“Shop Around the World in One Day”
Edited by Anna Popper
The 13th Diplomatic Charity Fair (DCF), held on 24 November 2024, proved to be a landmark event in Budapest’s festive calendar. Organised by the Diplomatic Spouses of Budapest (DSB), the fair took place under the high patronage of Madame Szilvia Szijjártó-Nagy, spouse of Hungary’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Mr. Péter Szijjártó, with the noble mission to raise funds for selected Hungarian charities supported by the DSB.
This year again, the event was hosted at an iconic venue, the Bálna National Defence Centre, on the scenic Danube riverbank. The venue’s vibrant atmosphere attracted a record number of more than 1800 visitors, making the fair a standout occasion during the Christmas season. With proceeds of 10 million HUF (appr. €24,000), the event’s success translated into tangible support for three Hungarian charitable organizations, each receiving an equal share of the funds.
The Diplomatic Charity Fair was open to the public from 10 am to 5 pm and showcased the power of unity and collaboration, emphasizing the strength of cultural diversity and the spirit of giving. Embassies from over 40 countries participated, presenting unique products and handicrafts that highlighted their national traditions. Visitors were treated to an array of international cuisines that offered a glimpse into the culinary heritage of the participating nations.
The Diplomatic Spouses of Budapest (DSB) – a non-political and non-religious organization comprising the spouses of ambassadors and senior diplomatic representatives based in Budapest – has proudly organised this event for 13 consecutive years. Beyond its fundraising goals, the fair has evolved into a beloved international celebration for families and visitors, encapsulating the joy and warmth of the festive season in Budapest.
A Celebration of Cultures and Cooperation
The 2024 Fair featured an extraordinary display of cultural richness. The beautifully adorned event halls welcomed contributions from the participating countries, showcasing crafts, souvenirs and delicacies. Visitors had the unique opportunity to “Shop Around the World in One Day”, discovering a diverse range of handmade gifts, artworks, jewellery, ornaments, cosmetics, clothing and other souvenirs at the beautifully decorated National Stalls.
Hungary was represented by various companies and other organisations, which also wanted to take part in this great initiative that united many nations through generosity.
In addition to shopping a wide range of souvenirs at the national stalls, visitors also enjoyed sampling fine food products, sweets, beverages and wines at the bustling Food Court.
The day’s vibrant atmosphere was further enhanced by live cultural performances that offered an insight into the folk music, dance and traditions of various nations.
A dedicated Children’s Corner ensured that even the youngest attendees had a memorable experience.
Generous donors contributed a number of Raffle Prizes, adding to the excitement and anticipation among attendees. The proceeds from these raffles further bolstered the fair’s fundraising efforts, ensuring maximum impact for the selected charities.
Building Bridges Through Charity
The Diplomatic Charity Fair was not only an avenue for philanthropy, but also a platform to foster international relationships. By bringing people from different cultures together, the event facilitated dialogue and strengthened diplomatic ties, paving the way for deeper cooperation and enduring friendships.
The Fair’s remarkable success is a testament to the DSB members’ tireless efforts and collective commitment to shared values and noble causes. The 13th edition of the Diplomatic Charity Fair demonstrated that with teamwork and goodwill, it is possible to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.
The Power of Generosity Unites Nations
The event started with the welcome message of Mrs. Natasha Asif, President of DSB and wife of the Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to Hungary:
“Jó reggelt kívánok!” (Good morning in Hungarian)
“Mrs. Szilvia Szijjártó-Nagy, spouse of His Excellency Péter Szijjártó, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Excellencies, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen: at the outset, I would like to welcome you all on behalf of the Diplomatic Spouses of Budapest to the 13th Diplomatic Charity Fair.
Let me express our deep gratitude to our patron Mrs. Szilvia Szijjártó-Nagy for her invaluable and consistent support, which made today’s event possible at the Bálna Defence Centre.
I also wish to acknowledge the presence of Apostolic Nuncio, H.E. Michael Wallace Banach, Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, as well as all the Ambassadors, their Spouses and their teams who are here with us today to give their support to our event.
