William Penn Life, 2003 (38. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2003-08-01 / 8. szám
Magyar Matters Report finds more than one-fifth of Hungarians live on or below poverty line Hungarian Room Committee elects officers, hosts dinner PITTSBURGH -- The Hungarian Room Committee of the University of Pittsburgh Nationality Rooms and Intercultural Exchange Programs held its biennial election meeting and membership appreciation dinner June 29 at the William Pitt Union, located on the university’s campus. Officers elected were: Anthony C. Beke, chairman; Elmer W. Toth, first vice president; Joseph Fabri, second vice president; Barbara A. House, secretary; Diane M. Torma, treasurer; Maria M. Bistey, controller; John L. Lovász, historian; and Endre Csornán, scholarship coordinator. Following the business meeting, the members proceeded to the William Pitt Union Ballroom for the dinner. Guests were entertained by the violin music of George Bátyi. An enjoyable evening was had by all present. Sweet success Tokaj Classic Kft (with wineries in Mád and commercial offices in Germany) was awarded two gold medals at the prestigious 2003 International Wine and Spirit Competition (IWSC) in London on July 10. Each taking gold were the Aszú 6 puttonyos ’97 and the Aszú Essencia ’98 wines. In the same competition Tokaj Classic also won a silver medal for its 5 puttonyos Aszú ’99 and a bronze medal for its Noble Late Harvest 2000. ’’This was the first late harvest produced by our winery,” said András Bruhács, CEO of Tokaj Classic Kft., further noting that this sweet taste of success is unprecedented in the history of Hungarian wines. from The Budapest Sun BUDAPEST -Twelve to 13 percent of Hungarians live in "severe poverty" while another one in 10 lives on the poverty line, according to a report prepared by the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Institute for World Economics of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Despite the economic growth Hungary has enjoyed in recent years after the deep "transformational" recession of the early '90s, combating poverty remains a crucial issue. The study points out that, "Calculating with the most widely used poverty thresholds (50% and 60% of the average income), data.. .indicates that the proportion of those living in poverty has remained consistent, in the range of nine percent to 10 percent, since 1997." The reason for this may be that "favorable developments have yet to eliminate the huge disparities in living conditions within society, where the most vulnerable groups have not seen the benefits of recent economic growth." Income inequalities have also increased: the difference in average from The Budapest Sun BUDAPEST — The development of Lake Balaton and its surrounding area was top of the agenda at a cabinet meeting held in early July. The government is to invest 250 million Ft. ($1 million) this year to meet the objectives set out in an action plan devised at the meeting, followed by 1.5 billion Ft. ($6.5 million) next year taken from the budget of the ministries involved, said Environmental Minister Miklós Persányi. Together with environmental projects, there are plans to improve the region's tourist industry, its infrastructure and public safety, along income between the wealthiest and the poorest increased from sevenfold in 1996 to almost eightfold in 2002. Based on extensive research carried out across Hungary, the study revealed that 1.2 to 1.3 million people (12 to 13 percent of the population) live in severe poverty. This means that they suffer from at least three of the five forms of poverty-income, consumption, subjective factors, housing and home accessories. The study highlights that a comprehensive strategy for social policy would be needed, since successive governments "have never placed poverty and social exclusion at the top of their list of priorities." According to the report, the assistance provided by the government "targeted the poorest with very low efficiency" and "important groups among the poor were left without provisions." The study concludes that major changes in the Hungarian welfare system are required to alleviate the problems associated with poverty. All countries are ranked regularly by UNDP. According to 2002 figures, Hungary was 35th out of 173. with proposed cultural developments. One of the tasks will be to tackle the lake's low water level. Beaches and harbors will be dredged and research will be carried out into possible ways of pumping extra water into the lake. The reports will be completed by the end of October, although no drastic measures need to be taken based on current data available. "Experts say we need not worry about the low level of water from an ecological point of view," Persányi explained, adding that measures would be taken to protect reed plots and the fish population in the lake. Cabinet devises development plan for Lake Balaton and surrounding area 6 William Penn Lile, August 2003
