The common goal of our Christianity is for Roma and non-Roma Hungarians to live in peace and love with each other - pointed out Reformed bishop Zoltán Balog on the We Belong - Roma Integration Day. In the framework of the event, the participants reviewed the catch-up and integration results and aspirations at a conference and round table discussions. In addition to the Roma vocational colleges, invited social, church and civil organizations presented their activities, including the Reformed Charity Service. The event was hosted by Ráday Ház in Budapest.
The purpose of the event related to the International Roma Day is to create an opportunity for professional colleges, social organizations, churches and civil initiatives working on the social integration of Hungarian Gypsies and ensuring their equal opportunities to meet.
Referring to the title of the event, Bishop Zoltán Balog, the pastor president of the Synod of the Hungarian Reformed Church, called it gratifying that more and more people emphasize living side by side in peace.
This is also why the unity and cooperation between Roma and non-Roma Hungarians is a happy thing. He called matters on which we can work together despite our differences a special value, a gift from the Lord. This kind of joint service can provide the Christian recipe for reconciliation. He touched on the fact that the first official ecumenical organization came together on the Roma issue among the historical churches in Hungary .The Roma Christian Vocational College Network was established in 2011, and since then more and more people have been attending the vocational colleges. According to Zoltán Balog, this has several messages. One is that we must serve together to find each other. The other is that as authentic Christians we must see each other as God's creatures. In his opinion, one of the most important goals and tasks of reconciliation is for Roma and non-Roma Hungarians to live in peace and love with each other. He called it important to pass on this message, to represent the joy of togetherness as a mission representative.
Tamás Fabiny with the students of the Evangelical Roma Vocational College/Forrás/Reformatus.hu
The Evangelical Roma Vocational College brought the story of the Passion to the stage. The performance was followed by a greeting from the Lutheran bishop Tamás Fabiny, who, referring to the song "Ott, a Via Dolorosa" sung in the play, said that the gypsies also went through and are still going through their own way of the cross.
Their story is about the suffering they went through individually and as a group: humiliation, prejudice, abuse, criminalization. According to the bishop, the Keresztén Roma Vocational College Network helps to stop prejudice, but to make the title of the conference, according to which we belong together, and thus we can serve the Lord together, become a reality.After the Lutheran bishop, Attila Sztojka, the government commissioner responsible for Roma relations, said in his welcome speech that belonging is based on common values: we should not look for differences, but what unites us. In his speech, Gábor Biczó, president of the Association of Roma Vocational Colleges, presented the results of the network so far. There are a total of eleven Roma vocational colleges in the country, and almost three hundred students are part of this form of training. In his opinion, the performance and competence of young Roma acquaintances should be made visible. It is important that as many people as possible learn about the support options. He also emphasized the importance of the close cooperation of institutions dealing with social reintegration, Biztos Kezdet Children's Houses, kindergartens, schools and Roma vocational colleges.
Source, full article and featured image: reformatus.hu
