This thesis is focused on examining the organisation Pionýr, which has a uniqe position among the organisations working with children and youth. It is a qualitative research, which analyses the functioning of the organisation Pionýr before 1989, its transformation into a civic association and status twenty years after renenewal of the independent Pionýr. Main topic is the transformation of the Pionýr organisation and how do the organisation leaders perceive it in interviews and documents. The thesis examines, if it is better to interpret the story of the Pionýr in the context of break in 1989 or rather in the context of continuity. In conclusion there are identified and analysed particular aspects of the break and the continuity.

This work is focused on the education of volunteers in Pionýr, which is organized within this association. The aim is to find out what the motivation of volunteers to take part in the education courses and what is the benefit of the courses for their work with children as well as for their personal development. In case someone does not participate in the course, there are reasons for not taking part in the course. The data are obtained through questionnaires that were distributed among volunteers registered within the Pionýr. Based on the data obtained, it is possible to improve the quality of education courses, focus on specific topics and make courses more attractive.

In my work, I focus on education, primarily the education in the leisure time. I deal with nature and its possitive influence on people´s progress, the relationship between people and nature, why people take interest in nature, what nature brings them and how it enriches them. I describe the environment in which people spend their lifetime {--} the family, the school and various organizations chosen according to their interests. By using the three above-mentioned educational organizations, Junák {--} the Czech Scout Association, the Pionýr and Sokol Organization, as examples, I describe various approaches of these organizations to education and methods of work with their young as well as adult members. I provide a brief description and comparison of these methods, with respect to the people´s favoured environment, where most of their activities take place. I also analyse their choice of places to achieve their aims, be it nature or the environment created by people.

This diploma thesis deals with the influence of Pionýr membership in the mentioned years on civic engagement, after the Velvet revolution in Pardubice region. The theoretical part will introduce theories of democratic and non-democratic civil society, the theory of opportunities for participation, the theory of disillusionment, or the theory of post-communist civil societies, on which the work will be based. In the second, empirical part, the organization Pionýr itself, the types of individual memberships, activities, organizations and more, will be defined. Subsequently, a quantitative analyse will be demonstrated by the method of narrative analysis and in-depth interviews with respondents, in each attempt to find a connection, between a former membership in Pionýr and civic engagement after the Velvet revolution. The aim of the work, is to find out whether the experience with civic engagement in a non-democratic regime, positively or negatively affects the involvement of the people even after the Velvet revolution within the democratic regime. Range: 81 pages; Key words: democratic civil society, non-democratic civil society, Pionýr, civic engagement, political engagement

The work deals with participation within non-state non-profit organizations for children and youngsters. It is focused on possibilities and usage of participation in two biggest civic associations in the Czech Republic ? Junák and Pionýr. In the first part of the thesis, the term participation is defined and the resources which it is based on and which it uses are explained. The basic division of participation is mentioned as well as the necessity of education of individuals towards everyday participation. Another part of the researched issues is non-profit sector and that is why the second part of the paper concerns the characteristic of non-state non-profit organizations and it outlines possible employment of participation in this area. The third part deals with possibilities and realization of participation in Junák and Pionýr. Based on the analysis of selected documents of both the organizations, the research itself concentrates on the phenomenon of participation in basic units of these organizations and their participation in the life of society. The findings are evaluated and mutually compared.