The DSB Charity Fair has made its mark in Budapest over the years through its today’s flagship event. The Embassies in Budapest bring a colourful mix of arts and crafts along with their traditional delicious dishes. It also offers an opportunity to Hungary’s international partners to showcase their culture through performances. This year, DSB has invited Hungarian partners to set up their stalls, adding extra colour to the Fair.
All the proceeds from the Fair will be disbursed to the following Hungarian charitable foundations:
Együtt Az Autistákért Foundation (Together for Autism Foundation)
FÉNYSZÓRÓ Cultural Foundation
Six Children’s Homes, proposed by “MOHAMANÓ” Experience Workshop Foundation. This year, along with the charitable foundations, the DSB will also support some orphanage houses, thus expanding its noble activities.
I would like to thank Mr. Szilveszter Tánczos and Mrs. Anna Popper, President of the Diplomatic Press Agency for sparing their time and effort in organising today’s Charity Fair. Both have been supporting DSB in its activities for many years.
Our special thanks also go to
- the staff of Bálna Defence Centre, led by its director Ms. Beáta Tölg-Molnár for their warm hospitality in housing this event,
- Ms. Flóra Poncsák from Bálna Defence Centre,
- Mr. Lajos Varga and Ms. Dóra Gáti from Event Stuff Kft. who provided the tables and chairs we are using today,
- Mr. Tamás Sipos and Mr. Gusztáv Cernic from IBSSA Hungary Zrt. for ensuring the security of our event,
- Prof. George Popper, President of the International Bodyguard and Security Services Association (IBSSA),
- Ms. Anikó Szelle, our MC and interpreter,
- Mr. Peter Jones and his team at Happy Kids,
- Private Sponsors, Business Companies and Donors who have generously donated prizes for our raffle draw,
- All the volunteers who are assisting us today,
- All performing artists from various countries.
I also wish to express appreciation to all the Diplomatic missions who joined us today here and set up their stalls. Thank you very much for supporting charity foundations in Hungary.
Finally, my special thanks for my dear colleagues at the Diplomatic Spouses of Budapest, especially the DSB Committee Members, who dedicated their time to the success of today’s charity event.
Dear guests, visit our National Stalls and Food Stalls, enjoy your time, savour the various cuisines from different parts of the world and enjoy the cultural performances.
Thank you for supporting our noble cause with your purchases. Köszönöm szépen!”
Now, may I call on Mrs Szilvia Szijjártó-Nagy, to come up on stage and share her thoughts with us:
“Dear Friends, I warmly welcome you to the 2024 Diplomatic Charity Fair!
First of all, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to Natasha Asif, President of the Diplomatic Spouses of Budapest, and the organizers for making it possible for us to gather here once again this year. Thanks to your dedicated efforts, this beautiful tradition continues, offering an excellent opportunity each year to come together and embody the virtue of generosity.
Dear Friends,
Hungary is an ancient nation with a rich cultural heritage, and in its folklore and legends, the number three holds a special place. Among its many meanings, it is often said that if something happens three times or if a thought is spoken three times, it brings good luck. Today, however, I would like to use this occasion to draw your attention to an opportunity that also connects to this number. The proceeds from today’s charity fair will benefit three causes, all of which deserve our heightened attention in the challenging world we live in today. I kindly ask you to join forces to support children with autism, children with disabilities, and children living in foster homes, helping to ease their everyday lives.
Dear Friends, all it takes is for us to seize today’s opportunity and turn toward one another.
As diplomatic spouses, we are well aware of the indispensable role personal connections and friendships play in diplomacy. These relationships and friendships will also aid us in deepening cooperation between our nations.
Dear Friends, every participant has brought with them a treasure from their homeland, showcasing unique cultural or culinary values. Let us admit, it is rare to say that with just a few steps, the world opens up before us, offering a glimpse into countries thousands of kilometres away. If you find something that catches your eye and would like to take it home as a keepsake, please don’t hesitate.
Do so because it allows you to carry home the memory of a beautiful day and a charming country. Do so because, through the proceeds of this fair, you can provide real support to those in need.
I wish all our guests an enjoyable and memorable time! Thank you for your attention!”
