Last week Friday, economist Ákos Péter Bod gave a lecture at the 1st Economic Kecsup-Evening in Hotel Három Gúnar, which attracted huge interest - we even had to bring in extra chairs for our guests. The former president of the Magyar Nemzeti Bank gave a lecture on our country's economy, and then invited the participants of the event to a discussion.
The presentation of Ákos Péter Bod was full of good mood despite the fact that, according to the expert, the country's economic situation does not give cause for unclouded cheerfulness. The evening began with a discussion of the importance of GDP - in which Hungary was officially overtaken by Romania - which, although important, the economist emphasized that the real wage, consumption, standard of living and health are much more relevant than this figure. He added that the Hungarian growth trend is below the regional average: from the European Union, only Croatia, Slovakia, Lithuania, Greece and Bulgaria are behind us. As far as the data is concerned, Hungary is only a speck of dust in the EU machine - we account for only 1.1 percent of the organization's GDP.
ÁKOS PÉTER BOD ALSO TALKED ABOUT HOW THE HUNGARIAN ECONOMY IS MORE INFLATIONARY THAN THE UNION AVERAGE, MORE ENERGY DEMANDING AND MORE DEPENDENT ON IMPORTS, THEREFORE THE HUGE INVESTMENT IN BATTERY FACTORIES, FOR EXAMPLE, IS incomprehensible TO HIM.
In addition to these, we are also weak in consumer consumption and in the credit ratings of state finances - the economist believes that they always play political games with the Hungarian budget, even though it is the country's money.
After the performance, he invited the audience to a discussion and question-and-answer session, where he tried to give everyone a concrete answer. Many people were curious about the future of the country, most of them were looking for hope, to which the former president of the MNB responded: "you can always hope". In his opinion, economic development requires decisive changes in the country, and Márton Nagy, Hungary's Minister of National Economy, makes false and unfulfillable promises.
Thank you to everyone who came, see you at the next Kecsup-Evening!
Would you like to think together about public, social, economic and other topics? Do you like to have a say in what affects you? Would you like to share your opinion? Would you listen to others? Then come to kecsup.hu's second debate theater evening, where we will clash arguments and counter-arguments on topics of current, public interest, that have not been discussed!
What is debate theater?
The discussion theater is an interactive theater board game. Its aim is to create an opportunity for the participants to discuss the most serious social issues with each other and with the invited experts in a cultured and moderated manner.
How is it going, what are you preparing for?
So, you will see a short theater scene based on the given themes. The participants can discuss the important social issues raised by the theater scenes (e.g. human rights, migration, addiction, otherness, sexuality, education, etc.) in the framework of a debate provoked by the moderator(s) - mostly with questions to be decided. In other words, we will make one statement to be decided in relation to the topics (you can read them below), and you should start by deciding whether it is yes or you take a position on the no side. After that, the debate led by the moderator starts, where everyone (with voluntary application) can express their point of view, argue and try to convince the "other camp". You can change your position at any time during the debate and join the opposing team.
Watch the video of our first debate theater evening!
Let's see what the current topics will be!
School fight
In the Lánchíd utca Elementary School in Kecskemét, the case that also made national press was that two upper-class female students first verbally and then physically insulted a third. What can be the solution to such situations?
Statement: Preventing school violence is the responsibility of the educational institution.
Kecskemét is developing rapidly
Between 2014 and 2021, Kecskemét developed the third fastest among the county seats in Hungary, according to the Settlement Index study of the Equilibrium Institute. Do the locals think so too?
Statement: The development of the city can be felt at the population level.
Foreign workers in Kecskemét
The employment of workers from third countries – Philippines, India, Vietnam, Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan – in Hungary has been a central topic for a long time and will continue to be for a long time. How many workers from Asia are there in the city, why do companies employ them, and how true is the often-voiced claim that they work cheaper and thus take away the job opportunities of the people living here?
Claim: The Hungarian economy needs Asian guest workers.
We look forward to seeing you all on March 22, at Bistro Mokambo in Kecskemét (6000 Kecskemét, Bocskai utca 5.) Entry is free, opinions are free, discussion is mandatory!
KecsUP visited Warsaw last week, where Hungarian and Polish rural newspapers met to share their experiences, challenges and plans regarding the situation of independent rural journalism within the framework of a three-day professional conference.
The most striking difference between the public relations of Polish and Hungarian cities is the presence of Polish-language printed local newspapers in Poland. You won't even find a newspaper stand on the streets of Kecskemét anymore, let alone a locally themed, independent print that you can buy.
Wouldn't the people of Kecskemét be so open to a newspaper about themselves and their town affairs that they would be willing to pay a few hundred forints a week for it? Many people dismiss the question with a hopeless wave of the hand and point out that print media is dying not only in Hungary, but everywhere in the world.
