“Acting Communities – Active Community Involvement” – Start of an EU program of the cultural sector

On September 16, 2016, the Ministry of Human Capacities will launch an EU project entitled “Acting Communities – Active Community Involvement”, the primary aim of which is to strengthen social cohesion by way of an increased involvement of cultural institutions (libraries, museums, public education institutions).

Target group of the project includes local governments, civil, religious and other organizations, institutions and their staff, initiating community development processes. With the exception of would-be mentors, the target group can be expanded only with organizations based or headquartered on the territory of less developed regions of Hungary.

The project will contribute to

• the enhancement of the social activity of citizens,
• the strengthening of community involvement in the settlements to be developed,
• strengthening relations between local self-governments, cultural institutions and the inhabitants of settlements,
• raising the culture of cooperation to a higher level.

The three-year project will be realized by the consortium formed by the Hungarian Open Air Museum, the Hungarian Institute for Culture and National Széchényi Library.

The consortium will work out and introduce community development methods, and it will carry out sample projects and present good practices, providing further education for local experts. At the same time, it will organize professional days, conferences, workshops, and set up and operate a nation-wide network of mentors.

By the joint efforts of people working for cultural institutions, the level of standard cultural services will be raised. Local governments, churches, civil organizations and local institutions of the cultural sector will be able to further strengthen local social communities, to adopt and support new initiatives and to maintain their activity.