Fundacja Codex

OUR MISSION

The 21st century is the time of reviving extremism. More and more young people, looking for answers to questions about reality, find them in extremist groups. Being a teenager it is very easy to enter such an environment, but it is very difficult to get out of it.

The CODEX Foundation was created precisely to show the way out of extremism and to help entangled people and their families to start the so-called "normal life". Without hatred, violence and contempt.
We want and we can help anyone who wants to change their life. We will help you deal with your embarrassing past and start all over again. We do not judge you or judge your past, we only want to help!

It does not matter to us whether you or a member of your family is entangled in political or religious extremism. Have your actions been motivated by far-right or left-wing ideology? Did you act out of religous reasons or maybe you got involved in stadium extremism and hooliganism? We do not judge, we just want to help!

The CODEX Foundation was established by Staszek Czerczak to help young people leave racist or other extremist movements, focusing on restoring these people to society and presenting them with a way to live a different life – with the respect for the law and with respect for common rules.
The CODEX Foundation offers assistance in the area of - legal and substantive support as well as psychological assistance. We offer the opportunity to talk and listen to your story by people who have followed a similar path. We know how to deal with attacks and acts of aggression from your environment or the environment you have left. If your body is covered with tattoos that symbolize your belonging to an extremist group and which are shameful to you, we will help you remove them or make a cover-up.

We know that young people involved in extremist movements are very often perpetrators but also victims of persecution and crime, and extreme organizations allow them to find a deeper sense and meaning of life. They arouse in their member a sense of superiority and belonging. These groups often function like sects and have military ambitions. Young people have huge problems with leaving them also because the public is not willing to accept them and give them a second chance.
We will support you and your family because we have similar experiences. We will offer an alternative and help in making the first steps in the life of "after". We do not judge, we just want to help!

Founder and leader of the CODEX Foundation – collaborator of the european Radicalisation Awareness Network (RAN) by the European Commision. An expert of the Institute of Social Safety and a long-time associate of the “NEVER AGAIN” Association. Former member of the neo-fascist group of football hooligans.
Expert in counteracting radicalization in the youth environment. Most of his adult life was devoted to counteracting discrimination, intolerance and hatred. He is an expert in the field of innovative EXIT strategies and other de-radicalising activities. And all because, as a teenager, he was involved in an extreme right-wing extremist group. Social activist, speaker and educator. Czerczak trains teachers, the police, the prison officers and the border Guards. Co-author of publications, author of newspaper articles.

A graduate of Faculty of Law and Administration at the University of Szczecin. She is responsible for the Foundation’s organising and administrative tasks. She also runs the website and social medias. A A great animator and a good spirit of the organization. She takes care of the contacts with medias and Foundation CODEX’s public relations.

Lawyer, specializing in a penal and criminal business law, graduate from University of Social Science and Humanities in Poznan. He works for one of the best law firms in western Poland. Chairman of the Foundation CODEX’s Council. Thanks to him the Foundation has permanent legal service at its best.
Social activist focused on legislative aspects of counteracting hatred. He animates, organizes and creates Foundation’s actions. He is responsible for legal aspects of Foundation CODEX’s activity

An author, social worker, peace activist, speaker, trainer and father. His autobiography, “Fourbears: The Myths of Forgiveness,” chronicles his life from the physical and sexual abuse he endured as a child to his path of self-destruction that culminated in a 15 1/2-year prison sentence. In 2012, Sammy founded Formers Anonymous, a national self-help group based on the 12-step model for people addicted to street life and violence. In May 2015, he participated in the TEDxDanubia Conference: Balance On the Edge held in Budapest, where he spoke about the power of forgiveness.

Has spent more than 15 years with ExitSweden, helping people disengage from political extremism and criminal gangs. He is also a social worker, speaker, and expert on radicalization, disengagement, and intervention. Robert has organized international conferences and workshops, and has been an adviser on setting up Exit organizations in several countries. He is a member of the European Commission’s Radicalization Awareness Network, where he co-chairs the working group RAN Exit. In April 2016, Robert was a guest speaker at a TEDx event, where he presented, A Way Out From Violent Extremism.

IN MEDIA

We are the pioneers of EXIT work in our country. Unfortunately in Poland still not much is said about extremism and its consequences. Often when we hear the word extremism, we think either of Islam or ISIS. This is an erroneous reasoning, which does not allow to notice what is happening in our domestic yard. And that there is a lot of statistics of hate-crimes. That is why we want to be present in the media and reach out as many people as possible. Therefore, we present an archive of our appearances in the media, as following.

LET’S TALK

If you or someone you know is ready to leave a radicalised and violent mindset and/or group and leave extremism behind, contact us using the form below. We guarantee discretion and we will not share any information without your consent! Contact form

ACHIEVEMENTS

Everyone likes to brag. And we have what to brag about! We train uniformed service personnel, we talk with youth in schools as part of preventive activities. We cooperate at the international level, and our voice and opinion are respected among experts from around the world. Below we present our achievements so far. We consider everyone we help as our most important achievement.

COOPERATION

We work with experts on counteracting radicalization in Poland and in Europe. Among them are such bodies as RAN Europe and EXIT Sweden and LIFE AFTER HATE, USA.
We encourage schools, to cooperate, government and local government institutions, uniformed service personnel and NGO’s and last but not least – formers to cooperate with us in order to organize a complex network for EXIT work.

The first thing that drives young people to such organizastion is not an ideology or politics. Foremost it is emotions and broadly understood social issues that matters. Recruitment for white power groups, far-left organizations, football hooligans or youth gangs is based on similar principles. Young people are looking for belonging, recognition, safety and adrenaline.

People who feel excluded, lonely are looking for friends. They do not find them among their mates at school, they do not know how to make new friends or have problems at school. Such people, if the are left without any help of adults, feel that they do not fit into society.

Feeling hurt by experience of violence, bullying at school or by immigrants may result in more prejudices and a desire to join an extremist group in order to take revenge. Similarly, destructive behaviors in the family, poor financial situation, lack of work or a sense of betrayal have the same result. These undemocratic and extremist groups give their members a sense of belonging and friendship. A sense of belonging allows you to feel, sometimes for the first time in your life, safe. And being in a large group that sows fear gives one a sense of strength and power.

Low self-esteem, poor financial situation or family problems are also reasons why young people are more susceptible to white-power ideology or other extreme views. The feeling of being part of a larger whole already increases self-esteem and can be a gataway from everyday problems.
Some people are simply interestetd in these type of views and this will make them look for such a group, seek a connection and want to join it. Dangerous behavior, bending and breaking the law can seem tempting for someone who is looking for such extreme experiences. A person with destructive tendencies will be intrigued with such a dangerous life. A rational judgment of the risk involved in joining the ranks of such dangerous organizations can be disturbed if a person abuses alcohol or drugs.

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Stanisław Piotr Czerczak

Ewa Czerczak

Damian Żurek

Sammy Rangel

Robert Örell