Clinical Psychologist and professor, Emőke Bagdy, and the 31 year old Hungarian Scout Association of Romania have received the annual Award for Civic Hungary. The award was presented on Thursday in Budapest. Gergely Gulyás, head of the Prime Minister’s Office, and László Kövér, speaker at the National Assembly, emphasized the need for mental health and education for younger generations.
Despite the initial challenges of getting into university, Emőke Bagdy has become a renowned professor at Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary. She has given around 2,500 lectures, published 17 books, edited dozens of others, and more than 200 studies are associated with her name.
“People’s mental health is a matter of national concern for the future,” said Gergely Gulyás in his speech. He continued:
It is a national, collective concern how everyone can live a more beautiful, happier, fuller, healthier life. How you can use your talent and move forward, thrive. It is a national matter to see how patients, including those with mental illness, can recover. Emőke Bagdy has dedicated her life to this national cause.”
The minister also mentioned that nowadays, the focus on spiritual and mental health wishes to overtake science “…to say what is right and what is not, how to live and how not to live.” He continued to praise Bagdy for not only standing up against this in scientific circles but also in public.
In her acceptance speech, Bagdy pointed out that:
The term ‘citizen’ is an indicator of quality, a determinant of identity, responsibility, and at the same time, commitment.”
She added that for her the meaning of life is service, which she believes is the core of the civic identity.
Despite being banned and shut down by both the far-left and the far-right throughout the 20th century, the Hungarian Scout Association of Romania was reestablished in 1990. After 31 years, the association has gained more than 2,300 members and about 200 adult leaders, and now performs its duties with the help of 153 registered scout teams in 41 settlements.
Lajos Lóránt Bálint, President of the Hungarian Scout Association of Romania. Photo by Zoltán Balogh/MTI
In his speech László Kövér said that the association’s job is to educate the young so that society will be “made up of viable, committed, and healthy citizens who care to grow towards God by continually raising themselves up.”
Lajos Lóránt Bálint, President of the Hungarian Scout Association of Romania, recalled the history of his organization and praised the award as an honor.
Last year, András Csókay, a neurosurgeon and head of the Hungarian medical team that separated Bangladeshi Siamese twins, received the 2019 Award for Civic Hungary.
In the featured photo: Emőke Bagdy. Photo by Zoltán Balogh/MTI
