AHF eNews August 1st, 2005
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Venice, Florida, Hungarians preparing to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of 1956 with a series of events kicking off on October 23, 2005! AHF VP Kálman Nagy reports that the Hungarian Christian Society of Venice has already raised $5000.00 toward a fundraising dinner and a 1956 memorial to be erected in Sarasota. Work on the memorial has already broke ground! The Venice Hungarian Christian Society are also sponsoring several 1956 Freedom Fighters from Hungary who will attend the ceremonies in Florida as well as in Washington, D.C. [See www.hungary1956.com]
Some of the other activities include:
Get involved - we need your HELP! [read more]
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Featured Link: Do you think you know something about famous Hungarians? Think again! See "Nobel Prize Winners and Famous Hungarians" on www.thehungarypage.com Featured Member International News TOP STORY VOJVODINA HUNGARIANS CALL FOR LOCAL AUTONOMY.
The League of Vojvodina Hungarians announced in Szabadka (Subotica) on 13 July a proposed amendment to the Serbian Constitution that will allow local self-government and a high degree of autonomy in areas where ethnic minorities constitute the bulk of the population, RFE/RL's South Slavic and Albanian Languages Service reported. The Belgrade leadership is a staunch defender of "decentralization" in Kosova to give the Serbian minority there a high degree of self-rule, but has been reluctant to extend similar rights to its own minorities. During the late 17th and into the 18th centuries, the Habsburgs encouraged Ottoman Serbs and people from throughout Central Europe to settle in what is now Vojvodina, which Habsburg forces had recently retaken from the Turks. The region became an ethnic mosaic and remained so through 1945, but its large German minority was expelled at the end of World War II, and many of the region's Hungarians fled or were deported at the same time. Vojvodina's Serbian population grew with Belgrade's support in
the interwar years and under the communists. During the rule of
former Serbian and Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic from
the late 1980s to 2000, many Croats, Hungarians, and other people
of central European origin left Vojvodina, but the area was generally
spared the forced ethnic-cleansing campaigns Belgrade employed
elsewhere in the former Yugoslavia. PM Chess player Susan Polgar is queen of her game Laszlo Polgar, who has devoted his professional life to the study of the mind, boldly declares to the world that he can turn any healthy baby into a genius. He will test his theory with his firstborn child, a girl. She will not attend public school — Laszlo believes they are factories for mediocrity. Instead, he will home-school her in his modest apartment in communist Hungary. [read more] Hungarian Court Acquits Two Romani Men after 2100 Days
in Prison The Hajdú-Bihar County Court has acquitted at retrial two Romani men previously found guilty of murder. The two men, originally convicted on the basis of very weak evidence, had been sentenced to serve 15 and 13 years imprisonment respectively in 1999. [read more] IBC lightweight champion, Laszlo Bognar, to challenge
Jon Thaxton for WBF lightweight title Hungarian Laszlo Bognar, who is currently the IBC lightweight champion, is a 37-year-old southpaw who hails from Paks. Bognar is currently 35-9-2 and is on a good run of five unbeaten in which time he has picked up the IBC, IBU and Hungarian lightweight titles. [read more] Hungary women win water polo world championship against
defending champ USA! The Hungarian women's water polo team won its second world championship title here on Friday, beating the United States 10-7. Hungary led the game 7-3 at halftime. However, the strong-minded U.S. team, aiming to defend its world title, launched waves of counter attacks and catched up to 7-7 tie with 3:36 to go. [read more] Real Madrid to play Hungary in benefit match A benefit match for Hungarian football great Ferenc Puskas, ailing from Alzheimer's disease, is to be held Aug 14 between a Hungary selection and Real Madrid. The Hungarian Football Association said an agreement had been reached with the sponsors and Hungary's coach Lothar Matthaeus that Puskas should receive 20 million florint ($98,000) from the match. A similar sum would go towards fostering Hungarian football talent. [read more] Former President of the Perth Hungarian Club facing extradition
on war crimes. Son claims father fled Hungary before the before
murder. Charles Zentai, a Perth resident, is facing extradition to Hungary on a charge that he murdered a young Jewish man during World War Two. Today his son Ernie Steiner went public, claiming his father is innocent saying the evidence gathered against his father is flawed. [read more] Chicago's Wilmette Theatre helping Hungarian Director
