The association offers children a week away from their war-torn, everyday lives at home.Continue reading
The State Secretariat for National Policy and the Rákóczi Association are re-launching the Diaspora Program this year. Applications can be submitted until March 15. The details of this year’s program were presented by János Árpád Potápi, State Secretary for National Policy, and Csongor Csáky, President of the Association.
János Árpád Potápi stressed that the Hungarian diaspora has a population of around 2-2.5 million, and their communities want to preserve their national identity, and hold on to the Hungarian language and culture. About the Rákóczi Association, he noted that: “We can see the tremendous development of the association’s work in recent years, as they have started and carried out national and Carpathian Basin programs that have reached tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of Hungarians abroad, especially pre-school and school-age children.”
János Árpád Potápi, State Secretary for National Policy. Photo via Hungary Today
The Rákóczi Association is a key strategic partner and ally of the Hungarian Government in this work,”
the State Secretary emphasized.
Potápi continued by detailing the goals of the Diaspora Program. The project provides opportunities for young people between the ages of 10 and 25, who are active participants in Hungarian diaspora communities in different parts of the world, to go to camps and on study trips to Hungary. As he stressed, its purpose is to bring young people back to the Carpathian Basin, to Hungary, and to familiarize them with the country where their ancestors, parents, and grandparents come from.
Photo via Facebook/Rákóczi Szövetség
Csongor Csáky, President of the Rákóczi Association, described the program as a success story, with the number of applicants and interested people exceeding 1,000 in its second year. Now, after the COVID pandemic, the program is growing in popularity again, and the last time, nearly 700 young people from 32 countries participated in the summer camps and programs together with their Carpathian Basin counterparts.
He said that young Hungarians who are active in a Hungarian community, such as a scouting group or a Hungarian school, and who have received a recommendation from a Hungarian community, can apply for the various programs.
Csongor Csáky, President of the Association. Photo via Hungary Today
This year, young people can apply for 11 program elements. The first one will be the Csíksomlyó (Șumuleu Ciuc, Romania) Pilgrimage. Nine more events will be organized in the summer, including language, high school, and university camps. In December, an Advent program will be launched, aimed mainly at people from the southern hemisphere, the President of the Association highlighted.
The online platform provides information in Hungarian and English, and is available from Wednesday and allows applications for the 11 program elements until March 15.
Featured photo via Facebook/Rákóczi Szövetség