Description
Our direct goal is to increase the social-political awareness of young people studying at high schools and at the University of Szeged. The workshops, symposiums, film screenings, conversations might provide a deeper insight into the nature of problems pervading or underlying our society for anyone potentially interested in these matters. A more indirect goal is to stimulate civil political activity and the practice of participatory democracy in Szeged. Besides theoretical courses we plan workshops of “democracy-practices”, interactive events, thematic film clubs, creative courses of photography and filming. In the elaboration of the project we involve departments of philosophy, sociology, psychology, legal philosophy and sociology, international law, the institution of andragogy at the University of Szeged, Bibó István Szellemi Műhely (István Bibó Intellectual Workshop), teachers of high schools, Védegylet of Szeged, LGBT and other civil organizations.
Summary of project results
KÉP-SZÍN-HÁZ Foundation runs the art cinema Grand Café in a university town of Hungary. During its 20 years long existence the organization has been continuously dealing with actual social phenomena. Methods are various including workshops, symposiums, screenings, etc. The progress of the project Democracy Practices began with theoretical investigations and then turned towards everyday social practice. Young intellectuals of different ages got acquainted with interpretations of nation as a collective historical construct, with radical, neonationalist subcultures, they examined the political-philosophical and social aspects of “good governance” and “good politics”, the everyday narratives of human and minority rights, penitentiary systems, death penalty, real life imprisonment, and the most problematic gender issues (prostitution, human trafficking). Long term collaborations were initiated between three high schools (Budapest, Szeged, Subotica-Serbia). 9 documentaries were made.
Summary of bilateral results