Charlotte Flynn March 2016 Mi Újság? What’s new? Reflections on a year of living, learning, and serving as a YAGM in Budapest, Hungary Phiren Amenca – Journey with Us What I’ve learned while sharing the journey So far on my journey with Phiren Amenca, I have been incredibly lucky to meet people from all around Europe and the world who are involved in the Roma movement. Of late, I have had a lot of conversations about the challenges facing Roma activism, and the role of the volunteer, so I thought I would share some of what I’ve heard. One person in particular whose stories have impacted my perspective is activist Vicente Rodriguez Fernandez. Vicente comes from a poor Roma community in Spain near Valencia. In his own words, it was a series of lucky chances and his own curiosity that led him beyond his circumstances, starting with his mother saving up to buy him an X-Men comic book when he was a child. Now, in addition to having participated in numerous international youth events, he has made a trip across 17 countries to visit Roma communities and has created his own workshop to combat stereotypes and empower youth using comic book and real-life superheroes of Roma origin. Most recently, he received a grant to travel around the US and speak at universities about how he envisions pop culture as a tool for Roma empowerment and to combat racism. While a volunteer at Phiren Amenca last year, Vicente also developed the idea for an event called “Roma for Michael Jackson”. The idea was to get people’s attention and make them associate Roma with something other than all of the stereotypes that they encounter in media and society. Plus, there really are few other pop icons as well known and loved as him throughout the world that can bring people together across social barriers. I was involved in organizing the event again this year. One main part of the event was music and dance performances by young Roma from the community and other parts of Hungary, including two rap performances. While the sound may have been different than in Michael Jackson’s time, it was still clear that popular music can be a tool for minorities to raise their voice and gain visibility. Another aspect of the Roma for Michael Jackson event that is worth mentioning is that it took place at the local level. Most of the time at Phiren Amenca, we work on an international level, bringing youth together from different nations to work on international initiatives. On the one hand, this is important 1 Continued
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Charlotte Flynn March 2016
Mi Újság? What’s new? Reflections on a year of living, learning, and serving as a YAGM in Budapest, Hungary
Phiren Amenca – Journey with Us What I’ve learned while sharing the journey
1
So far on my journey with Phiren Amenca, I have been incredibly lucky to meet people from all around Europe and the world who are involved in the Roma movement. Of late, I have had a lot of conversations about the challenges facing Roma activism, and the role of the volunteer, so I thought I would share some of what I’ve heard.
One person in particular whose stories have impacted my perspective is activist Vicente Rodriguez Fernandez.
Vicente comes from a poor Roma community in Spain near Valencia. In his own words, it was a series of lucky chances and his own curiosity that led him beyond his circumstances, starting with his mother saving up to buy him an X-Men comic book when he was a child. Now, in addition to having participated in numerous
2
international youth events, he has made a trip across 17 countries to visit Roma communities and has created his own workshop to combat stereotypes and empower youth using comic book and real-life superheroes of Roma origin. Most recently, he received a grant to travel around the US and speak at universities about how he envisions pop culture as a tool for Roma empowerment and to combat racism.
While a volunteer at Phiren Amenca last year, Vicente also developed the idea for an event called “Roma for Michael Jackson”. The idea was to get people’s attention and make them associate Roma with something other than all of the stereotypes that they encounter in media and society. Plus, there really are few other pop icons as well known and loved as him throughout the world that can
3
bring people together across social barriers.
I was involved in organizing the event again this year.
One main part of the event was music and dance performances by young Roma from the community and other parts of Hungary, including two rap performances. While the sound may have been different than in Michael Jackson’s time, it was still clear that popular music can be a tool for minorities to raise their voice and gain visibility.
Another aspect of the Roma for Michael Jackson event that is worth mentioning is that it took place at the local level. Most of the time at Phiren Amenca, we work on an international level, bringing youth together from different nations to work on international initiatives. On the one hand, this is important
1
Continued àà
Charlotte Flynn March 2016
Intention
Communication
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because the Roma community is spread throughout Europe and the world, and these international opportunities help create solidarity across political and linguistic borders. On the other hand, these international initiatives rarely are known about or have effects at the level of local communities, and don’t have the capacity to tackle the specific problems of each community.
This issue was brought up at the recent annual networking meeting hosted by Phiren Amenca, which brought together representatives of voluntary service organizations from across Europe, as well as current and former volunteers. There needs to be a shift towards using the resources and tools of the international network to support the individuals and organizations at the national and local levels, in addition to working together on common projects.
Obviously, the situation is more complex than what I have been able to describe here, and sadly, there is no clear solution or end in site to the problem of Antigypsyism. And yet, things are not standing still. Individuals like Vicente are developing new strategies and raising their voice, and organizations like Phiren Amenca are addressing the shortcomings and working to change them. In the face of a social climate that increasingly fears ‘others’, it’s encouraging to witness and be a part of a fight to break down barriers rather than build them up.
àà Continued
Jövel Jézus, légy vendégünk. Áld meg amit adtál nékünk!
Ámen!
This is the prayer said before meals in Hungary. I wanted to share it because it has a few important significances for me:
1) It translates almost word for word to “Come Lord Jesus, be our guest…” and is a reminder of us being one community in Christ.
2) My Hungarian is finally at a level where I can understand this, even without already being familiar with the translation!
3) The reason I know this prayer is because I have been the lunch guest of many of the teachers at my school on Sunday afternoons. Their generosity, thoughtfulness, interest, and appreciation are such gifts to me, and I cherish the moments and conversations I’ve had with them and their families.
A blessing in more ways than one:
One thing that I have begun to focus on recently is personal growth and living up to the person I want to be. Mostly, this has meant acting with intention in parts of my life that I used to be indifferent or lazy about (whether do to personality or privilege), like being organized, staying healthy, and spending money.
Take the last one, for example: this year, I have been given my livelihood by people or organizations (like you!) that believe in me and/or what I am doing. I feel that I should steward that money not only with those who have supported me in mind, but also in the spirit of those living around me here, and with consideration for the whole world. Regarding the latter, here are two reasons in particular that I am trying to live simply, based on a discussion from a past YAGM retreat: 1) “as an act of withdrawal from the achievement-neurosis of our high-pressure materialistic society” and 2) “as an act of sharing with others what has been given to us, or of returning what was usurped by us through unjust social and economic structures” (as outlined by UN member Jorgen Lissner in Ethiopia).
Looking back, I think I expected for change to happen to me this year, yet I’ve come to realize that I can and will have to be active in changing myself.
Charlotte Flynn March 2016
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More Pictures!
January Teaching
10th grade English at the Fasor
School.
January Ice-skating
with students at
the Városliget
park.
January Dinner party with Phiren Amenca friends.
January Assisting Szilvi with 6th grade English class at the Fasor School.
February Lenten retreat
with YAGM in
Bratislava, Slovakia.
February Staying at
the Magdas hotel in Vienna, Austria:
they hire and train refugees
for their staff.
February Singing with YAGM at the Bratislava Inter-national Church.
March Taking part in Phiren Amenca panel on volunteer-ing as tool for Roma participa-tion
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