Hungarian American Coalition News, 2001 (10. évfolyam, 1. szám)
2001 / 1. szám
Munter, Director for European Affairs at the National Security Council, Mr. Janies Gadsden from the State Department, Dr. Daniel McDonald, President of the Potomac Foundation, Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Nicholas Kehoe, former Deputy Chairman of NATO Military Committee and Mr. István Csicsery Rónay, President of Occidental Press. In his speech, Ambassador Géza Jeszenszky pointed out the importance of the future agenda of the Coalition in view of the recent elections in former Yugoslavia and Romania. Edith Lauer, Chairman of the Board of the Hungarian American Coalition, gave a brief report on the projects and accomplishments of the Coalition. The evening ended with the singing of Christmas carols in English and Hungarian. White House Internship Program The Coalition awaits the plans of the Bush Administration regarding the continuation of the White House Internship Program. Applications are requested for White House intern candidates for the Summer, 2001. Coalition-sponsored interns are supported by the White House Internship Program by SBC Communications Foundation. Applicants should be college undergraduates with demonstrated interest in Hungarian American activities. For further information, please contact Ms. Gabi Kereszty at the Coalition's Office. Vámosújfalu Project Update In August, 2000, an anonymous donor made a major contribution of $80,000 to the Coalition's Tisza Flood Victims' Relief Fund. After considering various options, the Coalition voted to use this grant to rebuild the public administration building of Vámosújfalu. This Eastern Hungarian town with a population of 900 suffered heavy damages in the spring flooding of the Tisza river. Zsolt Szekeres, Coalition Treasurer and coordinator of this project reports the following: "Thanks to a very mild winter, the construction is well underway and it is expected the building will be completed by May, 2001....In early March the second technical inspection will take place prior to the disbursement of the final payment, thus completing our obligations under the grant agreement. After that we only have to wait for the announcement of the inauguration, which I am sure will be a major event in the life of the people of Vámosújfalu." Coalition Sponsors Hungarian Youth Talent Contest in Vojvodina The Ninth Annual Teenage Song Competition and Festival took place in Temerin, Vojvodina, on November 11, 2000, at the town Sports Center. A total of 24 contestants competed in the “teenager” (ages 13-17) and “young adult” (ages 18-25) categories, performing popular songs in Hungarian before an audience of 1800, including a jury. The competition aims to identify and support talented young Hungarians in the field of pop music. The Hungarian American Coalition was a major sponsor of the Festival, thanks to the fundraising efforts of Coalition Member Max Teleki of Washington, DC, and Hungarian Americans for Human Rights in Délvidék (HAHRD), the Chicago-based organization, also a Coalition member. Coalition Treasurer Zsolt Szekeres attended the Festival, whose organizers stressed that without the Coalition’s sponsorship, the Festival would not have taken place because of the upheaval following Yugoslavia’s change of government. The Hungarian American Coalition is proud to support this event, which provides an uplifting, fun forum for young people whose youth has been overshadowed by war, privation and discrimination. sfe sfc 3fc s(c 9fe A special welcome to our two Coalition interns: Jeremiah Roberts from Michigan, who is attending American University, and Transylvanian born Emese Muzsi from Hungary. Our thanks to our revitalized Membership Committee, made up of Frank Dobos, László Fülöp, András Ludányi, and one of our newest Board Members, Géza Simon, for instituting an early Membership Renewal and New Members' Campaign! Please help them by renewing your Coalition membership, and providing names of friends/potential members to whom we can send information about the Coalition. 3 • Hungarian American Coalition • February 2001
