Premium launch event in Budapest
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After Paris, Stockholm, Praha and Bucharest the Budapest team has taken over the buton and invited its babelian friends to celebrate the launch of the community in a cosy downtown coffee-bar. Besides people showing interest for our activity, represnetatives of our most importat partners have also taken part in the event, with whom we clinked our glasses on the success of the babelian community.
In course of the meeting we have demonstrated the Babel story in a powerpoint presentation. We have highlighted the main steps from the beggining till today and have detailed our plans for the upcoming year. Nevertheless, the most popular blogs has been presented as well, while on the other hand, we have called attention to the unique possibility offered by that multilingual forums. Thus, participants have been strongly encouraged to register on the website and become member of the community.
When once gathered together, we have passed around the mike and asked our guests what do they think about the whole project and the launch of the community?
Lóránt, a young lawyer, who has recently returned from Belgium, was the first in giving the answer. “In autumn 2005 one of my groupmates has called my attention to the magazine in Brugge. I've straightaway got in touch with the Budapest team, with whom I still have a very good relation." "I think, the magazine itself is very interactive and we often broach its headlines while chatting with my friends.”
Angéla, who is dealing with EU affairs, has at first heard about the website from one of her colleagues. "I visit the page on a weekly basis, and what I really like is that it interprests informations about the EU in a popular way, and unlike other EU journals I can find not only boring analysis but easy-going texts as well."
Botond, one of the founders of Kitekintő, an on-line magazine on foreign affairs, has know the magazine owing to a recently launched cooperation with the Budapest team. "I think it is a twin project, the two webbased journal operates in the same way, but provides on a different perspective". "We are trying to reach the same target group, but instead of being rivals, we complement each other." - he added.
Ági has at first heard about the website in the Frech Institute based in Budapest." I think it is still quite difficult to come to know the magazine, it spreads mainly from mouth to mouth." "I guess partly because people in Hungary are quite inactive and does not really show interest for public matters. On the other hand many still does not speak foreign languages at all." - she continued. "I personally support such projects and I think cafebabel.com is a good example of transnational communication and it provides a global picture on life of Europe.”
Tamás, chief editor of the magazine called Kitekintő has hit cafebabel.com by accident when searching for some EU-related information on the internet. "Basically I like the new version of the website and the idea of the community. There is no doubt, interactive magazines are the future." Concerning new tools he said: "I think forums and blogs destroy each other." "I personally prefer blogs of good quality, it's no use doing one-sided traditional jourmalism anymore.”
Niki, president of the Association for European Values has at first met us in course of a summer university organised for students studying international relations. "I agree that the 2.0 versions and community portals are the future. It is fundamental to make people take part in public affairs". "I think that the main difficulty that you have to face when popularizing the magazine is the lack of foreign language speeking, tough there is a considerable tenedency that a growing proportion of internet-users knows at least one foreign language." " According to my perception there is a lack of journals especially prepared for people being in their 30's and 40's and cafebabel.com could be a good example of them.”
Orsi who is going to finish her studies next year on the faculty of international relations says: "I've chanced to meet one of the members of the Budapest team who has called my attention to the website and the activity of the Budapest team few eeks ago. Being interested in EU issues, the chance that I can take part in this project sounded quite attractive." "After tonight's presentation I took a fancy even to write for the magazine and to join the community. It was my pleasure to take part in this programme, I am merely enthusiastic for this project." - she added.