Itt-Ott, 1990 (23. évfolyam, 114-117. szám)

1990 / 115. szám

KISEBBSÉGI JOGVÉDŐ-MŰHELYÜNK

Az MBK Tanácsa $400-ta szavazott meg a műhely szervezési költségeinek fedezésére. Közben sikerült a William Penn Association és a Hungarian Reformed Federation of America támogatását is megnyerni $500-500 erejéig. Ezek az összegek lehetővé tették, hogy az elszállásolást fedezzük a résztvevők számára, a Catholic University of America diáklakjaiban. A műhely megszervezése főleg az MBK és a HHRF felelőssége volt. Idén — az 1989-es Wellsburg- i műhellyel ellentétben — úgy döntöttünk, hogy Washingtonban maximálisan kiaknázzuk az ottani kapcsolatainkat, hogy a résztvevők minél több olyan hivatalnokkal, képviselővel találkozhassanak, akik az emberi jogok küzdelmében valami módon érdekeltek vagy érintettek. így a műhely nagyjából két részre oszlott. Vasárnap folyamán hat előadó (Scrimger, Hanley, Tamás, Lauer, Ludányi, Benkő) foglalta össze azokat az alapvető tudnivalókat, amelyek építőkockákat képeznek az emberi jogokért folytatott harcban. Hétfőn és kedden pedig csoportosan részt vettünk a HHRF által felállított gyűléseken és eligazító beszámolókon. Hétfőn a magyar nagykövetségen, Lautenberg szenátor irodájában és a National Security Councilban (Fehér Ház) voltak ilyen alkalmaink. Kedden a kongresszusi emberi jogok tömörülésében hallhattuk Sütő András tanúvallomását (Hámos László tolmácslásával) a magyarellenes pogromról (március 19-21), amelynek ő is személyes áldozata volt. Ezt követően a résztvevők még két másik képviselővel is találkozhattak (Gibbons, Atkins) eszmecserére. Huszonötén voltak összesen résztvevők, kétszer annyian, mint Wellsburgban a múlt nyáron. Ezeknek nagyrésze fiatal, egyetemista korú amerikai magyar volt. így hát izmosodik az a kulcsszerepre avatott hálózat, amely remélhetőleg biztosíthatja a kisebbségek jogvédelmét a jövőben. — Ludányi András

Summary Report on the Human Rights Workshop

Held at Catholic University of America Washington, DC, June 9-12, 1990

From June 9 to 12, 1990, a Human Rights Workshop was held in Washington D.C. on the campus of the Catholic University of America. Its primary objective was to impart practical information on how best to influence policymaking in the United States relative to the oppressed Hungarian minorities of East Central Europe.

The workshop was attended by a good crosssection of Hungarian-American and affiliated human rights activists from the region East of the Mississippi. While Maryland, Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. had the largest representation, there were participants from Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and Connecticut. In total numbers the workshop doubled the number of participants of the first such workshop held at Wellsburg, West Virginia during June, 1989. Twenty-five individuals were involved in the activities of the workshop as instructors or as participants (not counting the briefings that were attended by many non-participants also). The majority of the participants were of college age, but a handful of veterans also added a wealth of personal experience to workshop interactions.

The workshop was made possible through the cooperative efforts and financial support of six Hungarian-American organizations, including the Hungarian Communion of Friends (MBK), the Hungarian Human Rights Foundation (HHRF), the William Penn Association, the Hungarian Reformed Federation of America, the Young Hungarians’ Political Action Committee, and the Hungarian-American Human Rights Council. The financial support of three of these organizations covered the housing and other rental expenses of the workshop at the Catholic University of America. These organizations also provided most of the instructors who directed the workshop.

The unique feature of this workshop at CUA — as opposed to the one held at Wellsburg last summer — was that it combined the instructional opportunities and group discussions with direct exposure to the political process via briefings at the Executive Office of the White House, the Capitol, and the Hungarian Embassy. The theoretical and practical content was thus reinforced by hands-on experience in discussions, briefings, and meetings with actual policymakers.

Most of the participants already arrived on June 9th and checked in at CUA. The actual workshop began only after breakfast on Sunday, June 10. After introductory remarks and a public expression of thanks for the financial support, Andrew Ludanyi asked all the participants to introduce themselves. Dr. Kay Scrimger of the U.S. Conference of Mayors then set the tone for the workshop with her presentation on the characteristics of the American political scene and the role of pressure politics. Next, Bernard Hanley, Public Affairs Manager from Chicago, discussed “The Care and Feeding of the Mass Media,” which was effectively combined with a series of worksheets that the participants received.

After lunch, the next discussion dealt with the organization of an effective phonathon network. Bernard Tamas, of the Young Hungarian Political Action Committee, outlined their experience in New Jersey. He provided each participant with a number of sample organizational forms which can be utilized in the building of their own phonathon networks. The fourth presentation dealt with fundraising. Edith Lauer, the Director for Special Events of the HHRF, outlined the considerations that must guide an effective fundraising campaign. As the title of her presentation reveals: “It’s not what you are asking for, but who does the asking: Fundraising,” she focused on the winning psychology of such campaigns. Finally, Andrew Ludanyi discussed the choice of words, the use of concepts in public discourse. What is the meaning of concepts such as ethnicity or nationality, and how can their use lead to effective or ineffective communication with public officials or the media? He also shared with the participants a selected series of articles that dealt with HunITT-OTT 23. évf. (1990), nyári (115.) szám 11