Introduction
Case studies, analysis of the successes and lessons learned from the Civil College Foundation’s Community Organizing Program in Hungary. In the three following publications are case studies and reflections of how people organized on local issues such as decreasing travel time on the local train line, stopping a family from being evicted and improving garbage colllection.
2017-2018 Organize and Get Organized
Besides our issues won, we also present our struggles, minor and major achievements, or even failures, to demonstrate that there is no greater power – or should we say willpower – than that those directly affected by an issue can exhibit. Given the necessary financial and professional support, they can achieve almost anything.
Contents
- Introduction 5
- Female Organizers, Common Issues. Interview with Mónika Bálint 6
- They Are Pushing the Boundaries – SZEGED LGBTQ COMMUNITY GROUP 8
- Lighting the Details – LIVING GYÁL, LIVING MEMORIAL 12
- Hacking the System – MAKE A MOVE FOR LOSI! / THE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC LIFE 16
- Local and National Level Success – ‘MOVE SO THEY CAN MAKE A MOVE’ PUBLIC BENEFIT ASSOCIATION 20
- Road to a More Livable Life – PILIS CITIZEN GROUP 24
- The Power of Standing Up. Interview with Péter Giczey 26
- They Are on the Right Track – MÁTÉSZALKALEAKS GROUP 28
- Shaping and Being Shaped – ‘LET’S MAKE PROGRESS’ GROUP 32
- They Talk to the Hearts of Young People – NATIVE GROUP 36
- Away with the Junk, Down with the Ruins! – BÉKE ESTATE ACTION GROUP – EGER FOUNDATION OF THE FUND FOR THE POOR 40 Celebrating is Important. Interview with Péter Peták 44
- They Are a Proud Part of Success – LIVING INDEPENDENTLY – LIVING IN A COMMUNITY 46 Nationwide Attention – LET THE TREES STAY ON RÓMAI 50
- Good Neighbors – CIVIL SOCIETY SHEET MUSIC 54
They Have Obtained All the Data – PÉCS BRANCH OF THE CITY IS FOR ALL 58 - “We are preparing for our own withdrawal.” Interview with Máté Varga, President of CCF 62
- The Secret Behind the Success of the Home Care Campaign 64
- Should We Become a Movement? The Results of Civil Society Cooperation Around the 2018 Parliamentary Elections 68
- Kunbábony, Where It’s All About the Community. Interview with Zsuzsanna Mészáros, Executive Director of CCF 70
- Acknowledgements 74
2016-2017 Organize and Get Organized
This publication analyzes the successes of and lessons learned from the Civil College Foundation’s 2016/2017 Community Organizing Program. Our goal is not to introduce the depths of our community organizing approach or the uniqueness and complexity of its methods, but rather to use our achievements to show that community involvement and advocacy can be successful even in the strongest of headwinds…The projects have involved thousands of Hungarian citizens in seeking solutions to local or thematic issues and problems through dozens of campaigns. Each initiative has built on the ideas and work of a broader community of those affected, seeking publicity and addressing decision-makers on a permanent basis.
Contents
- Introduction | 3
- Issues Won | 4
- Building a Community Oriented Leadership – Community Leadership in Community Organizing | 23
- Why Community Organizers Consider Community Leadership Important | 25
- CCF’s Role as Professional Supporter and Its Consulting Practice | 28
- Conclusions and Future Plans | 31
2015-2016 Organize and Get Organized
Contents
- 1. Introduction | 3
- 2. Issues Won | 4
- 3. How the Community Organizing Process is Built Up | 20
- 4. The Way the Community Organizers See It. Firsthand Accounts of the Community Organizing Process | 22
- 5. About the Methodology of the Professional Support Provided | 27
- 6. Conclusions and Future Plans | 32
- List of Organizations Contributing to This Publication | 34
About the Civil College Foundation
CCF (1994) is a nationwide adult education organization for community development, community work and citizen studies. In the last 20 years CCF became a leading organization in civil society development in Hungary, having intensive connection and network with several hundreds of civil society organizations and local communities across Hungary and with outreach to and collaboration with many European and some U.S. partners. CCF is involved in the activities of several working structures in order to represent the case of citizen and community participation in the decision-making processes both on the national and international level.