7/30/2019 Movements/activism - Hungary 2012.
1/54
Hungarian Civil Activists Action inthe Making from 2010 onwards
Internationalworkshop
14-16 November, 2012
Budapest
7/30/2019 Movements/activism - Hungary 2012.
2/54
I. International/Europeanperspective
7/30/2019 Movements/activism - Hungary 2012.
3/54
Changing the paradigm?
European perspective ahead civil society
is inherent in the recent global civilmovements
They are neither simply movements ofdissatisfaction, nor purely oppositional
manifestationssome of them fundamentally question
the ruling cultural-political basis
7/30/2019 Movements/activism - Hungary 2012.
4/54
Instead of a centralized, representational democracy theybelieve in local participative, or deliberative democracy
Iceland citizen's assembly to discussConstitutional reform
7/30/2019 Movements/activism - Hungary 2012.
5/54
Many of them questioning the
development based on GROWTSH
7/30/2019 Movements/activism - Hungary 2012.
6/54
Sustainability? Degrowth?
7/30/2019 Movements/activism - Hungary 2012.
7/54
They tend to support local structures
7/30/2019 Movements/activism - Hungary 2012.
8/54
Social context in Hungary
The democratic transition has proved to
be much more difficult than people wereexpecting around the time of the great
turn
Today we already have a clear sense of
how fragile our democracy is and how
exposed it is to populism, manipulation,
nationalism and political extremism.
7/30/2019 Movements/activism - Hungary 2012.
9/54
Social context in Hungary, cont.
Following the change of regime, civil societyhas gone through considerable development
With the exception of some influential NGOs,most civil organizations have assumed apure service delivery role.- This process was inspired by the state and
development agencies,
- They made NGOs leave behind the real civilfunctions they had fulfilled around the changes.
7/30/2019 Movements/activism - Hungary 2012.
10/54
Social context in Hungary, cont.
The real civil functions they had fulfilled around the changes:
critical reflection
demonstrating alternatives building new institutions in local communities and society
influencing and taking part in decision-making and controlprocesses
In other words:counterbalancing power through independent andfree actions organized from below
It seems that today we are witnessing a revival of thesefunctions in Hungary, and civil society appears to haveengaged in a battle against the overweight (2/3 majority)political power.
7/30/2019 Movements/activism - Hungary 2012.
11/54
Social context in Hungary, cont.
Democracy has been hacked
said one of the persons we interviewed forthe Hungarian part of a research study
which aims to look at the interconnections
of civic movements and events in Bosnia,Hungary, Romania and Russia.
7/30/2019 Movements/activism - Hungary 2012.
12/54
Social context in Hungary, cont.
In April 2010, a national conservative
government won a two-thirds majority inHungary, after a populist election campaign
As a result of its majority, the new
government has extensively changed
legislation and eliminated many of thechecks and balances established in
Hungarys transition to democracy.
7/30/2019 Movements/activism - Hungary 2012.
13/54
Main theories of democracy
7/30/2019 Movements/activism - Hungary 2012.
14/54
Social context in Hungary, cont.
Those committed to democracy are deeply concerned about the currentgovernments efforts to centralise decision-making
to strengthen the power of the state to weaken free media and human, political and social rights The contemporary discourse is characterised by recourse to
nationalism, populism and Hungarys past
Resistance to this governments approach is growing, but
it is very difficult for ordinary people to differentiate between reality andmanipulation as a result of the lack of long-term democratic traditionand peoples desire for security and safety
This clearly shows how fragile Hungarys new democracy remains, andthe extent to which there is a danger of regression
7/30/2019 Movements/activism - Hungary 2012.
15/54
All of these have notgone unnoticed by
citizens
7/30/2019 Movements/activism - Hungary 2012.
16/54
II. Civil events, movements inHungary 2011-12
7/30/2019 Movements/activism - Hungary 2012.
17/54
7/30/2019 Movements/activism - Hungary 2012.
