The Ecumenical Venture

Albanian and Hungarian relations extend over centuries,” Albanian Consul of Honor Avnija Hafuzi says in a recent interview with Diplomacy & Trade. The businessman speaks about a charity project he is currently involved in.

“Become doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves with false reasoning. For if anyone is a hearer of the word, and not a doer, this one is like a man looking at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself, and off he goes and immediately forgets what sort of man he is. But he who peers into the perfect law that belongs to freedom and who persists in it, this man, because he has become, not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, will be happy in his doing it,” reads the Bible (James 1:22-25). This I quote to Albanian businessman and Honorary Consul Avnija Hafuzi, who is well-known in Hungary as someone who practices charity on a regular basis. “The concept of charity exists in the Muslim, too,” Hafuzi smiles. “In fact, charity (Zakat) is one of the five pillars of the Islamic faith. The Muslim belief in giving charity is derived from the fact that since God has created everything, then everything belongs to God. By giving support to those less fortunate than yourself, you are merely redistributing the gifts that God has given to you,” Hafuzi explains, adding that he is glad I came up with “something Christian,” as his latest project sponsors the creation of a Jesus statue. “It will be erected in Dinnyeberki, a small village near Pécs, where most people belong to the Catholic Church.” Hafuzi calls the project an ‘Ecumenical Venture’, referring to the fact that the statue, sponsored by a Muslim, is created by a Protestant artist and will be erected in front of a Catholic church.

“This project only proves that people, regardless of their religion, can live and work together in peace,” Hafuzi says. “This is a strong message in our chaotic world.”

According to Hafuzi, the project is part of the so-called ‘Original Dráva Program.’ This program includes complex initiatives of regional and rural development and aims to provide a permanently sustainable development for the most underdeveloped areas of Hungary, such as Baranya county. “The Faculty of Humanities of the University of Pécs is involved in the program in multiple ways, so is Attila Illés, Program-Coordinator – it was he, who came up with the statue-project and asked for my help. The Faculty’s Associate Professor Ferenc Varga chose Balázs Hadházi’s design plan for the statue (out of three applications), while I started to look for quality white marble. I found it in Ruskica, Romania, and transported the material to Pécs. The statue is ready now, waiting for its inauguration that will take place this summer,” the consul reveals, adding that the population of Dinnyeberki does not have a clue about the project, except for the Mayor, Tibor Szabó.
“We often become so caught up in our lives, we forget that there’s a whole world out there, and in that world, someone or something might need our help,” Hafuzi notes as a bottom line. “Giving even a little can make a big difference. As a father of five, he is sure that his own sons and daughters will follow in his steps. As a member of the Visegrád Order of the Knights of Saint George, he acts like a real knight is supposed to act: helping wherever he can.

Avnija Hafuzi has lived in Hungary for more than 33 years. He is active in seeking business opportunities and promoting trade development between Albania and Hungary, hoping to enrich bilateral relations with special weight on tourism. “We have a beautiful sea coast with sandy beaches, hotels and apartment houses are springing up like mushrooms and road network is being expanded. This has already resulted in a growing number of Hungarian tourists and it is also a great opportunity for investors to start development projects.”