Open Doors is a diverse and pro-active community open for locals, foreigners, refugees, volunteers, and activists or anyone who is engaged in building an inclusive society.
we involved
1000+
people
we led
15+
design projects
we organized
120+
workshops
Our Mission
We open spaces for intercultural dialogue, we learn from each other through a co-operative design process (planning, designing and realizing) by organizing workshops, trainings and events.
We provide a platform to people from different cultural backgrounds, to create a community where they can exchange their knowledge. We use mainly creative and artistic methods to address social issues and support communities and cultural exchange.
Our team
Ágnes Jekli
managing co-founder, graphic designer
She is teaching at MOME, and coordinated many workshops on the topic of social design. She has a long experience in volunteering, participating and organizing international youth projects, leading participatory design workshops and trainings.
Bözse Hosszu
managing co-founder, architect
Bözse is enthusiastic about place making, community building and rock climbing. Both as an architect and as a civil activist her main focus is on finding responsible and creative answers to social challenges. At Open Doors her main roles are
Hanna Eichner
facilitator, videographer
Flavio Massignan
coordinator, scientist
Bálint Mendlik
Najibullah Jamali
main chef, kite facilitator
Our Story
2012
Start
Open Doors started as a one year long project with 5 countries (Greece, Italy, Cyprus, Spain, Hungary) financed by the Europe for Citizens Program of the European Commission. The project included an international research about the integration of refugees arriving to the European Union.
2013
Kick-off renovation
Besides the international research, the project also included a local activity in each country. As the Hungarian team had the chance to get to know the small group of unaccompanied minor refugees living in the Childcare Center of Fót, we decided with them to renovate their community room together.
First educational tool
Even the one year long project came to its end, our team in Hungary could not close their doors. More and more minors joined our weekly meetings and we developed together our first educational tool.
TEDxYouth Budapest
blah 2013
First international voluntary camp
We decided to gather international volunteers from all around Europe for a week to promote international cooperation and develop an outdoor community space together with the minor refugees.
2014
Adobe Youth Voices
As we got accepted to the program of Adobe Foundation, we were able to organize our first media training involving and connecting minor refugees and their Hungarian peers.
2015
First long term volunteer
From 2015 we constantly work with EVS/ESC volunteers from abroad. Thanks to their long stay (12 months) they are the heart of our community and also our full-time staff. Their work and life is financed by the program of Erasmus+.
2016
DOOR - our first community space
Thanks for being part of OPEN! Festival of the Contemporary Architecture Center in spring, we were able to open our first community space: DOOR, the Multiculti Co-Work-Shop.
2017
First Youth Exchange
In the summer of 2017 we organized our first international media training for refugee and migrant youth and for their european peers. The participants were coming from countries like Italy, Spain, Armenia and Finland.
2018
MiraDoor
After running DOOR for 2 years we decided to open our community space on a new address with bigger space and capacity in Bokréta street. Since the beginning we have run MiraDoor with the cooperation of Artemisszió Foundation’s Mira Community.
First Bokréta Festival
Not much after the opening of MiraDoor with Mira Community we organized MiraDoor’s first street gathering, Bokréta Festival. The programs were open and free for all and included music, creative workshops, sport activities and food sharing.
UNHCR Innovation Award
At the end of the year MiraDoor was honoured by the Innovation Award of UNHCR in recognition of our work.
2019
Recognition of Ferencváros
As Miradoor we have received the recognition of the district for working for the communities of Ferencváros.
2021
Cultirider - Community Space on Wheels
During the pandemic we decided together with our community to make our community space mobile and available for more people outside of Budapest. With the help of a l've crowdfunding event we have bought a van and started our Cultirider project on three locations: Ágasegyháza, Tiszadob and Diósjenő.
2022
New community space in Almássy street
In the beginning of 2022 we renovated our old office together with Útilapu Hálózat, and created space for our Intercultural Community space in the heart of the 7th district.