The Petőfi Sándor Program, initiated by the State Secretariat for National Policy, was launched in 2015 with the aim of helping the “last bastions of Hungary,” said the State Secretary for National Policy in a video posted on his social media page.
The program to support dispersed Hungarian minorities and diaspora has been in existence for ten years, Lőrinc Nacsa said in his video post, pointing out that Hungarians who face the greatest challenges in a foreign-language environment live among the majority population and struggle every day to preserve the Hungarian language and identity. “We are well aware that if the dispersed Hungarian communities are weakened or disappear, the loss of the Hungarian majority will follow,” the state secretary explained.
He explained that in recent years, over 1,000 scholarship holders have supported Hungarian communities living in the diaspora and in dispersed communities as part of the Sándor Petőfi Program and the Sándor Kőrösi Csoma Program.
As part of the Petőfi Sándor Program, 377 scholarship holders have served in 10 countries in recent years and supported 158 partner organizations
he said, adding that scholarship holders from the program are currently active in 44 locations in 5 countries.
According to Lőrinc Nacsa, looking back on the last 10 years, it can be said that thanks to the Petőfi Sándor Program, Hungarian cultural life has been revitalized in the scattered settlements of the Carpathian Basin. New folk dance groups and folk dance circles have been founded, Hungarian language courses have been launched, valuable teaching materials and publications have been produced, and numerous initiatives have begun that contribute to the long-term preservation of Hungarian identity in the diaspora. “We are continuing our work, every Hungarian can count on us,” the politician concluded.
Via MTI, Featured image: MTI/Kiss Gábor
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