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.
|