The opening ceremony of the 13th Diplomatic Charity Fair continued with an address full of profound ideas by H.E. Michael Wallace Banach, Apostolic Nuncio and Dean of the Diplomatic Corps in Hungary, who extended warm wishes for the success of this commendable endeavour, officially inaugurating the event:
“Mrs. Szilvia Szijjártó-Nagy, Excellencies, Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, Dear Diplomatic Spouses,
It is a great honour, joy and privilege for me to be with you this morning at the Opening Ceremony of the 13th Diplomatic Charity Fair 2024, a wonderful tradition which offers an example of international cooperation on account of the enthusiastic and generous support and participation of many diplomatic missions based in Budapest.
Thank you, Mrs. Natasha Asif, President of the Diplomatic Spouses of Budapest, for your kind invitation to offer these opening remarks.
It’s not always a bed of roses, is it? Being a diplomatic spouse is not all pomp and pageantry in diplomatic events, or jetting-off and getting to live the privileged life in exotic locations around the world. For many, if not most, it involves significant sacrifice, a dash of homesickness, a tinge of loneliness, lots of unconditional support for your husbands, for your spouses, and a great big balancing act between family and responsibility to country and community. Most diplomatic spouses had to give up fulfilling personal careers and trade it in for a life of living around the world, of adjustments and voluntary uprooting the entire family repeatedly, of resettling from one foreign country to another.
Author and journalist Brigid Keenan, in her best-selling book Diplomatic Baggage: Adventures of a Trailing Spouse, published in 2002, talks about giving up her career as a fashion editor for The Sunday Times to support her husband’s diplomatic career. “One minute, I was sitting on a gilt chair at Dior in Paris in my high heels. The next, I was living in what looked like a wooden chicken shed in a snake- infested forest clearing in Nepal,” she shares. Keenan, who lived the life of a diplomat’s wife for more than 30 years says, “it can be very hard”. She also believes that the life away from friends, family, and relatives can, sometimes, take its toll on the marriage. “You have to have a very good marriage to be a diplomat’s wife,” she declares. “Because it can be very lonely.”
But despite all the pitfalls, looking back she thinks “this curious, disjointed life was worth it.” She feels that it was an incredibly rich life. “I think we probably had the best of all worlds,” she concludes.
And, like Keenan, you represent the thousands of diplomatic spouses around the world, the vast majority of whom are women, who are fulfilling the role of mother, wife, and de facto public servant. You are the women who wear numerous hats, not just to provide stable family support for your diplomat husbands and a consistent home life for your children, but also to promote the interest of your country and help serve the needs of your countrymen living abroad.
In the name of your spouses, the Ambassadors, thank you for your contribution to these efforts! Thank you for the love and fidelity and patience, without which they, without which we, would be unable to carry out the mission entrusted to us by our respective countries!
All proceeds of the Diplomatic Charity Fair 2024 will be donated to three Hungarian Charities:
Együtt Az Autistákért Alapítvány – Together for Autistic People Foundation – a foundation which supports initiatives that create a more liveable, acceptable, and equal world for people living with autism. Autistic disorders are nothing to be ashamed of. Everyone should build solidarity to ensure that autistic persons are not isolated. Everyone should be committed to promoting acceptance, encounter and solidarity through concrete support and by encouraging renewed hope, just like you are doing in this year’s Diplomatic Charity fair. Persons affected by autism spectrum disorders represent an area that appeals to the direct responsibility of governments and institutions. Thank you for encouraging all of us to play their part in constructing a culture of encounter and solidarity in which no one affected by the disease, including their families, are left isolated.
Your efforts will also help Fényszóró Kulturális Alapítvány (Headlight Cultural Foundation). This foundation fosters connections between individuals with disabilities and the broader community, aiming to enrich the cultural lives of intellectually disabled youth and promote equal opportunities. How important it is to express the importance of supporting education, employment, and social opportunities for people with all types of disabilities.
Disability, in all its forms, represents a challenge and an opportunity to build together a more inclusive and civil society, where family members, teachers and associations, including diplomatic ones like yours, are not left alone but are supported. For this reason, it is necessary to continue to raise awareness about the various aspects of disabilities, breaking down prejudices and promoting a culture of inclusion and belonging, based on the dignity of the person. The Diplomatic Charity Fair 2024 contributes to help those with disabilities to make their voices heard.
