In Hungary, social policy research began in the seventies. Starting in the mid eighties, Social Policy, as well as Social Work received officially recognized civil accreditation. Social policy training started in 1985; the training of social workers began in 1989. Employees in the social sector were among the first to recognize the importance of civil organizations. As early as in 1988, social workers working in various fields established the Society of Hungarian Social Workers. In 1989, the first social policy students and teachers established the Hilscher Rezso Association of Social Policy. In 1990, both the School Association and the National Chamber of Hungarian Family Assistance Services was established. These associations were symbols of regained freedom, the product and symbols of a stirring civic consciousness, in many cases with historic roots.  Neither the existing traditions, nor the momentum of the times prepared us then for the idea that the power of associations with similar values, working on similar objectives, can be multiplied through close cooperation, by forming a network, or even better, without surrendering their individual identities, by integrating under an umbrella organization.  This idea was not self-evident, since there was no obvious time-honoured way for organizations, large and small, venerable and newly formed, on occasion representing less or more established professions, to remain equal within an organization. Organizing in such manner is both a challenge and a product of democracy. Alas, the methodologies of democratic cooperation between organizations are complicated. We must create them, we must study them, we must learn them by rote.  In this case, the four primary national organizations jointly submitted a proposal for a project under the PHARE Social Policy Development Program, which had precisely those objectives. It was within this framework that in 1994 the process of democracy-learning and network-building began. László Benedek was the project coordinator as well as the mentor of the learning process. The representatives of the four organizations defined operational areas in the light of their common objectives, such as a newspaper (to be launched jointly), the development of a unified ethical code for the professions, or trade publishing. It was in the context of these objectives that they jointly developed the rules of cooperation, primarily rules which permitted mutually agreeable, consensus decision making, trust building. The cooperating entities determined to establish the new organization, coined its name, and committed to joining, in 1995. The process concluded on November 14, 1995, when the Alliance of Social Professionals, (soon to be known as 3Sz) held its inaugural, founding session.

A great deal happened since then. New, national organizations have been founded, a number of them joining 3Sz.  As it is evident from the summary below, the Alliance tried to serve the initial, still valid objectives reiterated in the beginning: The nurturing of social policy – social work professions and the representation of social interests.

2005, Budapest

Zsuzsa Ferge

The first president of 3Sz

The Mission of 3Sz:

·         Contribute to the development of a civil society through the dissemination of the values of societal solidarity and equal opportunities;

·         With its publications, assist in the dissemination of information concerning knowledge of social policy and the respective social status of various groups in society;

·         Contribute to an increase in the influence of civil society in handling social issues;

·         Through the productionof background trade materials and adoption of specific positions, support the structural framework of social policy decisions by cooperating with the relevant state or municipal agencies as the opportunity presents itself;

·         Ensure continuous professional and civil control over the decisions and institutions of social policy;

·         Support the self-organization of social professionals, the cooperation of workshops conducting various scientific, educational and practical social activities, and thereby increase the professions’ weight, its prestige;

·         Protect the interests of social professionals by monitoring the working and living conditions of those in the field; by developing, monitoring and upgrading the training and operational standards; by developing and implementing a Code of Ethics; by preparing the launch of a chamber of social professionals.

As a result of its operations up to this point, 3Sz has become the most important and most widely consulted civil partner of the government in power with regard to the process of legal, operational and strategic aspects of policy formulation within the social-issues area.  We have a permanent representative participating in the work of numerous coordinating bodies, such as the Social Council, the Social Interest Reconciliation Council, the National Crime Prevention Commission, and the Commission Against Social Exclusion.

Over these years, 3Sz drafted numerous position papers and open letters with regard to actual developments, dilemmas in the social issues area, which have been transmitted to representatives of the media as well as decision makers. These are the following documents:

·         On the amendment of family welfare subsidy (1996).

·         On inter-generational and societal solidarity (1996).

·         On the relationship and cooperation between family assistance and child welfare agencies (1998).

·         On the bill regarding the support of families (1998).

·         Request on the international day for the elimination of poverty (1998).

·         On the social publicity of health reform (1998).

·         On the entrance examination, professional examination, and continuous training obligations of employees in the social sector (1999).

·         On changes to the system of unemployment compensation (1999).

·         On the issue of transferring adverse possession (squatter) cases to the jurisdiction of the notary and on evictions (2000).

·         On issues relating to the budget of the BudapestMunicipality (2001).

·         On the relationship between domestic abuse and social work (2002).