Robert Koltai When "Colossal Sensation: Dodo and Napthalene" opened in Hungary last December, this comic feature hit 25 screens at multiplexes in director Robert Koltai's native country. For its United States premiere on Friday, this subtitled drama about twin clowns caught up in the 1956 Hungarian Revolution bowed on one screen at the Wilmette Theater. That says a lot about how foreign films play here. In March, the film now retitled "Colossal Sensation!,"
screened at the Hungarian Film Festival in Los Angeles and at
the European Union Film Festival at the Gene Siskel Film Center,
but the Wilmette's theatrical premiere lets Koltai, who also stars
as Napthalene, reach a larger audience FIDESZ Leads, But Socialists Gain in Hungary The opposition Citizens Party (Fidesz) remains the most popular political organization in Hungary, according to a poll by Gallup. 31 per cent of respondents would vote for Fidesz—led by former prime minister Viktor Orban—in the next general election. [read more] Hopes Dim as US Ambassador Opens Trap Again ...why on Earth is Walker giving a pressconf touting the supposedly fine state of the Hungarian economy when the country's opposition has made the sorry state of the economy the cornerstone of its election campaign? Even if the opposition was not virtually certain to win next spring's general election, this would still be what any genuine diplomat would call a "regrettable incident." Then again, Walker isn't a genuine diplomat, so we guess all we can say is, what the heck. [read more] Hungarian-American director finds roots in Budapest's
underground The director of critcally acclaimed "Kontroll," the 31-year-old Antal, is an American -- born and raised in Los Angeles as the only child of Hungarian immigrant parents who had fled the communist regime. He returned to his ancestral homeland at 17 to study at its Academy of Drama and Film, partly in search of roots and partly because of the legacy of Hungarian cinematographers such as Vilmos Zsigmond and Laszlo Kovacs. Although he travels frequently to the United States, Antal calls Hungary home. [read more] Hungarians Sour on EU, Protest Against Turkish Entry According to state news agency MTI, a group of Hungarian youths staged a demonstration yesterday in Brussels against Turkey joining the EU. [read more] Something fishy in Hungary? It's not all goulash: The
Baja Fish Soup Festival Begins Hungary is famed throughout the world for its fiery, meaty goulash, but this nation of food fanatics has a lot of other arrows in its quiver, one of which is its hearty fish soup. [read more] Herend: Luxury hotels in the Gulf region are leading
a worldwide demand for fine porcelain fashioned by Hungarian craftsmen
over two centuries. One customer at a recent trade exhibition in Dubai was so impressed with the products being displayed by Hungarian manufacturer Herend Porcelain that they bought the entire contents of their stand, furniture and all. [read more] Anheuser-Busch Wins Latest Court Battle It's a long dispute with no apparent end in sight, and the latest victory goes to Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc. A Hungarian court has ruled in favor of the St. Louis-based brewer, ordering cancellation for Czech beer-maker Budejovicky Budvar's use of the "Bud," "Budweiser Budvar" and "Budweiser Bier-Budvar" labels in Hungary. [read more] A vision of home - State is setting for chapel linked
with Hungarian Freedom Fighters BERKELEY SPRINGS — Ilona Gyorik walked slowly across the churchyard, each careful step a victory over her 80 years. She emerged from the shadow of the steeple and made her way to the weathered, wooden bell tower. [read more] George Soros Pledges $202.4 Million to Central European
University The Central European University in Budapest, Hungary, has announced a $202.4 million endowment gift from Hungarian-American financier and philanthropist George Soros. [read more] Hungary an increasing lure for service centers With the days gone when large multinationals flocked to Hungary attracted by the once existing pool of cheap mass labor, major companies are now looking to the Hungarian labor force for more complex, personal skills with which to serve their global customer base. [read more] Online recruitment gathering pace Online recruitment is gaining ground in Hungary – fuelled
especially by ever-increasing competition among multinationals
for skilled Hungarian labor. At the same time, observers say,
more internet penetration is required for it to seriously spread
across the entire workforce. NEWS FROM SLOVAKIA Szlovák-magyar Keringö: EU-tagságunk óta ezer magyar kis- és középvállalkozás tette át székhelyét Szlovákiába; a révkomáromi adóhivatalban csak az utóbbi fél évben 44 magyarországi céget jegyeztek be. 1,6 millió dollár muködo toke áramlott ily módon északi szomszédunkhoz, ahonnan viszont közel 5 ezer ember jár át dolgozni naponta Magyarországra, a jobb bérek és munkalehetoségek miatt. [read more in Hungarian] To leaen about issues in Slovakia, visit AHF's site on the Benes Decrees NEWS FROM THE BALKANS CROATIAN PRESIDENT SAYS HIS COUNTRY WILL RECOGNIZE MONTENEGRIN
