“Citizen Legislative Advocacy in Minority Communities”

Testimony from the 3rd U.S. Mentors Delegation visiting

Europe on January 25 — February 15, 2013

Rachel Ramirez, Chicago, Illinois Chicago Coalition for the Homeless

“I am leaving Central Europe a very inspired woman, and organizer! Thank you to

the U.S. State Department, Great Lakes Consortium, European Community Organiz-

ing Network, and all who make this exchange experience possible for myself and my

U.S. and European colleagues. I am inspired by the commitment of the people I've met

in Budapest, Timisoara, Banska Bystrica, Zvolen, Bratislava, and beyond. They are de-

termined to create a reality in which democracy is not a

political system that is won, but a way of society that is

lived and nurtured. In this reality, people from all walks

of life work together and support one another in solving

their community's problems.

It has been an honor to learn about life and the strug-

gles of civic participation in Hungary, Romania and Slo-

vakia, and to think together on how community organiz-

ing methods can be applied. The success stories of Euro-

pean people achieving improvements in their own lives

through organizing are growing in number, and I am con-

fident that community organizing and democracy has a

strong future here. I look forward to sharing the stories of

what I learned here with the homeless people with whom

I work, and with my other colleagues.

In the U.S. we have models and successes that are

beacons of hope for all of the work that we do, and we are

lucky. Most people in the U.S. have a feeling that when

we come together we can achieve great things for a more

equal and just society. These lessons are

still crystallizing here in Europe.

I want the people in my work and

community to know that we have a big

responsibility to keep up our end of this

bargain, because we have colleagues

here on the other side of the ocean that

are working against waves of doubt and

discouragement for a better world. I am

committed to continuing to support this

European process.”

January 26, Hungary: Rachel Ramirez with

Judit Szollar visiting a homeless shelter in

the 8th District of Budapest.

January 27, Hungary: 8-member of

the 3rd U.S. Mentors delegation get

know each other on their first dinner

together at the Oliva restaurant in

Budapest.

Michael Tierney, Charleston, West Virginia Step by Step

“It has been a privilege to spend time seeing all stages of community organizing

during my three weeks in Eastern Europe. I had hosted Jolana Natherova and Marcela

Beresova in October in West Virginia and had the pleasure of seeing them in action as

well as meet their colleagues and a score of others dedicated to lasting social change in

Slovakia and Hungary. So many people stand out ranging from young people making

their first efforts (Hungarian students, Slovakian teenagers getting conflict resolution training to bridge

the gap between Roma and majority cultures) to seasoned

community members seeking new skills. I think particu-

larly of Csaba Szikra, a young Jewish organizer who con-

siders the street his “office” and who is helping to revive a

vibrant synagogue in Budapest’s eighth district…a young

woman in Miskolc who after being denied a job because she

is Roma is ready to run for the minority council…the vi-

brant, hardworking staff of the housing project Kotwa in

Banska-Bystrica, that engage families who remain optimis-

tic as they spend as many as four years in a single room…

grassroots groups across the region strategizing for short

term victories and long term campaigns…our ambassador

in Slovakia noting that his “boss” (President Obama) is a

veteran community organizer and affirming what a differ-

ence it has made that Secretary Clinton has consistently

met with NGO’s in her travels through the region.

But I was most struck by a visit with Jolana Natherova

to one of the families she supports in her role with Hope for

Children. Adelka (who gave me permission to share her

story) and her six brothers and sisters were separated in

orphanages across the country when their mother died. I

don’t think there were even two of them in the same insti-

tution. Today, Adelka lives with her husband (that she also

met in the orphanage), a thriving young daughter and one

of her brothers. A friend from the same orphanage (who

was non-Roma) was visiting (and staying with Adelka’s

family) while she gets established in Banska Bystrica.

Adelka has tracked down all of her siblings and helped all

but one find a place to live in Banska Bystrica. My sense is

that she has helped a number of other friends from the or-

phanage she grew up in do the same.

As we talk about community organizing here, I keep

thinking of these natural leaders as the ones to invest in

for social change. It reminds me of a woman I met in Mis-

sissippi in the 1990s who said she looked for leaders in the

tough community she worked in by noticing who broke up

the fights in the pickup basketball games that unemployed

men engaged in to pass the time. In West Virginia I like to

notice what people look out for other people’s children as

well as their own on the playground or at a community

gathering. That combination of empathy, negotiation skills, and juggling personalities is what helps peo-

ple survive and, if channeled, is the beginning of social change. And Eastern Europe is full of people

blessed with these gifts and ready to make use of any skills we can share across our nations.”

January 25, 2013, Hungary: Michael Tier-

ney on meeting with university and high

school students interested in community

organizing at a workshop in Budapest.

January 27, 2013, Hungary: Michael Tier-

ney and Genevieve Lysen experiencing

train ride - travel to Miskolc by train from

Keleti train station in Budapest.

