The Hungarian American Coalition is a 501(c) 3 not-for-profit organization founded in 1991. Its mission is to identify and promote the interests of the Hungarian-American community. Its goals are::

• to foster appreciation of Hungary’s history and culture;
• to encourage educational and cultural interaction between the people of the U.S. and Hungary;
• to protect and preserve the human and minority rights and cultural heritage of Hungarians throughout the world;
• and to support democratic institutions and economic development in Hungary;

Education and Culture

• Administered The White House Internship Program by Ameritech to Hungarian-American college students.
  
  
• Sponsored the Washington visit of Dr. László Józsa, Vice President, Democratic Alliance of Hungarians of Vojvodina, leader of the Hungarian minority of Vojvodina. Dr. Józsa’s week-long visit in December was jointly planned with the Hungarian Human Rights Foundation, and included consultations with minority experts, US policy makers, and members of the press in Washington D.C. to promote Hungarian community leaders as viable partners of Serb opposition leaders.
  
  
• Sponsored the first US visit to five cities of the Hungarian educational leader, Ms. Ildikó Orosz, of Carpatho-Ukraine; established the “Friends of Beregszasz Teachers’ College,” for ongoing assistance to this institution.
  
  
• Continued to promote satellite broadcasting of DUNA TV to North America.
  
  
• Provided partial financial assistance through the Coalition Scholarship Fund to students pursuing studies in US colleges and universities. The scholarship receipients were from Hungary, Slovakia and the former Yugoslavia.
  
  
• Supported projects that benefit cultural and educational institutions of Hungarian minorities in the neighboring countries. These include:
  • Scholarship funding for Hungarian students in Carpatho-Ukraine.
  • Annual support of students in the Reformed High School in Kolozsvár (Cluj) Romania,
  • Operational support to Madach Posonium of Pozsony (Bratislava) for publication of a weekly newspaper, Szabad Újság, three magazines, 8-10 books each year, and the maintenance of five Hungarian bookstores in Slovakia
    
    
• Contributed to the publication of Örs Csete’s book, The Forty Faces of 1956 (in English).
  
  
• Published the 1999 Program Directory for Educational Opportunities and Resources Pertaining to Hungary(Third Edition).

Information

• Maintained an Information Office in Washington, DC since 1991.
  
  
• April NATO events:
  • Co-hosted with the Potomac Foundation a Gala Dinner commemorating both the Fiftieth Anniversary of NATO’s founding and the accession of Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic to the Alliance. US President Bill Clinton and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán served as Honorary Patrons of the Gala Dinner attended by 175 guest. En route to the formal celebration at the White House, Prime Minister Orbán and the Hungarian delegation delivered a special greeting to Gala Dinner participants.
    
    
• Coalition leaders were invited to attend the historic signing ceremony marking the formal accession to NATO of Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic. The event took place on March 12, 1999, in Independence, Missouri, where in 1949 President Truman announced the initial creation of NATO.
  
  
• Continued outreach to the executive and legislative branches of the US government. Provided information, participated in briefings, and held regular meetings with government officials in the White House, Congress and the State Department.
  
  
• Continued active participation and leadership position in the Central and Eastern European Coalition, addressing issues of common interest in the region.
  
  
• Maintained regular contact with U.S. Ambassador Peter Tufo in Hungary and James Rosapepe in Romania, and arranged Hungarian American community meetings for the latter in New York and Boston.
  
  
• Invited by Hungarian government to attend the second Hungarian Standing Conference, (MAERT), in Budapest.
  
  
• Held year-end Board and Annual Meetings of the organization in Washington D.C.; made arrangements for a special White House Briefing for Coalition members; and organized the traditional December Mikulás Dinner for 90 guests, hosted by the Hungarian Embassy.
  
  
• Published six issues of News from Slovakia, a bi-monthly newsletter which provides information to Washington decision makers and members of the press on news and events which affect the daily life of the Hungarian minority in Slovakia.
  
  
• Published the Hungarian American Coalition News, (including a Special Vojvodina Issue in October, that focused on the difficult situation and aspirations of the historic Hungarian minority in Vojvodina, former Yugoslavia).
  
  
• Maintained an e-mail network connecting Coalition members, and a home page on the World Wide Web (http://www.hungary.com/hac/).