| Congressman Dennis Kucinich of Ohio |
| Calls on Slovak Prime Minister to Reconsider Slovak Language Law | | | January 28, 2010 | | In a strongly-worded letter dated January 28, Congressman Dennis Kucinich of Ohio (D-10) called on Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico to rethink the undemocratic language law that came into effect in Slovakia on September 1, 2009. The law “discriminates directly against Slovakia’s ethnic minorities that comprise fifteen percent of the total population; specifically the Hungarian community that constitutes eleven percent of ethnic minorities in the country,” states the final version obtained by HHRF. | >>more | |
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| Opinion on the Implementing Principles to the Slovak State Language Law Prepared by the EC’s Legal Service | | | January 13, 2010 | | HHRF has obtained a copy of an unofficial opinion on the Implementing Principles to the Slovak State Language Law prepared by The European Commission’s Legal Service. This internal department--reporting directly to the Commissions President--recommended no less than a dozen changes to these non-binding directives prepared for the enforcing Ministry of Culture with the purported intent of "clarifying" the Law. Though the Slovak government received these well before it adopted the guidelines on December 16, the recommendations were not incorporated in their entirety into the final version. | | >>more | |
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| Governor George E. Pataki Visits University in Slovakia | | Meets with Pál Csáky and the Leadership of the Hungarian Coalition Party in Pozsony | | October 14, 2009 | | On October 12, former NY Governor George E. Pataki delivered a lecture at the Selye Janos University, a Hungarian-language institution in the town of Komarno, Slovakia. Mr. Pataki’s speech, entitled “The Democratic Constitutional State in the 21st Century,” was attended by 380 students and the university’s faculty. Mr. Pataki was accompanied by Max Teleki, President and Zsolt Szekeres, Board member of the Hungarian American Coalition, and László Hámos, President of the Hungarian Human Rights Foundation. | | >>more | |
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| George Pataki: the Slovak language law is undemocratic | | | October 12, 2009 | | The language law adopted in Slovakia violates a fundamental democratic principle—the protection of minority rights—said George E. Pataki, former governor of New York State, during a lecture at the Selye János University in Révkomárom. | | >>more | |
| HHRF Report on Slovak Language Law |
| Slovakia Curtails Free Speech through Restrictive Language | | National Minorities Singled Out | | September 7, 2009 | | On September 1, Slovakia took another major step in the downwards spiral of democratic values. Since the rogue regime of Prime Minister Robert Ficos Socialist SMER party took power in July 2006, deteriorating rule of law and bias has characterized the country. The new measure is the latest in a barrage of anti-minority, anti-democratic measures introduced by the SMER party and its coalition partners--the ultra-nationalist Slovak National Party (SNS) headed by Ján Slota and the post-communist Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS) headed by Vladimir Meciar. (To read the full report click here: Slovakia Curtails Free Speech through Restrictive Language Law.) | | >>more | |
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| Bishop László Tőkés Awarded Truman-Reagan Freedom Medal By Victims Of Communism Memorial Foundation | | | June 18, 2009 | | Washington, DC – On June 16, Bishop László Tőkés, a leader of the Hungarian community in Romania and a member of the European Parliament, received the Truman-Reagan Freedom Medal at a ceremony held in the Rayburn Building of the U.S. Congress. The Hungarian Human Rights Foundation(HHRF) and the Hungarian American Coalition (HAC) co-organized a series of events and meetings for Bishop Tőkés in Washington to present the current situation of the 1.5 Million Hungarian minority in Romania to decision-makers and interested public. | | >>more | |
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| Fight against „the Evil Empire" | | Remarks of Bishop László Tőkés Accepting the Truman-Reagan Medal of Freedom; United States Capitol, June 16, 2009 | | June 16, 2009 | | The memory of that June day two years ago is still vivid in my mind when we dedicated the Victims of Communism Memorial near Capitol hill with the participation of President George W. Bush. | | >>more | |
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| Presentation of the Truman-Reagan Medal of Freedom to Bishop Tőkés László - by Edith Lauer; Washington, D.C. - June 16, 2009 | | | June 16, 2009 | | 1989 was, indeed, a year of miracles! Two decades later, we recall events still difficult to believe, events that caused the eventual dissolution, in President Reagans term, of the „evil empire.” Today, on the 20th anniversary of the majestic and cathartic reburial in Budapest of Imre Nagy, Pal Maléter and other martyred leaders of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, we pay homage to them and to all the heroes whose suffering, sacrifice and leadership led to the collapse of the Soviet Union. | | >>more | |
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| Invocation by Bishop László Tőkés | | on the Occasion of the Launch of the Online Global Museum on Communism Romanian Ambassador’s Residence Washington, DC | | June 16, 2009 | Almighty God,
Heavenly Father,
You promised us in the Holy Scripture that You “will bring forth Your righteousness as the light, and Your judgment as the noonday.” (Psalms 37, 6)