Finally, your contribution will assist Six Children’s Homes proposed by “Mohamanó” Élmény Műhely Alapítvány (“Mohamanó” Experience Workshop Foundation) – a foundation that seeks to enhance the lives of children living in children’s homes through diverse experiential and educational programs, aiding their integration into society and helping them find their place and thrive. We need continually to acknowledge the wisdom of children and their pure hearts. Children have the ability to speak the truth openly and without prejudice. Their honesty helps adults, including parents, live more honestly and generously. Children also help keep adults humble by viewing them simply as caregivers rather than important figures based on prestige or fame. Their innocence can disconcert those who are overly narcissistic. Children teach us how to foster love for one another, especially for those in need. And they teach us peace, renewing and restoring our belief that aggression and fear can diminish, leading to a more peaceful and content world. As this Diplomatic Charity Fair 2024 demonstrates.
Today’s gala event shows just how much unifying qualities are reflected in good charitable activities. Here we see extraordinary, steadfast commitment to the service of others, kindness of conduct in carrying out that service, and resilience through daily ups and downs.
Now, it’s time to have fun and to help in some charitable causes as we pass through the hall and visit different countries, enjoying this fun-filled and family event, food and drinks, music and dance, being together, and even shopping around the world in one day. Thank you for your kind attention.”
The 13th Diplomatic Charity Fair marked the most successful edition since 2011, owing to the unwavering commitment, dedication, and tireless efforts of the Fair Committee members of DSB. It was further enhanced by the active involvement, enthusiastic participation, and generous contributions of the Embassies, as well as the purchases made by visitors and the steadfast support and invaluable assistance of sponsors. This success stands as a testament to the collective dedication and exceptional teamwork that played a pivotal role in bringing the event to a positive and impactful conclusion.
The annual Charity Fair, organized by the Diplomatic Spouses and Embassies, continues to be a powerful symbol of international collaboration with a charitable purpose. It highlights the profound impact that unity, generosity, and goodwill can have on underserved communities. The event not only exemplifies global solidarity but also underscores the meaningful outcomes that arise from collective efforts dedicated to humanitarian causes.
A Heartwarming Christmas Celebration of Generosity
This festive season, a warm and informal gathering took place at the Marriott Hotel, where the leaders of Diplomatic Spouses of Budapest invited the representatives of the three charities, beneficiaries of the proceeds: Together for Autistic People Foundation, “Fényszóró” Cultural Foundation and “Mohamanó” Experience Workshop Foundation – seeking to enhance and celebrate the spirit of giving. Surrounded by Christmas decorations and the cheerful ambiance of the season, the event provided a special opportunity to hand over the symbolic big checks representing the donations, that had already been transferred to the official bank accounts of the recipient organizations.
The total donation of 10 million HUF was divided equally into three parts, ensuring that each charity received an equal share of 3,333,333 HUF. Interestingly, the number three holds special significance in Hungarian culture, often appearing as a lucky and symbolic number in traditional fairy tales and proverbs.
The atmosphere was filled with gratitude and joy as everyone celebrated the success of this wonderful initiative. The representatives from the charities expressed their heartfelt thanks to the embassies and donors, whose generosity made it all possible.
This event was a beautiful reminder of the power of collective kindness and the difference that can be made when we come together to support meaningful causes. It was the perfect way to wrap up the year, leaving everyone with a sense of fulfilment and hope for the positive impact these donations will have in the coming year.
United in the spirit of goodwill, commitment, and generosity we can make a real difference in the lives of others.
On behalf of DSB Board and its members, all organisers and participants of this important event we extend our heartfelt thanks to all Hungarian authorities, organizations, individuals for their precious support and efficient help, and the media outlets – TV2, HírTV and ATV for supporting and promoting our event through their coverage.
Sources: Diplomatic Spouses of Budapest, DSB Board Members, Diplomatic Press Agency
Photos by Diplomatic Press Agency (DPA)