·         On the state financing of social, child protection and child welfare payments (2003).

·         On the classification of social science training in the context of modernizing higher education (2003).

·         To the legislators, the government, and the municipalities on the issue of impoverishment (2003).

·         Open letter by the office of the president of the Alliance of Social Professionals (3Sz), contributing to the political debate on impoverishment.

·         Position paper by the Alliance of Social Professionals on the question of the training structure of graduate level education (2004).

·         Position paper by the Alliance of Social Professionals on the new Ministry of Youth, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities as well as the Ministry of Societal Solidarity (2004).

·         Open letter by the office of the president of the Alliance of Social Professionals on the contradiction between the objectives of social and child protection legislation and the proposed budget (2004).

The position papers and open letters can be read in their entirety on our website.

Publications

Books we have published over the years: Handbook for social workers (2002), Handbook for the practice of social work (2001), Preliminary report on poverty (1996), Preliminary report on delinquency (delinquent people) (1998), Preliminary report on child poverty in Hungary and Romania (2000), Preliminary report on the situation of handicapped persons (1997), Preliminary report on impoverishment (2003), The price of unemployment (2001).  In 2000, 3Sz participated in the so called SAPRI survey (the valuation of the World Bank’s loans to Hungary with the participation of the Hungarian government, the World Bank, and the civil sector) and prepared the report of the civil sector with regard to the effect of budgetary reform under the title: “Civil Report on Poverty”.

Most of our trade publications are mandatory or suggested reading at the institutions of higher social education.

3Sz’s newsletter, Háló (Net) has been published on a monthly basis since 1995. Its objectives include, on the one hand, the supply of up-to-date information to the professionals and organizations of the social arena, and the publication within a theme-based publication format of professional materials, case studies, programs, initiatives, and position papers, on the other.

Our publications can be ordered or are available for purchase at our office.

3Sz developed the Code of Ethics of Social Work in 1995, the first document of its kind in Hungary.  Numerous social institutions have internally adopted the Code of Ethics, or it has become part of the higher level social education curriculum.

The Code of Ethics defines the professional and ethical norms of social work, sets out the obligations and responsibilities of the social worker in various areas, with regard to various actors in society.

The Representative Assembly of 3Sz established an Ethical College in 1998 with the task, that it publish its position in specific ethical issues, ensuring professional publicity; express its opinion with regard to issues of professional ethics in social work; initiate biannual reviews of the Code of Ethics and, on the basis of its operational experience, suggest revisions to the Code to the office of the president of 3Sz.

The EthicalCollege is a public resource; any social institution or social professional may petition it with any ethical issue.

Following a process of widespread coordination within the social professions, 3Sz prepared a codified draft of proposed legislation on the establishment of the Professional Chamber of Hungarian Social Workers by October 2003. We continue to lobby for its adoption ever since.

To assist the realization of professional goals by 3Sz, Professional Colleges were established.  Besides their primary mission of monitoring of legislation, issuing opinions, and performing supplemental monitoring functions, their mission includes the establishment of forums for the expression and exchanges of opinions by the representative of the social professions.

Additional information may be found on the professional colleges on our web site; all interested professionals are invited to participate in their work and activities.

Publicity

Our web site, re-launched in 2002 (www.3Sz.hu) has become the reference page for the social professions and the issue of poverty.  Its average monthly traffic is 6000 visitors, with 25,000 downloads, surpassing the traffic of most sites of similar nature.

The site includes up-to-date information on events, drafts of legislation, actual tenders, training and employment opportunities, information about Hungarian civil social organizations and state/municipal institutions, the member organizations of 3Sz, its publications as well as current laws and regulations of the social arena.

We await all materials, information, news items, which may be considered of interest by the general public.

As a result of one of our PHARE Access 2001 supported projects, we were able to build a stable and widespread network of contacts within the media; in other words, by the beginning of 2004, news of all of our events and opinions reached the public. We consider mutuality a primary consideration in our relationship with the media; we attempt to substantively respond to each request of the media.

Thus far, our organization’s most significant media success was attributed to the publication of the volume titled “Report on impoverishment” in December 2003, which generated extensive media and political attention.

3Sz launched its year-and-a-half long project in December 2004, with the objective of increasing knowledge of those European Union initiatives, strategies, and programs, which discuss the effectiveness of fighting poverty and social exclusion, support social cohesion, and the national action plans on social inclusion. Our goal within the framework of the project is to stimulate the involvement of every relevant stakeholder – civil organizations, people living in poverty, central and local decision-makers, and social institutions – in the interest of a factual and measurable decrease in poverty.

