In 2008–2009, innocent Roma people were murdered in Hungary in terrorist attacks committed with racist motives. Beyond the tragedy of the victims, these events caused irreparable damage at a social level: hate crimes fueled anti-Roma sentiment, highlighted the lack of social solidarity, and resurfaced the problems of everyday racism and discrimination.
How can a tolerant, inclusive, and solidary country be built from here? This is the question the founders of Uccu asked themselves in 2010 when they decided to establish an organization and join the work of civil organizations supporting dialogue between Roma and non-Roma members of society. They knew their impact would be small at first, as achieving systemic change through broad cooperation is the work of decades. Yet today, they hold city walks and youth programs, train teachers, organize awareness campaigns, and above all, believe that prejudices against Roma people can only be changed together.
They continue this slow building process, currently supported by the Common Values Program, in numerous ways: they organized free city walks for those interested in Roma culture; held training sessions for professionals working with youth—teachers, social workers, and university students—who must handle situations fueled by anti-Roma prejudice daily; and launched a paid internship program for Roma youth to gain professional experience and recognition. In cooperation with the Van Helyed Foundation, they helped youth moving from Ózd to Budapest integrate. They have not forgotten the tragedies either: they held a memorial with candle lighting on the Roma Holocaust Memorial Day.
Year by year, they reach more people: helping Roma youth start their careers, dispelling the prejudices of non-Roma youth, and continuously expanding their cooperation with other civil organizations. Their plans include accrediting their teacher training to integrate education and sensitization regarding Roma issues into the national education system.
The goal of the Uccu Roma Informal Educational Foundation is to reduce existing misconceptions and prejudices in society regarding the Roma community. They primarily work with young people using non-formal educational methods; their workshops provide an opportunity to talk and debate with youth in a playful way, allowing different opinions and thoughts to be expressed openly.
Since 2018, the organization's social enterprise has operated under the name Uccu Budapest Roma City Walks, with their walks available in both Budapest and Pécs. The goal of these interactive walks is to bring Roma identity, history, and culture closer to people.
