NON-PROFIT ORGANISATION IN BUDAPEST
Mission and Special Projects
Kisvilág in Hungarian means Small World, referring to a term used by network theorists to describe the clusters of connections within the immense networks of modern society that are indispensable for the wellbeing of both society and the individuals living in it.
Growing out an ever-increasing need for meaningful connections and solidarity, Kisvilág Foundation is building a community that supports and assists individuals working independently, remotely, or from home offices. Our main goal is to develop an inclusive local community in the central Erzsébetváros district of Budapest with a particular focus on individuals typically sidelined in the world of business and the labour market, such as women and neurodivergent persons (living with ASD, ADHD, OCD, etc.). Our most important tools are sensitization, mentoring, counseling, and facilitating self-help groups, as well as experiential expert consultation, research, and training.
So yes… A significant portion of our target group, individuals working independently, remotely, or from home office, do so because they have no choice. Many find traditional work settings challenging or are forced to be self-employed because their (re-)integration into the labour market poses difficulties for them. An overwhelming number of them are women or minorities, and it is common that their life- and work choices are the result of their neurodivergent mind, some disability, or raising children with special education needs–or all of the above.
Our special projects have grown out of our dedication to these intersectional lives, supporting both their pursuit of happiness and their challenges. Check them out here.
Support: Give and Receive
We have found our first home in Szövetség Street, and after the essential structural and technical renovations, we plan to open the community office and kitchen next year. This space will be soon available for members, along with gradually developed services and programs. We aim to make these services as comprehensive as possible with the support of our sponsors in terms of resources, expertise, and financial assistance. In addition to setting up the office on the upper floor, we also plan to develop the ground floor communal kitchen into a public-facing breakfast area.
Reach out and connect
Join us from the get go and make a vacant retail unit at 11 Szövetség Street into a space tailored to your needs, which will grow with you and your projects and passions. We need your support but more importantly your ideas and suggestions! Get involved, get in touch now.
Our goal is to establish a comfortable community workplace fostering a sustainable, supportive, and cooperative community through our services. We aim to become a reliable homebase for the residents of Erzsébetváros, particularly those who need an easily accessible (by walking or cycling), welcoming, non-intrusive, calm, and safe workplace. Following the principles of mutual cooperation, they can utilize the community network and actively participate in shaping the services offered by the community, such as IT support and office suite, a “Library of Things” for everyday appliances and other sharing economy initiatives, a lending library, organising childcare and children’s activities, various programs, lectures, and many more.
Our Pied-à-Terre in Budapest
The Nyitva! Festival 2023 (Open! – an initiative promoting cooperative real estate project ran by the Contemporary Architecture Center and Erzsébetváros) helped us find our home, where we will be welcoming the local community into the living room of our very own small world. As a civil organization, our primary goal is community building, raising awareness, and build solidarity, empathy and mutual support. Therefore, our “business plan” is slow and agile: we aim to shape our activities that contribute to our sustainability in a flexible, open-minded, and thoughtful way, while reanimating our immediate environment, our beautiful Szövetség utca.
Our planned catering corner, merchandise counter, and our programs will not only contribute to the sustainability of the foundation but are hoped to become accessible cultural and gastronomic venues for both locals and those passing through. Unlike the workspace reserved for the foundation’s network members, this space will be open to the general public. We’re looking forward to patrons who value a calm, family-friendly environment and have an interest in contemporary arts, design, literary events, exhibitions, and gastronomy.
Equality, diversity, sustainability
We aim to attract the target audience primarily through our services and related programs, and secondly, by providing a well-maintained and high-quality work environment and communal spaces. We are committed to equality, diversity, sustainability, and the slow life movement, through a thoughtful use of materials, recycling, and making our downtown environment as leafy as possible.
Kisvilág ALAPÍTVÁNY 