Criminalizing Homelessness (and a Lot of Other Things) in Hungary

Dear International Friends,

As you already know, the Hungarian Parliament will vote on an amendment to the Constitution that would encode the criminalization of homelessness into the fundamental law of the country.

In addition to penalizing poverty, the Constitution will also introduce a very restricted definition of family, limit the freedom of movement of students and seriously curtail the right and authority of the Constitutional Court, which so far has been a safeguard of democracy.

Please help us put as much pressure as possible on the Hungarian Parliament not to pass the amendment. 

 

Below, you can find a lot of useful information about the proposed amendment and its negative implications for democracy in Hungary:

* Please watch the video by homeless activists of the City is for All about the proposed amendment.

* Unofficial translation of the amendment by the Hungarian Helsinki Committee

* The precedents and implications of the amendment for homeless people.

* Analysis of the Hungarian Helsinki Committee és the Eötvös Károly Institute about the implications of the amendment.

* Kim Lane Scheppele’s article about the amendment in The New York Times

* Statement by FEANTSA

* Statement of the European Public Health Alliance

How can YOU help us?

* If you live in Hungary, join the demonstrations organized by several organization and citizens against the 4th amendment of the Fundamental Law on March 9, 2013 at 3pm in Alkotmány utca! Spread the news, invite your friends!

* If you live in the European Union, alert your representatives in the European Parliament to this issue and ask them to exert pressure on the Hungarian government to repeal the amendment!

* If you are an official or decision-maker in the EU, the UN or other international organizations, please go out of your way to publicly condemn the Hungarian government and pressure them to repeal the amendment.

* If you are an activist or member of an international organization, ask them to publicly condemn the Hungarian government for punishing its poorest and most vulnerable citizens!

* If you live anywhere in the world and have good contacts with the press, let them know about this issue and ask them to report it extensively!

Thank you,

The City is for All

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