Autonomia 25

The Autonómia Foundation was established as one of the first independent foundations in post-communist Hungary to support Roma integration and civil society.

To mark our 25th anniversary, we used professional programmes to showcase our work and the current state of Roma integration in Hungary.

We held a community project planning workshop; at a special edition of PechaKucha Night, we presented projects from the past 25 years; and we organised an open panel discussion with three young Roma people to find out how the perspective of a 25-year-old Roma person differs from that of a non-Roma peer.

In a discussion entitled “What will happen here in 25 years?”, moderated by György Kerényi, sociologist Imre Kovách, Nóra Ritók, head of the Igazgyöngy Foundation, and Jenő Setét, a civil rights activist, discussed what Hungarian society might look like in 2040, how Roma people will be living here by then, whether integration will finally be achieved, and whether it is even possible to think about social processes on such a long-term scale.

At another round-table discussion, the foundation’s three former directors – its founder, András Bíró, his successor Anna Csongor, and the current director András Nun – reviewed the past 25 years, defined the characteristics and challenges of the various eras, and discussed Autonómia’s values and future prospects.

The events took place between 5 November and 2 December 2015 at venues in Budapest.