Magyar Hírek, 1984 (37. évfolyam, 2-26. szám)
1984-01-21 / 1-2. szám
Maintaining the ABOUT THIS ISSUE National Heritage Worries and hopes accompanied us into the new year, which — almost certainly — has many problems and hard struggles in store not only for Hungary but for the whole world. We are well aware of this yet it gives us confidence that little Hungary has already successfully coped with problems which fully tested even countries with much greater and more abundant resources than ours. As professor József Bognár, the president of the World Federation of Hungarians declares in his New Year message published in the Hungarian section of this issue (p. 2): “The Hungarian society and economy has had a difficult and tough year owing to the deteriorating international condi - tions. We may say, though, that economic policies since 1979, aimed at the restoration of equilibrium, have achieved considerable results in spite of these difficulties. We have maintained the solvency of the country and the budget deficit has almost been eradicated. Standards of living did not decline either. We are going to continue the economic reform. Both from the aspect of further developing the reform, and that of the progress of the country it is of decisive important for the Hungarian people that the unity which came into being during recent decades was maintained. In consequence political stability in the midst of economic changes could be maintained as well.” A report on innovations in the Hungarian section of this issue provides information on ways in which the economic reform, sets free initiative and creative energies. The report on the activities of the Hungarian Airlines, which shows that Malév is successfully holding its own in international competition, relates in one way or an other to the same subject. Anniversaries generally provide an opportunity for remembrance. Sándor Csorna de Kőrös The centenary of the Budapest Opera House which will be celebrated next autumn, will be also the opening day of the restored opera building. Reconstruction took four years of hard work. The reconstruction is the subject of a report on p. 19 of this issue. The outstanding Transyilvanian writer, playwright and architect, Károly Kós was born one hundred years ago. An article on pp 14-15 of the Hungarian section of this issue evokes his memory. There is also a piece on the great Hungarian orientalist, Sándor Csorna de Kőrös (pp 3-4) on the occasion of the bicentenary of his birth. He wandered across Asia in search of Hungarians who had according to tradition — stayed in the East and compiled the firsf dictionary of the Tibetan language. The Budapest production of „Cats" based on a series of poems for children by T. S. Eliot was the third after the New York and London premieres. The outstanding production had an international echo. There is an interview with László Seregi, the noted choreographer, in the Hungarian section of this issue (pp. 32-35). Coloured photographs in this issue give some idea of the performance. The Budapest cabaret provides entertainment as well as food for thought with its spicy humor and sharp observation of people, but sometimes it also acts as a kind of safety valve, easing tensions. Entertaining and characteristic items of the contemporary Hungarian cabaret can be found in the Hungarian section but since Budapest humor does not travel well, we do not propose to provide a translation. Instead, we publish an article by Peter Doherty on the Neoton (New tone) group, which won the Yamaha grand prize in Tokio. I quote a few more lines of Professor Bognár’s message which 1 referred to earlier let them serve as a New Year greeting: “The situation of the World Federation of Hungarians has been much strengthened in Hungary as well as in its international aspects. This success has been primarily the result of the cooperation, and joint efforts of Hungarians living abroad and at home... X should like to thank all my colleagues and partners — in Hungary as well as abroad — for the hard work, and enthusiasm which made possible the acievement of these shared results, and I should like to hope that we will continue our useful and fruitful work in the future as well, in spite of the difficult outside circumstances.” In the previous issue of Magyar Hírek an interview with János Gosztonyi, General Secretary of the World Federation of Hungarians appeared in Hungarian. We are publishing here a somewhat abbreviated text of the interview in English translation. (The Editor) The World Federation of Hungarians has done great things in 19S3. Are you satisfied with the results? I think we have good reasons to say that we are closing a successful year. Readers of Magyar Hírek could follow the events we organized this year forming their own opinion about them. The scheduled period of the “Homage to the Native Country” exhibition had to be extended because of the great public interest. We organized the Conference of Hungarian Doctors for the first time, and it was attended by nearly 200 Hungarian physicians and surgeons from 22 countries. The good atmosphere of the Conference, found expression in the desire of participants that further congresses should follow to ensure continuity. The Conference of the Board of Patrons of the Native Language Movement, which reviewed and evaluated the work done since the Fourth Conference, and prepared the next one by defining the tasks ahead was an important event. The Board of Patrons decided that the Fifth Native Language Conference be held during August 1985, if possible at Veszprém. The various summer courses, children and youth camps arranged by the Board of Patrons were also successful this year. The institutional system of the native language movement was also expanded. Hungarian young people, who came from abroad, spent their holidays together with English-learning Hungarian secondary school pupils, mutually helping each other in learning languages for the first time at the Hungarian—English Summer Camp at Baja. The meeting of a group of leaders of Hungarian associations abroad was organized for the second time this year. The meeting made a valuable contribution to the growing of contacts between our federation and the associations abroad. Personal contacts are indispensable in the sort of work we are doing. We are glad that an increasing number of our countrymen visiting the old country call personally at the Association’s offices, and that the number of those, who became our regular correspondents has also grown. Magyar Hírek has played an irreplaceable role in everyday contacts. We are proud to put on record the enrichment of our paper this year with the English supplement for second and third generation Hungarians, who no longer read our language. The world is facing difficult times. How do you judge the present relations between Hungarians at home and abroad? Yes, unfortunately the international horizon is very gloomy. Our people have suffered much. We have had enough of conflicts and turbulence. My experience is that this is the standpoint of most Hungarians wherever they may live and whatever their citizenship. We do not want our relations with the Western world to deteriorate — and precisely the success of our events this year proves that neither do Hungarians living in Western Europe or overseas want anything of the sort. The reason why I mention and emphasis this is that the deterioration of international relations does not weaken or change the quality of the connection between Hungarians at home and in the Western world. Which fields offer opportunities for further developing these con-János Gosztonyi, Dezső Keresztury and József Bognár 60
