From October 20-24 in Warsaw, Poland, the Weiser Center for Europe and Eurasia (WCEE) hosted one of its signature programs, the NGO Leadership Workshop, in partnership with the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan and Bratislava-based Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Hekima. 

The workshop was offered free of charge to 20 NGO leaders from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Poland, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. Their organizations protect and promote democratic values across the region, while addressing critical social issues, such as human rights violations, government transparency, and legal reform. 

The week commenced with special remarks from Ambassador Daniel Fried (Weiser Family Distinguished Fellow at The Atlantic Council and former U.S. Ambassador to Poland), who encouraged the group to maintain hope while fighting for change in their countries. Participants developed management skills and values through interactive training sessions on adaptive leadership and executive decision making; strategic fundraising (through a grassroots approach and corporate partnerships); and innovation to drive positive global impact. These modules were complemented by a group outing to Warsaw’s historic Wilanów Palace. 

“These outreach initiatives are vital to our center’s mission,” commented WCEE Special Projects Manager Derek Groom. “We are proud to empower these NGO leaders with tools to innovate and continue carrying out their inspiring work, as well as with opportunities to create lasting connections with peers from neighboring countries.” 

The leaders now join an extensive alumni network of over 325 workshop participants since 2015, including more than 100 Ukrainian organizations. Workshop alumni were also invited to participate in an upcoming online training in November focused on best practices for impact measurement and management, led by experts from the William Davidson Institute at U-M. 

The next NGO Leadership Workshop will take place in Bratislava, Slovakia in May 2026. 

Top Left: WCEE Director Geneviève Zubrzycki (center) and Ukrainian NGO leaders holding up “Мічиган” [Michigan in Ukrainian] t-shirts

Top Right: Trainer Frank Carl Schultz leading session on adaptive leadership

Bottom Left: Trainer Mirella Panek-Owsiańska (right) helping participant brainstorm fundraising solutions

Bottom Right: Group at outing to Wilanów Palace