Those civilians who recognize the factors that make life difficult for people and communities, and work to find concrete solutions for them, stated the minister in charge of the Prime Minister's Office in Budapest on Friday.
Gergely Gulyás said at the 1st National Civil Conference and at the presentation of the awards for Value-Creating Communities: "when we talk about civilians, we are not talking about NGOs that act as the extended hand of speculators who want to buy influence, and are thoroughly stuffed with funds of special origin and various scholarships, which (.) their position is always shaped according to the day-to-day interests of the financier".
He believed that, according to the left, it is an NGO that "receives money from György Soros".
"However, now that one of György Soros's favorite NGOs, Amnesty International, has already been classified as an organization supporting terrorism by the new Israeli government this week, it would be worthwhile for the left to rethink the concept of NGOs," the minister stressed.
He stated that there is great power in the independent initiatives of citizens. Non-governmental organizations should be considered reliable partners, since 2010 they have done serious work together, he said.
We succeeded in clarifying the legal environment; they created the civil law, which is a good legal basis for cooperation to this day - Gergely Gulyás pointed out.
He added that the financial resources have also expanded significantly over the past decade. There are more application opportunities, and the professional colleges have a decisive role in the evaluation. State support for civil organizations has also increased: in 2010 it was HUF 144 billion, in 2020 it will be HUF 393 billion. Not only the state has become more generous: the total income of civil organizations has also increased, from 420 to 896 billion, he said.
The minister said that committed people can achieve a lot with the power of unity. In the past decades, important actors in the life of the nation were the civil organizations and associations created with a wide variety of goals, which always tried to fulfill a vocation beyond themselves, at the same time they gave their members a community and an example to all those who followed their work.
He touched on the fact that under communism the vast majority of associations were banned and dispersed. Those that could continue to function lost their internal autonomy and were subject to constant surveillance.
However, after the system change, the civilian world was rebuilt, "this is the most important foundation of bourgeois Hungary". In 2020, 60,673 foundations, social non-profit organizations and associations were operating, and the number of classical civil organizations was also more than 53,000. This is a huge amount, especially because the operations of civilians cover all areas, said Gergely Gulyás.
The awards for this year's value-creating communities were presented at the event. The recognitions went to Benőné Kontha, president of the Reformed Danube Minority Diaconia, founder of the Majosházai Hospice House, and the Reformed Szatmárért Public Benefit Association.
Regarding the prize winners, the minister said: "the country that has such citizens is rich".
According to the tribute, Benőné Kontha decided to dedicate her life to the hospice in addition to her previous charitable activities as a result of tragedies in her own family. He created a house where cancer patients can be cared for in dignified conditions, in which he is personally involved. Benőné Kontha creates value and gives hope to those in need.
The Public Benefit Association for the Reformed in Szatmár was founded in 2011 to promote the interests of the Reformed in Transylvania and Hungary. The organization published publications, created awards, and collected donations for hospitals several times.
Benőné Kontha said that the award recognized her volunteers and the professionals who cooperated with her, because they achieved the results together. The goal of their association is that families dare to take care of their loved ones in their homes, but if someone does not have a suitable home or family, then he should also spend the last weeks of his life with dignity, he said.
On behalf of the Reformed Szatmárért Public Benefit Association, president István Fülöp emphasized that their organization was created to showcase the values of the historic Szatmár county. They try to do everything to increase their values, he added.
February 1 is Civilians' Day, and the award ceremony was timed for this.
The award for Value-Creating Communities can be awarded by the minister in charge of the Prime Minister's Office to a non-governmental organization or a cross-border non-governmental organization whose value-creating and value-preserving activities are exemplary, as well as to a natural person who facilitates, supports, or contributes to the activities of the community or communities in this direction. for the high-quality operation of organizations.
The prize for value-creating communities was established in 2020 with the aim of creating a tradition. For the current public call, valid submissions were received from 41 NGOs and 34 natural persons from 17 counties and the capital, as well as from Transylvania, Vojvodina and the Czech Republic.
MTI
Cover photo:
Participants in the 1st National Civil Conference in the Groupama Arena on February 4, 2022.
MTI/Koszticsák Solid
