence on overcoming the division of Europe after the Yalta Conference;
– the aforementioned values still have power and educational importance for the cooperation between the peoples of Europe and in the shaping of a just international order;
– the post-war history of Western and Northern Territories is a story about important and breakthrough moments in the history of Poland and Europe, as well as in the history of Poland’s relations with other neighbouring nations, without which it is impossible to understand the contemporary world.
Whereas:
The Parties carry out research and work to establish a scientific basis for broadening their knowledge of the history of Western and Northern Territories;
– The Parties initiate and implement a number of educational and promotional projects;
– Each of the Parties gathers collections of various kinds, documenting the history of Western and Northern Territories;
– The Parties expressed their willingness to cooperate and to pool their efforts in order to achieve the best possible results.
The Parties reached the following agreement:
- 1. Cooperation programme
- The Parties shall establish a programme of mutual cooperation entitled “The Western and Northern Territories Network” hereinafter referred to as the Programme.
2. The Parties expressed their willingness to cooperate within the framework of the Programme.
3. The objective of the Programme shall be the collaboration of all the Parties in order to disseminate knowledge about the post-war history of Western and Northern Territories.
4. The Programme concerns:
1) implementation of joint research, exhibition, publishing, cultural and educational projects;
2) joint promotion of projects carried out by each of the Parties,
3) systematic exchange of information and coordination of activities;
4) mutual assistance in achieving the objective referred to in section 3;
5) joint representation in contact with public authorities on matters concerning all Parties, in accordance with the statutory objectives of each Party.
- 2. Separate contracts
- This Agreement constitutes a memorandum of intent.
2. The Agreement shall not result in any financial obligations for the parties, with the exception of section 4.
3. The Parties’ tasks and responsibilities resulting from this agreement, concerning the implementation of the Programme, shall be defined in separate agreements concluded between the Parties, including bilateral agreements concluded by the Memory and Future Centre as the leader of a consortium with individual Parties.
4. The Memory and Future Centre shall finance the costs of delegation members of the Steering Committee and Working Groups to meetings organised within the Western and Northern Territories Network proportionally to task subsidies from the Ministry of Culture and National Remembrance. The ability of the Centre to reimburse the aforementioned costs to a Party must be confirmed via e-mail by the Programme Coordinator before the date of the meeting, and reimbursement of costs shall be made on the basis of a correctly issued debit note to the Memory and Future Centre, with a copy of the delegate’s statement of account attached.
- 3. Steering Committee
- The Parties shall establish a Steering Committee for the Programme, made up of the Directors of each Party.
2. The Steering Committee:
1) defines the detailed assumptions of the Programme and the list of projects implemented within the framework of the Programme;
2) sets out the directions of the Programme’s development;
3) initiates projects implemented within the framework of the Programme;
4) defines the rules of using the visual identification of the Programme;
5) provides a forum for the Parties to agree on their common positions on matters of substance and organisational issues;
6) develops the concept of the target formula of the Programme and cooperation between the Parties;
7) establishes working groups for the substantive implementation of individual projects under the Programme (Exhibition Scientific Committee, Recruitment Committee of the WNT Network Scholarship, etc.)
3. If a member of the Steering Committee is unable to attend a meeting of the Steering Committee, he or she may be replaced by an authorised member of staff.
- 4. Working Group and Programme Coordinator
- The Parties shall establish a Working Group, which shall comprise the following members:
1) from the Western Institute – coordinator of the WNTN research project;
2) from the National Museum in Szczecin – head of the “Przełomy” Dialogue Centre;
3) from the Scientific Research Centre in Olsztyn – coordinator of the WNTN research project;
4) from the Memory and Future Centre – Deputy Director for Scientific Affairs;
5) from the SSI–SI – coordinator of the WNTN research project
6) Programme Coordinator.
2. The Working Group:
1) develops detailed substantive and organisational assumptions for projects implemented within the framework of the Programme;
2) ensures the continuous circulation of information between the Parties;
3) organises regular seminar meetings on the issues of the Programme;
4) performs other tasks delegated by the Steering Committee.
3. The Programme Coordinator shall be a person employed at the Memory and Future Centre as the Secretary of the Western and Northern Territories Network. The Programme Coordinator:
1) maintains documentation of the Programme;
2) carries out work related to the development of the concept of the activities of the Programme, which shall be submitted to the Steering Committee for approval;
3) coordinates the work of the Steering Committee and the Working Group;
4) maintains the Programme website at www.szzip.pl and ensures ongoing circulation of information between the Parties.
- 5. Visual identification of the Programme
- A visual identification (logo, identity manual, samples of promotional materials) and a website available at www.szzip.pl, which is maintained by the Programme Coordinator, were made on the commission of the Memory and Future Centre for the Programme.
2. Visual identification will be used for projects carried out within the framework of the Programme according to the rules defined by the Steering Committee.
3. The visual identification of the Programme may be used in projects carried out by individual Parties, provided that the substantive scope of a given project is consistent with the assumptions and objectives of the Programme. The Parties are willing to inform each other of such projects.
4. The granting of a free license for using the developed visual identifications system in a scope enabling them to implement the provisions of this Agreement to the Parties shall be made by way of a separate agreement concluded between the Memory and Future Centre and other Parties.
5. The Memory and Future Centre, within the framework of the task subsidies from the Ministry of Culture and National Remembrance, has purchased a package of promotional materials for the Network, which shall be provided to the Parties in order to promote the Programme. The transfer shall be confirmed by bilateral delivery and acceptance reports signed by both Parties.
- 6. Duration of the agreement
- The agreement was concluded for an indefinite period of time.
2. Either Party may withdraw from the Agreement on the basis of a written declaration submitted to all the remaining Parties to the Agreement. The withdrawal shall take effect on the date on which the declaration is made to all the Parties.
3. The Agreement shall enter into force on the date of signature.
- 7. Final provisions
- The Agreement was drawn up in five identical copies, one for each of the Parties.
2. The Agreement shall enter into force on the date of its signature.
