The aim of my proposal is to inspire the scientific community once again with Janusz Korczak´s democratic ideas on child education. His democratic principles in upbringing the children at risk can serve as a great source of inspiration in current discussions on educational approaches; not just for children at risk. Unfortunately, his approach to community life, stressing no differences between age, race, social status, sex or political ideas is becoming slowly forgotten in many countries (except for Poland, of course). He promoted and practised his principles in the most difficult times imaginable, in World War One and World War Two.

The proposal builds on Korczak´s approach of democracy, seen in many of his works and projects. It presents Korczak´s understanding of a child as an equal partner in an educational process. It also stresses Korczak´s idea of always being honest with children and introducing the reality of the world to them; be it the good or evil with no exceptions. For Korczak democracy meant responsibility for one´s actions and responsibility to the rest of the world. Korczak let his children be responsible and feel the joy and pain of bad decision making. He strictly applied children´s rights in his institutions, he was against false protectionism and sentiment because he wanted to educate truly democratic citizens who might once make the world better place. Korczak and the children from his residential care home were killed in a concentration camp but Korczak´s ideas have survived. My mission here is to make sure that in the age of information overload we shall still hear his message and react to it.

More than answering questions I would like to initiate a debate on the question of how we approach democracy? Why it seems so difficult, even utopian to some educators or scientists to apply democratic principles? Why it actually makes sense to fight the wind mills? Why did Korczak manage to do exactly that in very extreme conditions and we struggle to apply democratic principles in education in Europe in the most favourable conditions ever?

I used desk research as a main research method. I do not speak Polish and all Korczak´s original works and works on his work are mostly in Polish or Yiddish. For creating the picture of Janusz Korczak I read and studied his works for children and adults translated into Czech or English (e.g. King Matt, 1987; Ghetto Diary, 2003). I also collected articles on Janusz Korczak accessible in Czech and English translations. I must also mention that there are hardly any publications on Korczak´s work and life written by Czech researchers. The only exceptions are works of Cipro (1984), Janovský (1986), Bystrzycká (2008) and Pelcová (2014). Based on literature that I accessed and studied I created a picture of Janusz Korczak and I described his democratic ideas on child education. I also created a set of questions for possible discussion (see proposal information). My aim is to remind a broad audience of this amazing personality in pedagogy and to tell a strong and inspirational story about Janusz Korczak (Korzak always used stories in his education methodology). The people who come to listen to his story may find answers on facts from Korczak´s life and they shall leave the room with questions of how to become closer to Korczak´s ideas and how to apply those ideas in their everyday teaching practice and life.

This proposal is part of my dissertation thesis where I look back into history of inspiring projects in residential care to search for answers to current problems as I would like to contribute to ongoing academic discussions in Europe. Korczak´s legacy brings hope for those who sometimes find it difficult in today´s world as they are being manipulated into belief that one always has to choose one´s side and that the currently accepted trend in education is the only one right. Korczak´s story gives strength for finding new ways; it liberates us from conventional mindset. Korczak is one of many. Concrete stories from history still prove that great changes and projects were being carried out by independent individuals with strong sense for community needs. By individuals who kept asking themselves questions and truly lived their philosophies. It may not be trendy but we still need heroes. Korczak was definitely one of them.

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