An American project on the safer building of communities aimed at initiating social debate began on Tuesday at the Central European University with the screening of a documentary and a conference. In addition to the US and Norwegian Ambassadors, the Ministry of Human Resources' Minister of State for Social Inclusion also gave a speech.

Despite the differing characteristics of the American and Hungarian environment, experts and "inspirational activists" from abroad like documentarist Patrice O'Neill are searching for the answer to questions such as how it would be possible to apply the methods used in the United States to prevent racial, ethnic and cultural tension and aggression within the Central European region. An important element of this approach is the examination of the responsibility of the media, the state apparatus, the church or school education, and in what ways they might help achieve a solution. At the conference entitled "Not Here We Won't": Strategy for the Solution of Community Conflicts, US Ambassador to Hungary Eleni Tsakopoulos Kounalakis, Norwegian Ambassador to Hungary Tove Skarstein and Minister of State for Social Inclusion of the Ministry of Human Resources Dr. Zoltán Kovács all gave speeches.

In his speech, and in a similar vein to the thoughts put forward by Ambassador Kounalakis, the Minister of State stressed that the issue of Roma integration is far from being simply a Hungarian or Central European problem, but is a challenge that affects the whole of Europe and one which has not been handled in accordance with its weight and importance during the past decade. In addition, he also reminded those present that it was in fact thanks to the Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2011 that EU institutions had recognised that there was a need for a European-level uniform inclusion strategy, including solutions to the Roma issue. In addition to legal and human rights frameworks that declare the principle of equal opportunities, there is a need for real opportunity-creating measures and complex, comprehensive solutions not just at a member state level, but also in Brussels, he added.

Although the initiative and the main topic and message of the conference, which came about in the spirit of rejecting extremism, was acceptance and understanding, well-known left-wing political activists attempted to disrupt the event following the short presentations, many brandishing "spontaneously" printed signs. There was "only" one problem with the texts printed on these: they failed to successfully use any of the nomenclature and methods applied both in theory and in a practical sense in either English or Hungarian. Today, the idea of social inclusion is a well known and accepted new approach not only in Hungary, but throughout Europe. Protesting against "catching up" is only proof of the fact that many of the protestors had not even tried to understand our principles and objectives. This is a great pity: their work and cooperation is also needed if we are to succeed.

(State Secretariat for Social Inclusion)