18/54
INITIATIVESMilla movement: One Million People for the
Free Media
Some promising initiatives are encouraging that aim:
A, Fostering/strengthening civil society and the
cooperation among civil society organizations -Milla
movement: One Million People for the Free Media.
The movements root is a Facebook-page and it has
already organized 3 mass-demonstrations with 30-
100,000 people in Budapest expressing severalbasic democratic demands, and a new civil medium
is under preparation.
7/30/2019 Movements/activism - Hungary 2012.
19/54
7/30/2019 Movements/activism - Hungary 2012.
20/54
7/30/2019 Movements/activism - Hungary 2012.
21/54
Real Democracy Now Occupy
Hungary
Organizing and integrate people/movements whether
they are in the right/left, for participative
democracy/future, finding community-like, localsolutions mainly organizing successful actions,
good media-appearance - Real Democracy Now Occupy Hungary - several street actions,
demonstrations, public discussions, flash-mobs etc.following the methodology of the Spanish origin
Peoples Assemblies.
7/30/2019 Movements/activism - Hungary 2012.
22/54
015 Budapest
7/30/2019 Movements/activism - Hungary 2012.
23/54
7/30/2019 Movements/activism - Hungary 2012.
24/54
Hungarian Solidarity Movement
Unifying oppositional movements and
opposition parties on a basic minimum:changing the power to the left organizing
Oppositions Round Table, actions, forums
and meetings - Solidarity Movement a
trade union originated movement - the namereminds people to the Polish Solidarnoscs
Movement.
7/30/2019 Movements/activism - Hungary 2012.
25/54
7/30/2019 Movements/activism - Hungary 2012.
26/54
The City Belongs to Everyone
Movement
Stopping inhumane actions against thepoor/homelessness and changing wrong political
decisions - The City Belongs to EveryoneMovement street actions, demonstrations for theright of inhabitants and against new regulations andlaw on homelessness, community organizing, publicdiscussions, campaigns with some positive results,
mainly at district-level in Budapest like making localrepresentatives to change the penalty codes theyhave brought.
7/30/2019 Movements/activism - Hungary 2012.
27/54
Lodge is basic human right!
7/30/2019 Movements/activism - Hungary 2012.
28/54
7/30/2019 Movements/activism - Hungary 2012.
29/54
HaHa Network from Students in
Higher Education Institutions
Making students active and let decision-makersknow: here we areHaHa Network from
Students in Higher Education Institutions street and occupy university actions, sit-down strikes, demonstrations against thenew law on higher education, networking and
organizing a new student interest protectionstructure, joint learning (summer university)etc.
7/30/2019 Movements/activism - Hungary 2012.
30/54
Occupy University
7/30/2019 Movements/activism - Hungary 2012.
31/54
III. Major research findings
7/30/2019 Movements/activism - Hungary 2012.
32/54
Issues and values
Fight for both livelihood anddemocracy
The majority of the civil movementsinvestigated have democratic, mostlyleft-wing and liberal values.
7/30/2019 Movements/activism - Hungary 2012.
33/54
New movements in the civic arena
So far: mainly intellectual workers
Now:
physical workers
the excluded
university students.
We are also witnessing a revival of tradeunions.
7/30/2019 Movements/activism - Hungary 2012.
34/54
Movement versus party
A common characteristic is that they keep adistance from the political elite.
They exclude politicians and political parties from
their events and actions.
Regarding certain fundamental issues, themovements do occasionally cooperate with
political parties.
7/30/2019 Movements/activism - Hungary 2012.
35/54
Breaking news
7/30/2019 Movements/activism - Hungary 2012.
36/54
23rd October, 2012
7/30/2019 Movements/activism - Hungary 2012.
37/54
7/30/2019 Movements/activism - Hungary 2012.
38/54
You are present!
7/30/2019 Movements/activism - Hungary 2012.