Kayla Mason, Detroit, Michigan Harriet Tubman Center

“Being a part of the Citizen Legislative Advocacy program was a transformative

experience. I met with organizations in Romania and Hungary who are helping under-

served communities address systemic issues. On the plane to Europe, my understand-

ing of community organizing approached

issues on a local level, addressing con-

cerns of neighborhoods and residents. But now, I see a big-

ger picture. These systems of oppression relating to crime,

poverty, and unemployment exist in the United States, but

also in cities like Bucharest, Szeged, Budapest, and many

other places.

The importance of this exchange program is helping

communities understand how to move forward when faced

with numerous challenges. I see a need for international

movements so organizers can have understanding, addi-

tional support, and further resources. This is something I

never thought about before the program, but I have made a

commitment to myself and organizations in Europe, to

work on an international youth movement and it is because

of the exchange program that my eyes were opened to a

new area of community organizing.”

Christine Doby, Flint, Michigan Charles Stewart Mott Foundation

“Just before leaving Michigan to participate in this professional exchange program,

I met with a Detroiter who runs a recycling business here and had been working with

community-based organizations in India. Who would have thought there’d be a connec-

tion to Slovakia? But there it was: clear parallels between the organizing story he told

me about poor residents of India and what I saw going on with poor residents of Slova-

kia, all of whom are all trying to get a simple, municipal task done well and on time: pick up the trash.

The encounter in Slovakia reminded me once again

that the basic methodologies of community organizing in

democratic societies work anywhere and everywhere. While

the practices need to be adjusted to the local culture and

economic reality, the basic methodology is universally

translatable and transmissible: build relationships of trust

and reciprocity, identify the problems that enough people

are willing to work on, do the research to find partners and

responsible parties, design a campaign, and take action.

Looks easy on paper but it’s hard in practice, which is

why this exchange program is so very important. I know

that I am an incredibly fortunate woman to have been se-

lected to participate in the Professional Fellows delegation

to Hungary, Slovakia, and Romania. What I learned from

the people who are embracing and implementing organiz-

ing in these still-emerging democracies will inform and in-

spire my work in the States for the rest of my life.”

January 27, 2013, Hungary: Christine Doby

at the workshop on “Alternative Fundrais-

ing from a Funder Perspective” at the Kap-

tar in Budapest.

January 25, 2013, Hungary: Kayla Mason

with Rachel Ramirez and Ramon Perez in

Budapest.

Genevieve Lysen, Lewiston, Maine Maine People's Alliance

“The work I did in Hungary and Bulgaria, visiting and training dozens of NGOs

and community groups, has left me feeling inspired, humbled and committed to helping

to make change in this part of the world. The most interesting and inspiring experience

during my time in Hungary was meeting with an emerging Roma organization in Bocs,

outside of Miskolc. It was so exciting to see Kristina Molnar, who I hosted at Maine

People’s Alliance last fall, in action! Clearly she has started to apply some of what she learned in the

U.S. and has brought together a group of Roma to identify the most urgent problems in their community.

In the first meeting of the group the community members and leaders shared stories, identified common

issues, and began to think about where to focus their energies and to craft a campaign.

The following day we returned and trained a sub set of

the larger group on the importance and power of the vote,

holding elected officials accountable and how to craft and

document your personal narrative to affect policy change.

Some of the hardships that Roma communities like Bőcs

face are unthinkable and there are ample opportunities for

the application of community organizing theories and

strategies. It will be so exciting to see what this group in

Bocs will accomplish, consult from the United States when

I am asked, and follow their work deep into the future.

I am confident that I met some of the people that will

be the leaders of making change in their community, vil-

lage, county and country. The training with the student

network in Budapest was a stimulating one. The students

in Hungary are already employing community organizing

strategies and tactics to fight back against cuts to higher

education and changes to the system that do not put the

students or faculty first. The network has proved that they

are able to mobilize thousands to take to the streets to fight

for their issues and it was a privilege to work with them.

I was able to walk through what it takes to craft a campaign plan - students were excited to have a

tool to organize their thoughts on their Vision, Goals, Strategies, Tactics and Operations. In the face of

powerful and moneyed opposition this network of students has and will continue to defend and improve

the higher education system for stu-

dents in Hungary. I am coming away

from the experience a better trainer -

more able to think on my feet and adapt

to changing environments, political con-

texts and issues. I have learned a great

deal from the people that I have met

and built relationships with here, and

my experiences through this exchange

will inform and enhance my work in the

United States. I take home so many

memories, connections, learning and

relationships built, and for every one of

them I am grateful.”

January 31, 2013, Hungary: Genevieve

Lysen at the presentation “Community Or-

ganizing in the U.S.” for university stu-

dents studying community development in

Budapest.