REFERENDUM RESULTS Croatian President Stipe Mesic told the Podgorica daily "Vijesti" of 9 July that his country will recognize Montenegrin independence if voters there decide to leave the union of Serbia and Montenegro in a referendum widely expected to be held in 2006, RFE/RL's South Slavic and Albanian Languages Service reported. Mesic indicated that Croatia will not wait for the international community to take the first step toward acknowledging the results of a referendum because Croatia is "led by forces that recognize political realities." He recalled that the failure of other countries to quickly recognize the independence of his country in 1991 caused it considerable problems. Asked how he feels about the fact that the current pro-independence Montenegrin leadership supported Serbian President Milosevic in his war with Croatia in 1991, Mesic replied that Montenegro is too small to stand up to Serbia, which at that time had the entire former Yugoslav People's Army at its disposal. KOSOVA'S PRESIDENT CALLS FOR INDEPENDENCE Kosova's President Ibrahim Rugova reiterated his desire for the province to win full independence and be integrated into Western institutions, Hina reported on 7 July. "Our aim is to become an independent state integrated with the European Union and NATO and in a lasting partnership with the United States," Rugova said following talks in Prishtina with Croatian President Stipe Mesic. Rugova added that he expects Croatia's support for Kosova's efforts to win international recognition as an independent state. SERBIAN GOVERNMENT CONDEMNS ALL WAR CRIMES IN YUGOSLAVIA The Serbian government on 7 July condemned all war crimes committed in wars following the breakup of Yugoslavia, dpa reported the same day. The government placed special emphasis on the 1995 Srebrenica massacre and the 1992 killings of Serbs in Bratunac. "The condemnation of war crimes should not include distinctions based on ethnicity or religion. The government strongly and indubitably condemns massacres committed in Srebrenica and Bratunac," the Serbian government said in a statement. The condemnation came after months of debate in Serbia over whether Belgrade should condemn the killing of some 8,000 Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica, or condemn all war crimes committed during the decade of Balkan conflicts. [BDsz - the previous month, US Ambassador to Serbia, Michael Polt, condemned Belgrade for failure to acknowledge the Srebrenica massacre.] VOJVODINA LAWMAKERS PROPOSE SREBRENICA DECLARATION A group of politicians from Vojvodina have tabled a draft declaration on Srebrenica in the northern Serbian province's legislature, B92 reported on 22 June. "The murder of Bosnians in Srebrenica is not just one more war crime committed on the territory of the former Yugoslavia but, going by all the information available, the worst war crime in Europe since World War II, and has elements of genocide," the draft, which was proposed by the League of Vojvodina Hungarians and the Together for Vojvodina coalition, reads, "Senior officials in Serbia and the Serbian state apparatus took an active role in preparing, ordering, and concealing the crimes in Srebrenica and this responsibility of the state for that crime can only be absolved by clearly condemning the crimes and criminals," it continued. Earlier this month, Serbia's parliament failed to pass a resolution condemning the July 1995 massacre. U.S. RESUMES AID TO SERBIA US Undersecretary of State for NEWS FROM RUMANIA An Essay on the foundations of Rumanian Identity, Nationalism
and Ethnic Cleansing - CONCEPTUAL CONFUSIONS CONCERNING
THE ROMANIAN IDENTITY: NEAM AND POPOR AS EXPRESSIONS OF ETHNO-NATIONALISM
(PART 3) Excerpt: "Those who devised the racial legislation elaborated
under King Carol II's royal dictatorship and under the regime
of Ion Antonescu were not merely inspired by the Nazis. As shown
above, there was plenty of locally produced samples on which to
lean when interpreting the concept of nation. Among the autochthonous
products, Neam, with its racist meaning, assumed the role of factotum
in promoting discriminating attitudes, xenophobia, and anti-Semitism.
It idiomatically justified exclusivism as practiced under Antonescu's
regime. Transnistria might well be viewed as a "reservation"
set up with the goal of solving the issue of ethnic purification
-- or, as it is now labeled, "ethnic cleansing." The
extermination methods practiced by the Romanian dictator might
have been different from those of the Nazis, although they also
share similarities, such as point-blank shooting. In essence,
however, they are fully comparable, as regardless of the means
employed, the motivation and the goal was common: racially determined
mass murder." Join online!
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7/26/2005
- AHF seeking additional photos, films, and other
historical information related to the 1956 Hungarian Revolution
for the 1956 Portal at 
"
AHF's
Peter Hargitai is a professor at Florida International University,
award-winning poet and author of numerous books. He
is scheduled to give a