39/54
Egytt 2014 Together 2014
7/30/2019 Movements/activism - Hungary 2012.
40/54
Beaking news ends, researhfindings continues
7/30/2019 Movements/activism - Hungary 2012.
41/54
Analysis of the situation by key
persons
Several people have referred to the emptying out ofrepresentative democracy.
The human rights aspect of democracyisviolated particularly excessively.
There has been an unjustified rigorousness against those
being at the bottom, the excluded.
Poverty is being criminalized and whatever can be punishedfor is punished for, instead of creating better conditions for
changing the situation.
7/30/2019 Movements/activism - Hungary 2012.
42/54
Analysis, cont.
Banksmanage virtual money, with hardlyany production behind it. Not only have they
not informed people well, they have alsocheated them.
All of a sudden, new causes have beenformulated.In reality it was served for us on
a silver platter by those in power. Things that have not been done earned a
new meaning.
7/30/2019 Movements/activism - Hungary 2012.
43/54
IV. Major recommendations
7/30/2019 Movements/activism - Hungary 2012.
44/54
How participants see their
opportunities?
The strengthening of citizen activism
The developing of skills and expertise
A collective endeavor to develop a nationalminimum
Joining forces
The strengthening of the inner structure of
movements Organizational development, community
organizing, and training courses
7/30/2019 Movements/activism - Hungary 2012.
45/54
How participants see their
opportunities?
cont.
Suggested measures to strengthen the field
free nationwide medium that could communicate
these ideas and good examples to the people
set up organizational points in the countryside
training/learning organizational skills and the art
of joining forces
organizational development
7/30/2019 Movements/activism - Hungary 2012.
46/54
V. Conclusions
7/30/2019 Movements/activism - Hungary 2012.
47/54
7/30/2019 Movements/activism - Hungary 2012.
48/54
Necessary further steps for research
and action
For researchfollow up:the development of the newly emerged (October 23,
2012) coalition-building work Together 2014, established 3civil movements/association Milla, Patria and Progress andthe Hungarian Solidarity Movement
new:to evaluate the distance between professional NGOsand movements/activism
NGOs distance from activist action?
NGOs distance from political resolution and action? Movements distance from organizational and structural
development?
Etc.
7/30/2019 Movements/activism - Hungary 2012.
49/54
Necessary further steps for research
and action, cont.
For action
More organizations, more networks, more coalitions!
Community organizingat work The strengthening of solidarity, confidence, of people
realizing their own situation, and of citizen awareness at
local level
Community developmentat work
providing trainingcourses for the movements civil activistsand for local community activists
organizational developers, civil society trainers are atwork
7/30/2019 Movements/activism - Hungary 2012.
50/54
With whom?
Service providers: professional NGOs,
including the ones dealing withcommunity work and the development
of civil society
Participants: movements, formal andinformal groups as further fields ofpractice
7/30/2019 Movements/activism - Hungary 2012.
51/54
Finally
The research has justified that there are certain powers in Hungarian society that
understand the essence of democracy, and in desire of abetter, more livable and open society
they are ready/able to act for the cause
Besides the fiercely fighting activists, considerableexpertise has accumulated in the country which the
present political elite unwilling to utilize.These are the powers that should be put further
into motion.
7/30/2019 Movements/activism - Hungary 2012.
52/54
As far as I can see in mid 2012, it is not the Occupy
movement that will spark world revolution and I do not
think any movement would do. I also do not think itwould be sparked in the way the old revolutions were. Ithink instead that in the future we can say that between2011-2015 there was a process that we can call WORLDREVOLUTION. (student, man, 26, responsible for
creative artistic action for the Hungarian Real
Democracy NowOccupy movement)
7/30/2019 Movements/activism - Hungary 2012.
53/54
HONOUR TO BRAVES!
7/30/2019 Movements/activism - Hungary 2012.
54/54
Thank you for your kind attention!
Ilona Vercseg and Mt Varga
Researchers
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]