Fraternity-Testvériség, 2007 (85. évfolyam, 1-3. szám)
2007-04-01 / 2. szám
Committee called Serbian officials to account at a large-scale public hearing in Brussels. The campaign to draw international attention to anti-minority aggression in Serbia must continue until proper legal measures are taken to apprehend and prosecute perpetrators of hate crimes, and a new spirit takes hold which recognizes that mi-norities enrich, not impoverish, society. Felvidék/Slovakia After a new government was formed in Slovakia in July 2006, not only was the Hungarian Coalition Party — a significant voice of moderation and tolerance — excluded, but two ex-tremist, openly anti-Hun-garian parties came to power. Unsurprisingly, the situation for Hungari-ans has taken a sharp turn for the worse, high-lighting that HHRF’s vigilance has to continue even in the new EU member states. The most egregious human rights violation occurred last summer when an ethnic Hun-garian student was savagely beaten for speaking her native language. Not only have the victim’s, Hedvig Malina’s, assailants not been caught but the whole gamut of Slovak officialdom has been harassing her—straight on up to the Prime Minister— claiming that she invented the entire incident and self- inflicted her bruises and cuts. Maiina Hedvig fighting charges at court Members of the European Parliament have relied on HHRF’s consistent reporting to raise awareness of this ongoing injustice and to speak out on behalf of Ms. Malina. Supporting Innovative Solutions In addition to assuring that policymakers have up-to-date, pertinent facts on the human rights condition of Hungarian minorities, HHRF actively contributes to the cultural, educational and economic revitalization of Central Europe’s centuries-old Hungarian minority communities. ■ Through HHRF, Hungarian-Americans have con-tributed more than $130,000 in financial support to Sapientia, the new private Hungarian university in Transylvania. As Sa- pientia’s official representative in the West, HHRF also works to de-velop the Uni-versity’s inter-national profile, contacts and network. Addi-tional resources would make it possible for The new Sapientia Hungarian University of Transylvania building under construction in Marosvásárhely. Since 2002, Hungarian youth are able to study in their native language at this private institution. the Foundation to establish a similar part-nership with the Hungarian-language János Selye University in Komárom, Slovakia. ■ HHRF’s commitment to the free flow of information is evi-dent in its continually expanding Internet portal (www.hhrf.orgj which today hosts the homepages of 109 ethnic Hungarian newspapers, schools, NGOs and churches in the Carpathian Basin. For 15 years, the Foundation has provided this service free of charge, to enable once isolated communities the opportunity to share in the benefits of the World Wide Web. ■ More than two decades in the running, the Foundation’s Human Rights Internship and Exchange Pro-gram has brought 41 young people from all over the world to its offices in New York and Budapest for ex-tended periods. Most importantly, the future Hungarian leaders and professionals of Romania, Slovakia, Serbia and Ukraine are trained in effective representation and skills to serve their communities back home. Additional resources would permit the Founda-tion to once again issue a call for applications. HHRF believes that these initiatives and partnerships are key in realizing a new reform era in the life of the en-tire Hungarian nation. Every successful campaign helps to build and stabilize the civic infrastructure of Hungarian minority commu-nities. The Foundation is continually seeking out inno-vative ideas and solutions. For over 31 years, the Hungarian Human Rights Foundation has channeled the concern of Hungarian- Americans for their co-brethren in Central Europe. As an independent, private non-governmental organiza-tion, HHRF relies exclusively on private contributions to sustain its many efforts. Since every penny reflects concern about the future of these communities — and provides moral support for the organization's mission — HHRF welcomes donations in any form or amount. The Foundation’s 2007 Campaign is currently under-way. Your regular contribution — whether given monthly, quarterly or annually — is the most effective tool to insure that HHRF continues to be there in the corridors of power when and where it matters the most. Please send your tax-deductible contribution today to: Hungarian Human Rights Foundation Post Office Box J, Grade Station New York, NY 10028 Tel: (212)289-5488 Fax:(212)996-6268 E-mail: hamos&>hhrf.ora Web: www.hhrf.ora HHRF supports the Hungarian Csángó Federation since 2005 28 Fraternity - Testvériség / Summer 2007