Genevieve Lysen and Hannah Gelder

with Emil Metodiev and the selected

participants of the Spring and Fall

2013 Bulgarian Delegation in Sofia.

Hannah Gelder, Chicago, Illinois Lakeview Action Coalition

“I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to have participated in the organizing

exchange between the United States and countries in Eastern Europe. In addition to

hosting 5 individuals from Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria, I was fortunate to spend

two weeks in Hungary and one week in Bulgaria. This exchange allowed me to make

connections with people engaged in the struggle for justice around the world and think

critically about participatory democracy, governing and economic models. Our hosts in Hungary and

Bulgaria developed a rigorous agenda that exposed us to a wide variety of methods being used for social

change in those countries. I learned about different models of justice work and was challenged to think

how the lessons we’ve learned from community organizing in the States could be applied in the political,

social and economic contexts in those countries. We have a long history of democracy in the US and there

are many examples of what People Power has accomplished – from repaved streets to civil rights. De-

mocracy is only 25 years old in those countries and people are learning how to build an active civil soci-

ety. To me, this seems like a prime time to learn the methods of community organizing so there can be a

vibrant and true democracy.

My experiences with the NGOs in these countries

reminded me that people experience oppression all

around the world. Marginalized and disenfranchised

communities everywhere are forced to deal with ra-

cism, unemployment, access to health care, homeless-

ness, and a growing divide between the haves and the

have-nots, to name a few of the problems. I think the

Hungarians and the Bulgarians were surprised to

learn that conditions are just as bad in some communi-

ties in the States as they are in their countries.

Coming from a background in community organiz-

ing in Chicago, I was excited to share ideas and exam-

ples of methods we’ve used to build people power and

develop leadership skills in grassroots leaders in order

to create change. From my conversations, I learned

that many of the problems they are facing, seem to

have arisen since the end of communism, especially

unemployment, access to health care and homeless-

ness. These problems are even more prevalent in Roma

communities. Considering all of these are major problems in the United States, especially in communi-

ties of color, I felt challenged to think about what economic and governing systems will help to ensure all

human rights are met, while also ensuring people have the freedoms and liberties we enjoy in the United

States.

I feel reenergized about my work in the United States, and recommitted to this model of social

change. On a personal level as an American Jew, it was a moving experience for me to visit countries

that were part of the Axis Powers during World War II. Unfortunately, the extreme right wing, racist,

anti-Semitic parties are growing in popularity in these countries. In meeting with my Jewish peers, they

each had stories of experiences with anti-Semitism. It has been a privilege to grow up in communities in

the United States where I have not experienced those sentiments.

I truly believe it is my duty, as a Jewish person to be fighting for justice and the liberation of all op-

pressed people. My community knows too well what happens when people and communities are divided

and pitted against one another. I strongly believe we need to be building strong communities that cele-

brate their shared humanity rather than focusing on their differences. And to do this, we must be fight-

ing for everyone’s human rights, developing grassroots leaders, and building People Power. I am excited

to continue my work in the United States and to support the work being done around the world. Ex-

change programs like this are crucial for this justice network to be built.

February 7, 2013, Bulgaria: Hannah Gelder at

the meeting with youth of the ARETE Youth

Foundation in Sofia.

Ramon Perez, Toledo, Ohio One Village Council

“I am very grateful for GLC/WSOS

and the opportunity the program gave me

to meet organizers, apprentice organizers

and residents from Szeged and Budapest

in Hungary and Bucharest of Romania in

Eastern Europe. Changing the world one city or village at a

time is possible. The people in Timisoara, Romania proved

that in 1989. There are many more examples of this around

the globe including the U.S.A.

I believe this program will help hundreds if not thou-

sands of people believe, no matter where they live, that

they themselves can improve their social, economic, and

political circumstances so that everyone around them has

equal opportunities for a better life. I have been staying in

touch with my new friends to ensure that we keep using

best practices and also finding new ways together to bring

social justice and change where ever it is needed.”

February 2, 2013, Romania: Ramon Perez

presented at the workshop with the CeRe’s

community organizing staff in Bucharest.

Jade Souza, Portland, Oregon Poverty Initiative

“I was involved in this exchange as a mentor, but these 3 weeks in Europe has pro-

vided invaluable professional experience and knowledge for me as an American com-

munity organizer as well. Through this

program I have learned so much about

how varying histories, cultures, and con-

ditions affect the way people work for de-

mocracy and social change. I have had the chance to meet

some true visionaries Romania and Hungary, and I hope

this is just the beginning of ongoing mutual exchange be-

tween our organizations.

While there are many differences in our experiences,

we have much in common in the work to unite our commu-

nities, bring creative solutions to social problems, and in-

form the public policies that affect us. We received such

great feedback from the dozens of NGOs and hundreds of

people who attended our workshops and consultations.

The interest in this work in Eastern Europe is tremen-

dous and inspiring. I am honored to have been a part of

this amazing project! I return home with renewed hope,

new ideas, and a worldview that includes many new com-

munities far from me.”

January 28, Romania: Jade Souza and Ra-

chel Ramirez with awesome participants

in the after-school program for Roma stu-

dents in Timisoara.

Sponsored by the U.S. State Department Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs,

Office of Citizen Exchanges, Professional Fellows Division.

Organized by Great Lakes Consortium for International Training and Development

with its collaborating partners in Europe:

CEGA in Bulgaria, CeRe in Romania, CKO in Slovakia and CCF in Hungary