Free-lance journalists in rural towns in Poland are also apprehensive about the challenge before them, however, in the discourse about the decline of printed newspapers, they are not talking about the end, but only about the decline. And this is not the journalist's play with words or beautifying the inevitable.
Gazeta Radomszczańska is a 24-30-page paper newspaper published weekly in the town of Radomsko in southern Poland with a population of 50,000. The paper has been printed since 1992, and its online version was launched only in 2019, where the published articles can only be accessed in their entirety by subscription. In Polish cities, as well as in Hungary and Kecskemét, it is common practice for municipalities to distribute print for free, but there are also independent printed local newspapers without the political control of the town hall.
In the Trzebine settlement between Katowice and Kraków, which is well-known to Hungarian tourists, the Przelom newspaper is placed on the desks of newsagents every week. Its printed version has been operating since 1990, and based on what they say, maintaining close relationships with local traffickers is extremely important for their paper sales. Zawsze Pomorze, based in Gdańsk, Pomerania, accounts for a significant part of its income from the sold issues. In addition, their other important source of income comes from market and business advertisements. This is key to the day-to-day running of independent newspapers.
More details at KecsUP.hu in hungarian >>
Kecsup.hu organized its first discussion theater evening as the introduction of its new column and with its undisguised desire to reform public discourse on Friday evening at the Hunyadiváros Community Hall, which - despite the snowy and freezing weather - was attended by a good number of interested people.
The aim of the program was twofold, on the one hand, the organizers wanted to draw attention to the contents of their latest column titled Peripheral Situations, Destinies, which bring local or regional people and groups living in minority, oppression, discrimination and deprivation closer to us in a more tangible, tangible and acceptable way. . In addition, the articles in the section shed light on extreme, untreated, peripheral problems, highlighting good methods, exemplary life paths, and possible local or foreign solutions.
The debate theater form chosen for the implementation of the event served the purpose of allowing the participants to discuss the social topics brought to the surface by kecsup.hu, which affect many, within the framework of an interactive theater party game, thereby creating a healthy discussion culture based on arguments and mutual respect.
im/pro/contra Theater Evening with Kecsuppa
Would you like to think together about public, social, economic and other topics? Do you like to have a say in what affects you? Would you like to share your opinion? Would you listen to others? Then come to kecsup.hu's first debate theater evening, where we will clash the arguments and counterarguments regarding the two topics of our latest section, Peripheral situation, destinies!
"Does the state have the right to control content available to minors?!"
"Isn't it the duty of civilians to help with the material conditions of a public institution?!"
So, those are the two topics on January 19th, but what is debate theater?
Discussion theater is an interactive theater board game. Its aim is to create an opportunity for the participants to discuss the most serious social issues with each other and with the invited experts in a cultured and moderated manner.
How is it going, what are you preparing for?
So, you will see a short theater scene based on the given themes. The participants can discuss the important social issues raised by the theater scenes (e.g. human rights, migration, addiction, otherness, sexuality, education, etc.) in the framework of a debate provoked by the moderator(s) - mostly with questions to be decided. In other words, we will make one statement to be decided in relation to the topics (you could have read them above), and you should start by deciding whether it is yes or you take a position on the no side. After that, the debate led by the moderator starts, where everyone (with voluntary application) can express their point of view, argue and try to convince the "other camp". You can change your position at any time during the debate and join the opposing team.
Program:
18:00-18:15 Introduction, description of marginal situations section
18:15-18:30 Theater scene of the first theme
18:30-19:10 Discussion of the first topic
19:10-19:30 BREAK
19:30-19:40 Theatrical scene of the second theme
19:40-20:20 Discussion of the second topic
20:20-20:30 Summary, closing, informal discussion
Entry is free, opinions are free, discussion is mandatory!
We celebrated the release of our first community-funded book of poems with readings by contemporary poets. Infinity in the Guest Room c. anthology was presented at a sold-out KecsUP literary evening, where after the introduction, our editors gave the stage to the authors of the volume. By publishing the book, we wanted to support contemporary artists, which would not have been possible without our readers.
We give voice to culture
"We shape the culture together. It's up to us how much space contemporary artists get in the countryside." Norbert Falusi, the moderator of the literary evening, quoted from the community campaign that ensured the publication of the Versanthology. A staff member of our paper spoke with the volume's editor, Jakab Radics, in Szarvashat, a new community space at Szarvas utca 6. On December 14, the audience found out how we got to infinity in the Guest Room. for the publication of a selection of poems.