Events:

For Hungarian and foreign professionals, actors in the social professions and in the civil sector, the annual conferences, profession days, workshops of 3Sz provide regularly scheduled forums for debate.

Our series of talks, SzocKafé has been discussing relevant issues of social policy on a monthly basis since the fall of 1999.

Services:

3Sz is a member of the Civil Information Proposal Writing Partnership (CIPP) network, an initiative of the Soros Foundation.  The Network is powered by a web-based database engine (www.cipp.hu), providing basic information concerning the European Union, broken down by topic and geographical field.

Similarly to the CIPP program, we developed a Proposal Partnering service on our web site, through which interested institutions can find partners for both Hungarian as well as EU tenders.

NetworkBuilding

The Hungarian Anti-Poverty Network – initiated by the 3Sz – was founded in April 2004 aiming to be the most significant joint effort and serving as the lobby organization of Hungarian civil organizations involved in the anti-poverty struggle.  The Hungarian network of currently 62 members was accepted as a full member of the European Anti-Poverty Network at its representative assembly in November 2004.

Excerpts from the mission statement of the Hungarian Anti-Poverty Network:

·         We keep the issue of poverty and social exclusion on the front burner.

·         We monitor the anti-poverty activities of the prevailing government.

·         We enable the expression of opinions and the ability to influence relevant decisions and participate as full members in society, by those who are poverty stricken or excluded from society.

·         We intend to start and implement joint projects targeting the elimination of poverty and societal exclusion.

International Relations:

The 3Sz has been for years in contact with the European Anti-Poverty Network established in 1990.  The goal of the organization is to ensure that the struggle against poverty and societal exclusion occupy a central position in EU policy, support programs against poverty and exclusion, and lobby on behalf of the poor and excluded.  In every member state, the EAPN is comprised of local, regional and national networks, local civil organizations and international organizations.  During the years since its formation, the EAPN has become one of the most important partners of the European Union’s institutions in the development of anti-exclusion political strategy. 

Since 1998, the Alliance has been a member (the first in the region) of the International Council on Social Welfare, which has civil member organizations working on the improvement of social services, the development of society, and justice in society in 70 nations throughout the world.  The ICSW had a significant role in the preparation of the UN’s 1995 Social Summit in Copenhagen, in the monitoring of governmental obligations undertaken there, and in the preparation of the UN General Assembly’s talks in 2000 regarding these issues.

The member organizations of the Alliance of Social Professionals

Rezso Hilscher Association of Social Policy (e-mail: juhaszsp@axelero.hu)

National Association of Hungarian Family Assistance and Child Welfare Services (e-mail: macsoe@vnet.hu)

Association for the Vocational Schools and Educators of Social Professionals (e-mail: iskszov@yahoo.com)

Society of Hungarian Social Workers (e-mail: mlippai.eva@axelero.hu)

National Association of Regional Resource Centres (e-mail: eselyfk@externet.hu)

Association of Non-profit Human Services of Hungary (e-mail: nonprofit@chello.hu)

National Association of Homeless Services Members (e-mail: hajlek@axelero.hu)

Association of Hungarian Social Directors (e-mail: szimeanyag@freemail.hu)

National Alliance of Social Institutions (e-mail: miszocfo@axelero.hu)

3Sz remains open to accepting additional organizations of social professionals operating on a nationwide scope.

3Sz has been a non-profit organization since 2001.

Since its formation, as an implied recognition of 3Sz achievements, supporters of 3Sz, among others, include:

The EU Phare Social Policy Development Program;

The EU Phare Access Program;

The European Commission;

The Soros Foundation;

The National Civil Platform;

The Committee on Social Organizations of the National Assembly of the Republic of Hungary;

The Ministry of Youth, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities;

The Ministry of Education;

The Social Public Foundation of Budapest;

The BudapestMunicipality;

The Municipality of Ferencváros;

The Institute for Human Sciences;

The Friedrich Ebert Foundation;

The Open Society Institute;

and Budapest Bank

Alliance of Social Professionals

1094 Budapest, Liliom u. 8.

Tel.: 061 216 2866; tel./fax: 061 216 2867

E-mail: 3Sz@3sz.hu

Web: www.3sz.hu

Tax No.: 18153268-1-43

Bank account No.: 10300002-20111456-00003285

Thank you for your support!

We utilize donations and the 1% of personal income tax pledged to accomplish our non-profit objectives.