Free Republic of Monar. From ruins to recovery

By: Damian Sobczyk & Jan Szymański (Mestosław, Polish Drug Policy Network)

Description: Monar, today’s largest rehabilitation NGO in Poland, was founded in 1978 during the communist times. It currently runs over 150 facilities offering unique strategies and methods in treating addiction, which raises the question: would it be a successful model to implement in other European countries? Many who find themselves facing addiction problems only receive incomplete information about the possibility of such state-run inpatient facilities, seen as "old methods" of addiction treatment. This film briefly presents the origins, philosophy and peer-practitioners of the Monar initiative in Poland, to counteract misinformation and highlight the possibilities in that field.