Caught in the Trap of Integration [antikvár]

Erika Törzsök The unavoidable A look at the proceedings and at the map will show that there is virtually no part of Hungary that is not populated by at least some Roma. For Hungary, one of the most difficult areas in the negotiations on European integration is undoubtedly that of human rights; in particular, the development of a conceptual framework and strategy appropriate to this issue. The issue, that is, of how all of us in Hungary are dealing with the Roma question, also poses one of the most demanding challenges to Hungarian society. One might almost say that the question of the Roma has become a fashionable topic in Hungary, since it is preoccupying a vast number of people, from the prime minister to the research institutes of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. At the same time, the situation of those concerned is catastrophic. This is, in itself, a serious matter, but if we were to see this in a narrow way without considering the context of the increasing antipathy (or at least lack of tolerance) of the "majority" society a question of vital concern to all of Hungarian society would become extremely difficult to handle. On the other hand, this is not a problem faced by Hungary alone; all the societies of Central Europe are seriously affected. That is why we have invited to our conference scholars and government representatives from the Czech and Slovak Republics, as well as from Romania and Poland. Thus the choice of the theme of this conference, organised by the Bureau for European Comparative Minority Research* (BECMiR) in conjunction with the Office for National and Ethnic Minorities, is no accident in the Hungary of the last year of the millennium. Yet this conference is not a political forum; rather, it offers a framework for sharing their thinking on this theme by all the participants: representatives from the neighbouring countries, international organisations such as the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the European Union, those from the Roma organisations, scholars in the field, and distinguished officeholders from the Hungarian government. * The Institute (from 2000 on: Bureau) for European Comparative Minority Research is a research institute linked to the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Established In 1998, it was not intended as yet another research Institute located at the Intersection of politics and scholarship; rather, it alms to provide a bridge between the sciences concerned with social phenomena and the politics shaping the modus operandi of society. This Is, Indeed, the role It Is playing now In organising this international conference on the Roma. •> I I ( ¦¦