State Secretary of the National Human Resources Ministry János Halász, the chief patron of meeting ? commonly referred to a s the Csiperó Festival ? said it was an example to be followed. He added that the ministry was supporting the organisers with a grant of 12 million forints.
Future of Europe Association chairman Gábor Farkas said this year?s meeting was expected to draw 1,500-1,800 youth from 20 countries. He added that the meeting?s organisers were placing a special emphasis on inviting children who belong to ethnic Hungarian groups living outside of Hungary?s borders.
Among the highlights of the event will be the arrival of the 150-member chorus and orchestra of the Szentegyházi Childrens Philharmonic of Vlahita, Romania, for three days in Kecskemét.
In the more than two decades since the meeting?s establishment, Kecskemét has hosted 8,000 children from 80 settlements in 27 countries, according to www.csipero.hu.
The Future of Europe Association says its task ?is exactly the same after the millenium as it was at its birth: helping the citizens of Europe so that the children of today become a tolerant generation, free from all prejudices and accepting people and their differences?.
