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Mathias Corvinus Collegium (MCC) participates as a professional partner at the Vibe Festival in Marosvásárhely/Târgu Mures from 4-7 July. The organisation contributes to the festival’s knowledge forum, the Koli, with national and international guests and exciting topics. In these few days young people will have the opportunity to enjoy lively discussions and a wide range of interesting topics.
Change takes effort, but if the change is necessary, the effort is worth it, said journalist John Wesley Reid in his presentation on 5 June, encouraging the young people in the audience to dare to speak out and stand up for good causes. He has reported on a number of court cases in the United States, with a particular focus on the relationship between freedom of expression, faith and values. For the past nearly a year, he has lived and worked in Budapest at the MCC Law School. His partner in discussion was Balázs Kató, a student of MCC's University Program.
In his presentation, John Wesley Reid drew attention to the fact that it matters how we express our opinions. By destroying, looting, smashing windows, we are more likely to harm our cause. “Meaningless bad conduct will never cause good change,” he stressed.
But how can we make a difference fairly, peacefully, without vandalism? The speaker said it should never be about selfish attention: “Never do it for the attention, but for the good outcome.” He stressed that breaking the law should be avoided at all costs, and that looking at bad examples and avoiding them can be a good way to develop a plan. He added that you need a good team of people who believe in the cause, and you also need supporters to help financially. You need to find the right platform to promote your ideas, and souldn’t limit yourself to social media. Many organisations have live events where you can speak and eventually get your message into the media. But even the best strategies are worth nothing without freedom of speech, he added.
John Wesley Reid elaborated, "The best type of change is the change that is best for all of society. Fundamentally, the best thing for society is freedom." He presented the story of a Christian graphic designer who refused to create a website with content that went against her beliefs. After a long legal battle, the US Supreme Court ruled in her favour, stating that the state of Colorado cannot compel the designer to create work that violates her values. The speaker pointed out that Lorie Smith remained humble throughout the case, putting business and freedom of expression first. She was neither an activist nor a politician, yet she stood up for her ideas and made a real difference in the States.
Speaking about what is happening in his country, John Wesley Reid said, in America, many people are resisting the herd mentality and speaking out, standing up for their ideas. It's not a matter of Democrats or Liberals, it's in everyone's interest.