Witnessing the tremendous amount of injustice and wanton lawlessness in the world, we tend to lose hope and grow despondent. | | >>more | |
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| The Current Political Landscape in Romania in Light of the 2009 Elections | | An insider’s view by László Tőkés, Member of the European Parliament | | June 15, 2009 | | Twenty years after the Revolution in Temesvár (Timisoara) post communists in Romania retain a tight grip on power. The process of democratic reform has stalled, and nationalist-communist reflexes are alive again. National minorities, a significant part of the population, still face discrimination. As far as the individual is concerned, the human dignity of European citizens is ignored by government decisions that cannot be influenced by neither opposition politicians, nor its citizens. | | >>more | |
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| Scanner/Digitization Internship at the Hungarian Human Rights Foundation, NYC | | | May 14, 2009 | | The New York-based Hungarian Human Rights Foundation (HHRF) is offering a unique opportunity to those interested in digitization. We are in the process to digitize our expansive collection of files accumulated since 1976, the year of our foundation to make it searchable and more widely available for those interested in human rights protection in Central Europe. | | >>more | |
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| Hungarian-American Community Celebrates the 2009 Inauguration at the Kossuth House in Washington, DC | | | January 27, 2009 | | Blocks from the White House, over 100 guests gathered on January 19 for a Hungarian-American salute to Barack Obama and Joe Biden on the eve of their inauguration as the 44th U.S. President and Vice President. The Hungarian Reformed Federation of America hosted the non-partisan event at its headquarters - the Kossuth House - giving leaders of Hungarian-American organizations and the broader community a singular opportunity to meet and network with members of the incoming Administration and Congress. | | >>more | |
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| Inauguration 2009 | | A Hungarian American Salute to the 44th President and Vice President of the United States of America, Barack Obama and Joe Biden | | January 6, 2009 | Please join us at the HRFA Home Office, only blocks from the White House, in a unique opportunity to meet and network with members of the new Administration and the Congress, to enjoy Hungarian delicacies and engage in open dialogue in an informal setting.
Location & Time
Kossuth House
2001 Massachusetts Ave., N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20036-1011
Monday, January 19, 2009
3:00 to 5:00 P.M.
Hosted & Sponsored by
Hungarian Reformed Federation of America
Co-Sponsors
Hungarian Human Rights Foundation
Hungarian American Coalition
William Penn Association
Hungarian Communion of Friends
George Dozsa
Laszlo Hamos
Istvan Hargitai
Andrew Ludanyi
Laszlo Papp
Max Teleki
Peter Ujvagi | | >>more | |
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| 2008 Year End Letter | | | December 10, 2008 | Dear Friend of HHRF,
It has been a great year for our organization and the cause close to your heart: a secure, bright, more prosperous future for Hungarian minorities in the Carpathian Basin. That’s why I’m sending you this quick reminder to ask you to send in your year end, tax-deductible gift supporting our Hungarian brothers and sisters in Central Europe.
With a new U.S. Administration in 2009, HHRF is already taking steps to seize the opportunities presented by the change, and to meet the challenges to ensure that new officials are informed, take action and support Hungarian aspirations. We need to continue covering the European arena as well, where most political and economic decisions affecting Hungarian com-munities are made. HHRF is on the scene in Brussels, making your concerns known to members of the European Parliament, including our very own elected Hungarian representatives from Slovakia and Romania, who count on our three decades of experience.
I am personally asking you to give generously — $100, $500, $1,000 or anything you can — to make sure that 2009 is a year of victory for Hungarians everywhere. Most importantly, I am asking you to give regularly. No matter what the amount, regular donations — whether monthly, quarterly or annually — are what make it possible for HHRF to continue making your voice heard when and where it matters the most! So, please fill out the enclosed reply card with your pledge for 2009. You can now also sign up to give reoccurring contributions by credit card via our secure website.
In 2008, once again we saw that governments do not give advance notice of when they will swoop down, issue new discriminatory orders or harass their citizens. An ultra-nationalist government in Slovakia intensified measures against Hungarians this past year, and we also recorded aggression against Hungarians in Serbia, Ukraine and Romania. We cannot afford to lose the vigilance HHRF provides, the hard-hitting reporting that spurs decision-makers to action and the innovative ideas that keep the future of Hungarian minorities top of mind. Your support will also enable HHRF to continue to:
• Be the reliable partner. This year alone, HHRF helped Sapientia University in Transylvania reach its fundraising goal of $22,000 and insure that students have access to state-of-the-art equipment at the Marosvásárhely campus. The Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania turned to HHRF’s worldwide network for the Parliamentary elections.
