Budapest 2

Europen Learning Partnership
European Women - Images of Interaction

 

2nd bi-national meeting in Budapest, International Women’s Academy (IFAB)
6th – 9th February 2003

 
  

 

Seminar: “The European Union Gets a New Face”

Contents:

-         Meeting with women from the women academy Budapest

-         Joint two-day seminar on the European Union’s eastern expansion with the main focus on Hungary

-         Visitation of two institutions of the Swiss Salvation Army:

         Rehabilitation Home for homeless women

          Home for illtreated women and their children

 

Participants of the Frauenakademie (Women’s Academy) Ulm, Germany:
Carola, Birgit, Elisabeth, Elfriede, Eri, Lothar, Renate, Ute

Excerpts from a participant’s travel diary:

6th and 7th February 2003: Journey from Ulm to Budapest via Munich by night train. Welcoming takes place in the rooms of the IFAB by 5 participants and member of the board, Claudia Pelzig. Together with Angela Hendrych, Claudia is in charge of the EU-project in Budapest. The joint seminar will be conducted by Elisabeth Zoll.

Morning’s programme:

    1. Introduction of the participants

    2. Film on Hungary: “From Goulash to Big Mac” with following topics:

          -    privatization and restructuring of the economy
          -    modernization of agriculture and industry
          -    shut down of heavy industry (especially mining of uranium)
          -    search for foreign investors
          -    new values and business standards

 

Consequently the following questions arise:  

           -   The new departure – in which direction and with what aim?

           -   Who are the winners and losers of the European Union’s eastern expansion?

 

Afternoon’s programme:

 

A visit to the two Swiss Salvation Army’s institutions:

 

We drive to a remote district of Budapest, are entertained with coffee and cakes and then invited to have a look at the institution for the rehabilitation of homeless women. The women who live there have to comply with conditions like strict ban on alcohol, taking over of household jobs, joint cooking, personal hygiene and keeping rooms clean. Step by step the women will be rehabilitated, enabling them to live on their own once again. As the home is a religious institution, they are guided on this difficult path by the principles of the Christian belief. Even though they will leave one day the women are always allowed to come back if an occasion, such as pregnancy, occurs. As the institution is subsidized by the Hungarian government and the Swiss Salvation Army, the management fortunately do not face any financial problems.

 

We continue to the second institution: the home for illtreated women and their children. Mothers with their children live in rooms for six, under cramped conditions. For example, one bathroom is for 20 persons. Proudly they present their rooms with the little kitchen. There, they can cook for each other and for their children. The Salvation Army’s social worker explains that it is a matter of concern to get the young women further education or a job as soon as they are rested. The whole intention gives way though, should the father find out the address. Furthermore, the children would be as distraught as they were upon their arrival.


Once again we don’t have the impression that this project would be threatened with financial problems. There are already plans to buy another house to improve physical conditions. Impressed and with a new view on the Salvation Army, we take leave.

 

8th February 2003 – Resuming of the seminar at the IFAB

 

Topics:

    - countries of application

    - expectations, fears

    - organisations of the European Union

    - need for reforms

 

Key words on the topics fears and expectations:

 

Expectations:    Fears:
countries of application bureaucracy
enrichment standardization

awareness of one’s own, European identity

criminality

simplified customs clearance

larger incline in social fabric
simplified tourist traffic increase in the European Union’s budget
approach towards similar financial conditions excessive demands on the application countries
stability, tolerance, liberality

increase in migration

simplified work permits unemployment - social conflicts
 
 

 

 

With the help of newspaper articles on migration, agriculture and security, different teams tried to understand differing opinions and conceptions. The foundation and development of the European Union, as well as the different organisations were explained with a somewhat outdated video.

 

9th February 2003:
Sunday morning offers opportunities for individual visits to museums and spa baths in the old town of Budapest.
We will return to Ulm in the afternoon.

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