The cultural initiatives of the past year have shown that it is worth dealing with contemporary poets. We held the first literary evening last December, where Florencia Horváth from Budapest and Attila Sándor Pál from Szentendre were our guests. On the occasion, Attila Papp-Sebők also read from his poems, which was followed by a reading evening open to the public.
So many students and adults presented their own writing at the sold-out event that the possibility of contemporary versantology arose that evening. This was followed this year by several independent and self-organized literary evenings in the city, which showed that young authors need a community and venue where they can present themselves. Tibor Vámos was the guest of the second KecsUP literary evening organized in September, where the audience also had the opportunity to read their own poems.
Our editorial department gave even more space to poetry when it announced a national tender in September and collected poems for the publication of an anthology. The result of this campaign is infinity in the Guest Room. The authors of the volume include the invited guests of our literary evenings, and several up-and-coming artists from Kecskemét responded to the national invitation.
Our goal is to publish an anthology that reflects our shared present and provides words to express our inner feelings in the spirit of our time.
Therefore, we offer an opportunity for publication in the first poetry selection of the Áramlat Foundation. We will select the writings of young authors and the paintings, graphics, and illustrations of emerging artists for the book. The book will be printed, and the authors and artists will receive complimentary copies. The completed publication will be presented during a literary event in December in Kecskemét.
There is no entry fee for the competition, and you can submit multiple works. You can apply without restrictions with poems in the Hungarian language or visual artworks.
These submissions will be judged under the guidance of an experienced literary editor who will lead our work with a comprehensive knowledge of the contemporary literary scene.
The submitted entries will be organized into thematic series within the book, and the title poem of the publication will be chosen from among these.
We are also welcoming graphic works and paintings for the cover of the book, alongside the titles of the thematic series.
Application deadline: September 29, 2023, 23:00.
Please send your entries to szerkesztoseg@kecsup.hu. The subject of the email should be: Poetry Anthology Competition. Attach your writings as Word documents (doc, docx). Please include your name and the title of the work (poem, series, painting, graphic) in the filename. Previous publication of your works is not a hindrance, but please inform us about it in the email.
In the frames of the Russian-Ukrainian war unfolding in our neighboring country, it resembles the Second World War. Trenches, forward outposts, continuous artillery fire, and destroyed cities. In Bahmut, they even kill each other with infantry shovels, which, on the other hand, is reminiscent of the Verdun bloodbath from World War I, which meant certain death for most soldiers. Nobody is mentally or emotionally prepared for this, and one cannot be prepared for this, says Jászberényi Sándor, a journalist and war correspondent who has been to the Russian-Ukrainian front three times.
How does the journalist make his way to the Russian-Ukrainian front? Do the soldiers serving on the front open up to him? Can the fear of death be suppressed? What did he discuss with Hungarian soldiers from Transcarpathia? How credible are the reports of casualties? How does a war change an entire generation?
On April 18, Tuesday, from 17:30 onwards, we will have a discussion with Jászberényi Sándor, the war correspondent, about the Russian-Ukrainian war and what he has seen on the front, accompanied by a screening. The event will take place at the Beszélő Köntös in the city center of Kecskemét. Questions will be posed by Falusi Norbert, historian and journalist. Admission is free.
Jászberényi Sándor has reported on conflicts such as the Darfur conflict, Yemeni separatist movements, the 2009 Cast Lead Operation in the Gaza Strip, the Nigerian leprosy and tuberculosis epidemic, the 2011 Egyptian revolution, and the Libyan civil war. He has been regularly published as a writer and poet in numerous prestigious journals for over 20 years, achieving international success, with his short story collections translated into several languages worldwide. From 2013 to 2016, he was part of the editorial staff of atlatszo.hu, from 2014 to 2016, a member of 24.hu's editorial staff, and from 2016 to 2021, he worked as a freelance writer. Since 2021, he has been the editor-in-chief of The Continental Literary Magazine.
If you can say that attendees were hanging from the chandeliers at an event, then the latest KecsUP event was just like that. Of course, only metaphorically. Honestly, we didn't expect such a turnout, and the Kamra private room turned out to be too small. But it's a huge joy for us, and it signals that we can confidently seek larger venues for our events.
We hosted an open literary event
But let's talk about the most recent one. For the first time, we organized an event that was not about public or current affairs. Last Friday, we invited people to a literary event. Furthermore, it was an open literary event, which meant that we gave anyone the opportunity to read from their writings. We had two guests who the audience could get to know better. Horváth Florencia and Pál-Kovács Sándor also read from their own writings.
KecsUP events are not primarily organized by the editorial staff. It's more of a publishing effort carried out by the Áramlat Foundation. There are a few curators, and, of course, members of the editorial staff are involved. But in some way, we, daily writers, are still outsiders. So, from the sidelines, if not very far, we watched the Friday event.
