Slovak man in US

In last two years European Community Organizing Network (ECON) and Central and Eastern Europe Citizens Network (CEE CN) brought a couple of community organizers from US to do trainings and consultation in CEE region for citizen’s engagement / citizen’s participation groups.

http://econdave.blogspot.com/

One of US trainers and consultants – Joe Szakos from Virginia Organizing offered to host Europeans in his organization to learn more about community organizing, leadership development, capacity building, building of network, campaign and strategy planning…

At the beginning of May I put together e-mail with some ideas what I want to learn, how I can use learned back in Europe…few weeks of waiting …..and finally July 2^nd I arrived to US.

First days have been full of tastes of America. American breakfast, American lunch, American dinner…. and spirits of America - Independence Day party with reading from Independence Declaration, party games like “horseshoes“ , baseball game in Lansing with “baseball meal” – hot dogs, coke, chips.

To have a flag on house in Slovakia is a sigh of strong nationalism, but see our flag on house in US was nice  

I should not eat salty chips, but I loved those big party packages

Independence Day is really big deal for Americans. Going home from baseball game I have seen people sitting outside in parks, on streets, in front of their houses to enjoyed fireworks together with neighbors. White people, Afro-Americans, people with Asia background, all together. One America.

Weekend and Independence Day is over, time to start my internship. I will stay till end of the September in organization call Virginia Organizing based in Charlottesville, Virginia. City with 42 000 inhabitants located in the middle of Virginia with nice landscape around. City has lovely, tiny downtown Main Street, with cafes and restaurants.      

Virginia Organizing is a statewide non-partisan organization that encourages people to learn democratic skills and become active in their community. I would like to use opportunity being with them for a couple of months to explore various methods of community organizing that should enhance my work with European Community Organizing Network when I return to Slovakia. 

I will be shadowing community organizers on Virginia Organizing staff, attending community meetings and workshops, visiting other organizations.

While I am in Charlottesville, I am staying with wonderful Szakos family. Joe with his wife Kristin and two daughters stayed in mid 90´ in Hungary so they know “our” European culture, central European society and plus we have a couple of mutual friends.