• Provide training to young civic and human rights leaders through workshops and seminars in the region, and — most importantly — our year-long internship program in New York.
• Empower Hungarian communities with the tools to make their voices heard by hosting over 100 civic, media, educational and religious homepages for free.
• Respond to needs with new services such as the Hungarian Consultants Network website, which connects Hungarians in the West with young professionals in Central Europe.
Your generosity during these difficult economic times would be truly inspiring, an extraordinary testament to the sustained commitment of Hungarian-Americans to their brethren. Thank you for anything you do to help us continue to help!
Sincerely,
László Hámos
President | | >>more | |
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| Sign the Petition Protesting Anti-Hungarian Measures in Slovakia | | | October 23, 2007 | | Three leading Hungarian-American organizations issued a strongly worded statement to alert public opinion and decision-makers to recent, negative developments in Slovakia. The authors call upon concerned individuals and organizations worldwide to join the campaign protesting the Slovak authorities recent anti-Hungarian measures by SIGNING THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT. | | >>more | |
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| HHRF Benefit Dinner | | | September 4, 2007 | Please join us for a special evening benefitting the Hungarian Human Rights Foundation and the presentation of the Abraham Lincoln Award by the American Hungarian Foundation on September 19, 2007. The evening will benefit the Foundations charitable programs to support these communities to rebuild civil society, promote economic self-reliance and
nurture their traditions of educational and cultural excellence. | | >>more | |
| HHRF Alert |
| New Slovak Government Embraces Ultra-Nationalists, Excludes Hungarian Coalition Party | | | July 17, 2006 | | The Hungarian Human Rights Foundation (HHRF) is deeply concerned over the inclusion of right wing extremists in the Slovak government and the exclusion of the Hungarian Coalition Party, which has a proven track-record of responsible governance and longstanding commitment to democracy and reform. Prime Minister Robert Fico has chosen to send the wrong message to the peoples of Slovakia and the world. | | >>more | |
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| EU Commissioner for Enlargement Warns Belgrade | | | October 12, 2005 | The European Union can suspend the Stabilization and Association Agreement if Serbia violates human and minority rights, warned Olli Rehn, in a speech before the Vojvodina Provincial Assembly in Ujvidek/Novi Sad on October 11. Official talks on signing the Agreement began Monday in Belgrade.
"Compliance with the norms established in the agreement guarantee the protection and quality of life of society’s most vulnerable members. That is why human and minority rights have to be respected, a fundamental political criteria in Europe […] I hope that those in positions of authority will condemn all aggressive manifestations and strive to create better relations between ethnic groups," said Rehn. | | >>more | |
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| District Prosecutor Files Charges against Gabriella Agoston and Gabor Nemes of Subotica, Serbia | | Defendants Released from "Preliminary" Detention | | September 27, 2005 | | Gabriella Agoston, lawyer, and Gabor Nemes businessman of Subotica/Szabadka, in Vojvodina Province, Serbia, were released on Monday, September 19, after several months of illegal detention. The court decision acknowledged, among others, that their incarceration violated the European Convention on Human Rights. Concurrently, the Subotica District Prosecutor filed charges against Agoston, former town clerk and Nemes, a director of the Subiro Company, for their 1997 role in a business venture between the latter and the municipality. | | >>more | |
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| Ethnic Hungarian Party Barred from June 2004 Romanian Local Elections | | | May 15, 2004 | | The Hungarian Civic Alliance, a legally registered Hungarian minority organization in Romania, was deliberately excluded from this year’s local elections due to the continuous obstacles posed by the government apparatus. During the six months leading up to the elections, which took place on June 6, 2004, the Romanian government thwarted every effort made by the Alliance to run for office. | | >>more | |
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| Six Human Rights Violations against the 1.5 Million Hungarians of Romania | | | February 2, 2004 | | In October 2003, the Hungarian Human Rights Foundation (HHRF) submitted a written statement to the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe at a briefing entitled “Romania: Moving Toward NATO and the EU.” The following is an update of that document and offers an overview of the current, chief shortcomings in instituting genuine respect for the rights of Romania’s 1.5 million ethnic Hungarians. | | >>more | |
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| Romania: Moving Toward NATO and the EU | | | October 1, 2003 | Statement of László Hámos, President Hungarian Human Rights Foundation at a Briefing on Romania: Moving Toward NATO and the EU
before the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe | | >>more | |
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