25.04.2012 -
Case closed and resolved :) Thanks to quick+thoughtful reaction by
Freerice - Organizacja
Freerice zareagowała pozytywnie :) Rozwiązanie dyskusji tutaj:
czarykuchenne.blogspot.com/2012/04/freericecom-dziekujemy.html
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[uwaga, wpis po angielsku, tłumaczenie pod spodem]
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I hope this is just en error, but such errors should not happen! A "famous landmark" is a castle, a mountain, a cathedral, a famous garden or temple - but NOT the scene of a genocide! It is surely a "landmark of horror", but no Polish child ever learns about this as being a "world famous landmark of Poland"! The Auschwitz camp is a HERITAGE SITE and a MEMORIAL, but NOT a "world famous landmark", especially in such a context, where young people randomly learn it along (magical) Taj Mahal = India, (wonderful) Louvre = Paris, and then (horror) Auschwitz = Poland! Such a controversial place should not appear in this game, while no other country received such a strange "landmark"! Not when the people of my country were murdered in that place, and it was build by the forces of the occupying Nazi Germany! Such an error is not only insulting the memory of my own relatives, who were tortured and murdered in that horror place, but also the memory of ALL Polish and Jewish people, who suffered or were murdered by the GERMAN NAZIS!
I think there was already more than enough controversy about NAZI GERMAN concentration camps being re-labeled as "Polish" or "in Poland". Surely they were build in Poland WHICH WAS 100% OCCUPIED BY NAZI GERMANY DURING THAT TIME. Now, thousands of people, especially young people, students, who visit your website, casually learn (without any further context), that the scene of a genocide of Polish people is a "Landmark of Poland". Additionally, while you did not forget one single famous Austrian or German castle or museum or real landmark, you actually omitted ALL famous Polish castles, temples, historical sites and cathedrals, with the Wieliczka salt mines being the only other "famous landmark" aside Auschwitz!
I am just so angry right now, literally trembling. When I think about all my old aunties crying, and telling me the long horrible "stories from the camp", I was just little, but I did not forget until today.
If you are keen on labelling Nazi camps as "world famous landmarks", then please name the ones located in Germany, so young people will
CORRECTLY learn in your game "concentration camp = Germany". How about
Dachau or
Ravensbrück, to just name 2 "world famous" ones?
I HEREBY ASK YOU TO REMOVE THE "AUSCHWITZ CONCENTRATION CAMP IS A WORLD CLASS LANDMARK OF POLAND" QUESTION FORM FREERICE.COM. OTHERWISE I WILL SEE MYSELF FORCED TO START A CHANGE.ORG CAMPAIGN, AND GATHER ENOUGH PEOPLE TO MAKE YOU REMOVE THIS ERROR.
Sincerely,
signed: Katarzyna Jastrzębska
Polish citizen, 30% of my family were murdered by the Nazis, among others in the Auschwitz concentration camp
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PS. (21.04.2012) Dear Freerice.com team, I am sorry if this post is very emotional, but this is how I feel about this subject. I do not wish at all to have to prove to you that I am not the only person who feels like that. For you it is just a few clicks, and 1 controversial question changed. I love playing the Freerice charity games, and I would very much hate to cause any bad publicity for you! I already started petitions in the past, some of them attracting many thousands of people in response, I am keeping a low profile now due to my illness, and I do not really wish to take out all my big guns, especially since you are such a great project, and it really could be solved very quickly!
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[Przepraszam za wpis po angielsku, ale po prostu to mnie tak przeraziło i nie mogłam uwierzyć że to prawda. Strona
Freerice.com w jednej ze swoich gier charytatywnych podała "Oświęcim" jako "światowej sławy symbol Polski" (przy tym pomijając wszystkie polskie zamki, pałace, klasztory itp, jedynym innym "sławnym znakiem Polski" nazywa kopalnie w Wieliczce - a wszystkie inne kraje dostały zamki, pałace, katedry, góry, wielkie pomniki itp). Mam nadzieje że to szybko zmienią, ale jeśli nie to będę startować akcje, i zbierać tysiące podpisów jeśli trzeba. Strona
Freerice.com jest odwiedzana przez setki tysięcy ludzi, i przede wszystko młodzież i dzieci, używające wszystkie te gry edukacyjne, i taki błąd właśnie na tej stronie jest po prostu fatalny. A najgorsze było to, że nie zapomnieli ani jednego Niemieckiego ani Austriackiego zamku, albo musem albo innych naprawdę słynnych miejsc - ALE POMINĘLI WSZYSTKIE NIEMIECKIE OBOZY KONCENTRACYJNE. Tylko Polska nagle ma miejsce gdzie mordowano Polaków i Żydów jako "słynny Polski symbol" ;(]
