Martin W Nagy

Taking Action Volume II Martin W Nagy

This book is a result of the U. S. State Department Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Office of Citizen Exchanges, Professional Fellows Division's interest and support of our participation in the Professional Fellows Program through two grants that made the exchanges and the publishing the book possible. This "Taking Action-Changing Lives in Minority Communities"-Volume II book is published as part of our FY 2014 Professional Fellows Program (PFP): "Sustaining Civic Participation in Minority Communities" grant from the U. S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Office of Citizen Exchanges, Professional Fellows Division. This grant started in September 2014 and the work is completed by end of December 2016. This grant had a unique feature: it was renewable two more times, as long we are able to show accomplishments and we had a plan for upcoming activities. This was a great opportunity for us to plan not just for one cycle of this grant, but making more strategic approaches. Based on our success we received also the FY 2015 and FY 2016 Professional Fellows Program grants and we continue working on these programs until the end of 2018. Our overall goal was on these grants to provide a professional development opportunity for up-and-coming and mid-level professionals from Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia to gain knowledge of U. S. practices in citizen participation and advocacy, engaging, minorities, and marginalized populations in civil society and politics, collaborating with community leaders to inform changes in legislation that make a difference in minority communities (incl. Roma, disabled, homeless, immigrant, LGBT) and build grassroots democracy. These goals were accomplished through two-way exchanges. U. S. mentors from the U. S. internship hosting organizations also were selected to travel for a reciprocal visit overseas. They had an opportunity to share professional expertise and gain a deeper understanding of the societies, cultures and the people of other countries in Europe. This citizen civic exchange promoted mutual understanding, created long-term professional ties not only between the U. S. and the European participants but also among the participants within Europe and within their own country, because most of them did not meet before this exchange. These programs also strengthened the capacity of our European partners and the European Networks. As documented in this book we accomplished our program goals as we were able "to teach democracy in minority communities" by exposing participants to diverse community organizing methods to engage citizens as active participants in solving problems in their communities. Altogether, this program impacted more than 7,500 people in Europe and 4,500 in the U. S. This people-to-people exchange created long-term linkages between the U. S. and Europe, within the European fellows, and enhanced the collaboration between GLC and its U. S. and overseas collaborating partners. We are continuing to work together on involving more people, providing more training, sharing effective methods and success stories to change lives and help communities to flourish.