Climate change, energy and financial crisis, epidemics, new cross cultural challenges and social tension …. The world faces many challenges which provide significant opportunities for the contributions of talented people.
We need talented people, however talent behaves in a special way. If it is honoured, loved and supported it emerges and multiplies. Realising this, several European countries have started to create their own talent support systems. As an example of this, in Hungary, the Hungarian National Talent Support Council (HNTSC, www.tehetsegpont.hu) coordinates the National Talent Support Programme.
Since 2006 the Council has promoted the concept of the Hungarian TalentDays as well, which are festive events focusing public attention on gifted people and talent support. TalentDays have always been organized on the 25th March, on or around the birthday of the Hungarian composer Béla Bartók. Soon, trans-national TalentDays have been celebrated in Hungary and in the neighbouring countries, Slovakia, Romania and Serbia.
It became a movement and grew rapidly. By 2010 already several towns and local communities have joined the movement and celebrated their own TalentDay. On these days local talents and talent support councils were introduced from all age and types. Exhibitions, round-table discussions, counselling of the talented and gifted, and establishing of local networks occurred at this time.
Great interest was experienced about the movement of TalentDays in the past few months. This has inspired us to give birth to the the first European Day of the Talented and Gifted (in short: European TalentDay) during the Hungarian EU Presidency.
All EU and non-EU countries are welcome to join the growing movement. We welcome your contribution, suggestions and any help or cooperation you can offer. Please contact our colleagues at [email protected] .