Zsófia Fried and the team at Hungarian Association for Living Values (B.É.K.E.) organized a 100 Days of Values campaign, putting their values into action across Hungary culminating in group values exercises in 4 different centres. Here is their report:
Our Association for Living Values (B.É.K.E.) decided to do our own version of the World Values Day 100 Days of Values Campaign, using the suggested categories of Society, Nature, Economy, and Well Being, but modifying the activities to be done by the participants and asking them do focus on one activity each week (rather than a different one each day). The participants were challenged to complete the activity of the week and describe the good features of the values they recognised while doing it. We wanted them to realise and use their values consciously.
We created a general logo and adapted it as required for different activities. We sent out an invitation informing people that anyone can join the campaign at any time and the best works would be exhibited in the same Dési Huber Community Center, where we had organized our previous WVD exhibition in 2020.
We posted the challenges (activities) on our Facebook page and sent them in e-mails to the potential participants. 3 community centers cooperated with us in the announcement of the project and of the weekly activities i.e, Dési, in Budapest, Szepes Gyula, in Érd and the House of Communities, in Komló.
Prior to the World Value Day we assigned a closing task to the members of our 4 groups (2 in Budapest, 2 in the countryside). The participants were asked to colour mandalas and answer questions in writting in the meanwhile. These questions covered their own personalities, qualities and values, in different approaches. The answers were very interesting and diverse.
The invitation reached at least 800-1000 people. Approximately 100 of them sent us reports and photos, including about 80 pupils, for whom the tasks were chosen from the original WVD recommendations.
After the 100th day we started to post the best works (written completion of tasks and photos received weekly) on our Facebook page. These ones will be the basis of the exhibition we plan for the year of 2024.
Both for the organisers and the participants the campaign meant plenty of experiences and pleasure. This was reported to us by many participants, not only by those who had sent us reports. It was an interesting experience, too, for many people who did not necessarily complete the tasks, but nevertheless read them each week, thought about them and involved that activity in their everyday actions. For example one of the challenges covered picking up garbage on the streets or anywhere else. Some people told us that they had been doing this since they had seen the description of the task. Another example: some people started to use spare water and use eco- and purse-friendly detergents. Others have been paying more attention to ensure “me time” regularly, and so on.
The organisation of the overall campaign was undertaken by a team of 3 persons who had cooperated in other projects previously. Others helped in specific parts of the campaign. The members of the organising team also completed the major part of the challenges. During the activities they also focused on recognising values they used, and reinforcing them by putting them into action.
Here is some of the feedback and comments received:
- It was a very pleasant experience to find the project (WVD), to find out the Hungarian version, to create its contents and form and even the accomplishment of the campaign itself.
- In course of these activities we used our ability to cooperate with others and the skills of identifying things, our watchfulness and creativity, sense of proportion, cheerfulness, ability of simplification, sense of taste, etc.
- Using our values helped us greatly in completing this successful project, such as patience (if we had to explain something), acceptance (if somebody was not willing to do exactly that task what we asked for in that period of time), flexibility, clearing up misunderstandings in a gentle way, etc.
- It was another important element of the project’s success that we had open-minded, responsive, helpful, proactive, flexible and team player partners. This fact inspired us, increased our creativity in finding further ideas.
- On receipt of the reports and photos we recognised activities we had not thought of at the time of compiling the challenge. For instance, picking over the contents of the selective waste bin; collecting the waste of the office and placing in the central garbage can (it was not the part of the job of that person); insecticide in case of ant invasion that helps to avoid that neighbouring flats would be overrun by them, etc.
- We watched even ourselves, how we changed simultaneously with the alteration of the original conception and whilst the basic idea became clearer and wider, we caught sight of the further possibilities, etc.
- We also watched the alteration of those people, who were completing the tasks continuously. Due to the continuity, the attention of the person was more focusing on goodness. Feeling good and feeling the power also became continuous, as well as understanding others and herself/himself.
- In several cases we helped the understanding of the participants by having talks about the themes with them.
- All the members of the groups enjoyed the closing task (colouring mandalas while at the same time answering questions). As a member of a team it was evident that each person fulfilled this double exercise, but people alone (at home) hardly started to complete it.
- Each member of the organizing team asked me to mention here that they had enjoyed each moment of the common work as well as I had myself (the author of the report).
- A further special benefit of our campaign is that another association, also involved in values, can make use of the program we compiled, on their own area (public health).
Zsófia Fried
Member of the organising team
Chairman of B.É.K.E.
