Illyés Public Foundation (Illyés Közalapítvány – IKA)
In order to provide support for Hungarians living beyond the border from the Hungarian state budget the Secretariat of the Ethnic and Nationality College of the Németh government established the “Foundation for Hungarians Beyond the Borders” in April 1990 which from June 1990 operated under the name of the Illyés Foundation. According to the memorandum of association, which became effective on 29 September 1990, the main objective of the foundation was to support Hungarian communities living beyond the borders and the Hungarian community living in dispersion, with the following main tasks: 1. initiatives aimed at the preservation, development and strengthening of the self-identity of Hungarians living beyond the borders; 2. initiatives for the cultivation and development of the mother tongue; 3. scientific work concerning Hungarians living beyond the borders; 4. the improvement of material and personal conditions of religious life in the mother tongue and; 5. cultural presentations of Hungarian minorities living beyond the borders. As of 1 January 1994, the Foundation became a public foundation (Illyés Public Foundation (Illyés Közalapítvány – IKA)) and was entrusted with certain public functions by the government. On 31 August 1994, Illyés Public Foundation (Illyés Közalapítvány – IKA) and the Kézfogás Livelihood-Generating and Economic Stimulation Foundation established by it (in 1992) to help Hungarians living beyond the borders were merged, and in March 1995 it was spun off from the Illyés Public Foundation (Illyés Közalapítvány – IKA) as the New Engagement Foundation (Új Kézfogás Közalapítvány). This was when the sub-curatorial system (of sub-boards) was set up through which the Foundation institutionally involved representatives of the communities concerned in its decision-making process. The Board of Trustees of the Illyés Public Foundation (Illyés Közalapítvány – IKA) (11-19 members from the parliamentary parties and representatives of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Education and Culture) has earmarked funds from the annual budget to support Hungarian communities in neighbouring countries. The sub-boards, which were emphatically defined by Hungarian minority interest organisations, were given a mandate to propose the further distribution of these funds. The activities of the sub-boards covered all the different areas of support (culture, public culture, education, science, religious and professional organisations, local municipalities, etc.). With the participation of the relevant minority institutions in Slovakia, Romania and Serbia the sub-boards were backed up by specialised bodies (with 40-50 members in the three regions). In Ukraine and Serbia only the sub-boards existed. Thus a total of about 300 people were involved in the preparation of decisions. In 2006, in order to make aid policy more effective and referring to the new Homeland Programme, the Gyurcsány government abolished the Illyés Public Foundation (Illyés Közalapítvány – IKA), which was replaced by the Homeland Fund without the sub-curatorial system. The Board of Trustees of the Illyés Public Foundation (Illyés Közalapítvány – IKA) was chaired by Sándor Csoóri (1990-1994), Mátyás Szűrös (1994-1998), József Halzl (1998-2002) and Béla Pomogáts (2002-2006).