In her remarks at the ribbon-cutting ceremony with Pecs Mayor Zsolt Pava, the Ambassador spoke highly of the work of the Corner since its original opening in 2004:

“The American Corner in Pecs has helped maintain an open dialogue between the United States and the people of Pecs and has served to build bridges of understanding between Americans and Hungarians…The American Corner’s new location here in the Zsolnay Cultural Quarter will serve to further enhance collaboration with other institutions within the Cultural Quarter, as well as offer an international dimension to the community.”

Ambassador Kounalakis also mentioned that the AC offers about a hundred programs and hosts 10,000 visitors annually. The Corner also serves as a student advising center providing information on U.S. colleges and universities for those interested in studying in the United States.

The next leg of her trip took the Ambassador to the House of Civil Communities where she presented the Ambassador’s Award for Active Citizenship to Krisztina Katona of Mural Moral Field. Mural Moral Field, a subchapter of the Pecs Color Space, is an NGO using art as a community building tool. Mural Moral Field’s mission is to foster active, creative and responsible members of society.

Ms. Katona works with socially underprivileged and troubled youth in and around Pecs to create public murals in the city. These projects help participants put their feelings about the world, their community and themselves into pictures. Mayor Pava also attended and told the audience that he was happy to see the Embassy endorsing the city’s efforts to embrace, support and create an active NGO community in Pecs.

Check out our Active Citizenship page to contribute to our forum on active citizenship and learn more about our latest award recipients."

Source: U.S. Embassy Budapest

Photo: Ambassador Kounalakis and Pecs Mayor Zsolt Pava inaugurate the American Corner’s new location. (Embassy photo by Attila Németh)