...and now for something completely different (or not so completely, as my old followers may remember that I already have a history of 'meddling' in 'restless' civil activities:
So, I have been involved for a couple years now with Amnesty International Hungary, mostly as an activist and a human rights educator. They have currently organized a competition between schools, during which the students learn about human rights linked to school subjects. A few of us put together a pack of tasks related to a certain human rights topic every second week. I'm - certainly ;-) - making comics, which the kids have to complete. Here are the ones I have made so far:
1. Freedom of expression
There's not too much to translate here, as there’s hardly any text.
Demokráciát!
(the graffiti on the wall) = We want democracy! (shortened
form)
Alkotmány utca (the street sign in the upper right corner) = Constitution Street. This is a street in
downtown Budapest,
which leads to the Parliament. There have been a few demonstrations here in the
last couple of years, mainly because of Hungary’s new and not too
progressive constitution, which has been modified so far about five times since
it was accepted in 2011.
2. Poverty
For the occasion of the Anti-poverty World Day on 17 October
Panel 1
Homeless man (thinking): Winter is
coming… It would be good to find a heated and safe place to stay…
Young guy: Yea, the new apartment
rules! And the rent is only 120 € plus overheads per month!
Other young guy: Cool!
Panel 2
Homeless man (thinking): I could do
with some regular cooked food too…
Mother: Let’s have a menu here sweetie,
shall we? I have no energy left for cooking today!
Kid: Alright, Mum!
Panel 3
Homeless man (thinking): Of course
everything costs money. If only I could work for a while…
Yuppie: Leave me alone, will ya? You know as well
that it isn't worth to take a job for that much!
Panel 4
Homeless man (thinking): Well, that’s
the way it is…
Policeman: Good afternoon Sir! May I
see your ID card?
A little explanation is needed here too: homelessness has become a burning issue in Hungary, as there are several thousand homeless people in Budapest only. The government and the mayor of the city wish to deal with this by trying to remove these people from public places ie. they have declared that it is a criminal offence to stay on the street, in parks etc. A cynical idea to its core, which does not improve the situation in the slightest way.
Well, we definitely live in interesting times here, so at least there's plenty to draw about.
