4.1.1 Research Design
For the Polish part of the study, 28 organizations were selected. Most of them are officially registered associations, while others are foundations, religious organizations or informal groups. Twenty-seven representatives from 25 organizations were interviewed, and 25 interviews (with representatives from 23 organizations) were eventually used for the analysis. Polish research team members knew most organizations prior to the interviews, and in some cases the »snow ball« sampling procedure was used when new respondents were recommended by persons already interviewed. The predominant focus was on organizations operating in larger urban areas. Almost half of all organizations included in the survey are based in Warsaw, while others are active primarily in the eastern (mainly Białystok) or southern parts of Poland (cities such as Białystok, Kraków and Oświęcim, as well as Lower Silesia and the Opole region). The following types of organizations have been selected for the present study:
1) NGOs involved in systematic monitoring of hate crimes (Nigdy Więcej)
2) general human rights and welfare organizations (Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights, Polish Humanitarian Action, Association for Crisis Intervention)
3) organizations of potential biased crime victim/self-help groups:
• organizations of officially recognized and registered ethnic or national minorities (Russian Cultural and Educational Association, German Students Union, Association of Roma in Poland, Lemko Song and Dance Ensemble Kyczera, Union of Jewish Religious Communities in the Republic of Poland, Social and Cultural Society of Jews in Poland, Jewish Cultural Association Beit Warszawa)
• organizations of immigrant minorities (Rescue Foundation, Ingush Unity, Society for African Affairs at the Jagiellonian University, Solidarity and Friendship Association of the Vietnamese in Poland, Muslim Centre for Education and Culture, Mongolian Student Community, Arabia.pl Association, Kazakh Community)
• LGBT organizations (Campaign Against Homophobia, Lambda-Warsaw)
4) informal groups:
• minority groups (Ingush Unity, Mongolian Student Community)
• anti-Fascist groups (Anti-Nazi Group from Piła, Nigdy Więcej Group from Oświęcim).
(OPP)

| 