We entered a strange world. Intelligent, young faces, but all unique. Scholars, literary enthusiasts, bohemians, individuals with unique attire. But all of them were open-minded and receptive. During those slightly over two hours, nothing else mattered but literature. Specifically, contemporary literature, as the creators, writers, and poets were all present in one space. After listening to the guests, they read from their own works. Some more confidently, some more shyly. Some at length, some briefly. Teenagers, those in their twenties, people in their forties, and those over fifty. It was a mixed crowd. Someone sat in their chair without shoes, legs pulled up. Others sat on the floor when they saw there were not enough seats. Someone stood in the aisle. And yes, many ended up in another room and watched our live broadcast. At that point, we joked that next time we'll have a big screen so that those who couldn't get into the KecsUP event can follow the proceedings from another location.
First time with the new sound system
But speaking of collections, not long ago, another campaign of ours came to an end. A successful campaign. We asked our readers and sympathizers for donations for a sound system. After all, we had been struggling with outdated equipment at previous events, which was not suitable for sound reinforcement. It worked fine for music, but not for sound reinforcement. But it was what we had, and we were grateful for it. After a campaign that raised more than 800,000 forints, we were able to purchase a sound system. Part of it was already used at the last event. However, only part of it, as the microphones came in another shipment and were only recently received. On Friday, we still used the old microphones. And while we also bought subwoofer speakers, they were not needed for the literary event. In reality, we didn't even need sound reinforcement because the room was small. However, we brought it along to show our appreciation and gratitude. Of course, we are not professional sound engineers. We are still learning. Perhaps the sound will never be perfect. But we have already reached a point where the audience in the room and on Facebook can hear the conversation clearly.
We will surely find an occasion to showcase the entire setup. Perhaps at a party. We're thinking and planning. Once the concept is formed, everyone will know. You probably won't have to wait long for this. And perhaps at our next literary event. Because they said that events like this are needed. It was also successful. So why not have a sequel? But until we come up with the specifics, here's a video from Friday and the new sound system.
The unquestionably most important topic of 2022 is water and its scarcity, while we should be finding a way out of the crisis caused by the war, the healthcare challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic, the all-consuming and depleting capitalism, and the poverty affecting broad segments of Hungarian society during this transitional period that shapes our future. These are complex problems that will undoubtedly present significant challenges for future generations. To engage in finding solutions, we need to start working today to have something to engage in at all.
In our narrow home, Kecskemét, officially situated in the semi-desert region known as Homokhátság, the issue of water has become particularly significant due to this year's drought.
Water is the condition for life; without it, there is no city, no urban world
That's why among the invited guests of KECSUP EST, we have asked individuals who are well-acquainted with Kecskemét and who are actively involved in the city's development, drawing from direct experience and with sufficient insight.
Dr. Edit Hoyk, an associate professor at the Neumann János University Faculty of Horticulture and Rural Development, provided a novel perspective on establishing a relationship with urban trees. She argued that the monetary value of living trees best demonstrates the significance of our green assets found in public spaces. The researcher calculated that we are walking under a tree stock worth 1.4 billion forints in Kecskemét's main square. However, in a previous study, she pointed out that the proportion of green spaces in Kecskemét drastically decreased, by more than 30% between 2009 and 2017.
Kata Farkas-Barta, president of the Green Mission Association, initiated numerous tree planting actions and rain garden projects with several volunteers in Kecskemét. Most recently, they planted 30,000 tree saplings together with hundreds of Kecskemét volunteers. However, when necessary, she speaks up loudly, as she did when she fought alongside her colleagues to draw attention to the importance of larger green areas in public spaces with the cry, "We need more trees, hedges, and green walls!" at Centrum Áruház.
Vilmos Sütő, chief engineer of the sewerage services division at BÁCSVÍZ Zrt. He also participated in technical training at Kocsis Pál Technical School. In 2009, he received the Environmental Protection Award from the City of Kecskemét. He has been assisting the work of the Hungarian Water Utilities Association for decades. In 2021, he received an award from the Minister of Interior, the Kvassay Jenő Memorial Medal.
Zoltán Lejer has been a municipal representative in Kecskemét since 2019 and serves as the chairman of the Environmental, Urban Development, and Agricultural Committee.
We also invited Deputy Mayor György Falu to the event, but despite multiple requests, he did not respond.
The event will take place on August 30, 2022, from 18:15 to 20:00.
Location: Bozsó Collection, 6000 Kecskemét, Klapka Street 34, entrance from Fecske Street. Those who cannot attend in person can follow the event live on the KECSUP Facebook page.
The event is free of charge.
