„We’ve been through a turbulent period, where historical time seemed to advance faster than astronomical. In the course of seven years we saw eight changes of government, and we had to deal with the Covid pandemic, on top of that. In this uncertain environment, however, we managed to ensure that the civil sector would successfully implement its long-term initiatives“. With these words Mr. Georgi Stoytchev, Executive Director of Open Society Institute – Sofia, opened the final event of Active Citizens Fund, „Citizens at Work“. He pointed out that thanks to the donor countries the Fund has secured the most thematically diverse initiatives ever. A similar opinion was expressed by Kerstin Agneta Wahlberg, Counselor at the Norwegian Embassy, who was also in attendance.
One of the meeting’s emphases was on the achievements of civil society in the country, but also on the challenges that the sector is facing.
The event proper started with presentation of the results of the funded projects in parallel with some important conversations on the future of civil society. This segment saw the participation of Iliyana Nikolova, Executive Director of Workshop for Civic Initiatives Foundation, Georgi Stoytchev, Executive Director of Foundation Open Society Institute – Sofia, Maria Metodieva, Director of Institutional Partnerships, Trust for Social Achievement Foundation, managers of the various thematic priorities, as well as representatives of different supported organizations from Bulgaria and Norway.
A panel discussion titled „Extremism and democracy – Norway’s experience and challenges for Bulgaria“ proved particularly interesting. In the course of this segment Boyan Zahariev from Open Society Institute – Sofia presented the Institute’s most recent sociological surveys on hate speech in Bulgaria. „Hate speech is just the surface, beneath which lie whole ideologies and systems that people use to comment on and explain the present. That they are silent at times doesn’t mean that the hatred is gone. We’re speaking of whole structures of convictions and deeply rooted beliefs. That is why I believe that to decrease hate speech we need to examine things in depth – that is, in the educational system“, said Boyan Zahariev.
The panel discussion was joined by Gro Lindstad, Lisbeth Røyneland and Magnus Håkonsen, who represented the Norwegian Support Group after the 22nd of July terror attack.
The event’s third major topic was the future of civic organizations in Bulgaria. The participants discussed key initiatives such as the ACF Component related to the provision of scholarships to medical students of Roma origin, the Project Generation Facility and the Next Generation Civil Society Leaders Initiative. Other attendees who took part in the discussion included Monika Pisankaneva and Iliyana Nikolova from Workshop for Civic Initiatives Foundation, Ognyan Isaev from Trust for Social Achievement Foundation and Ilko Yordanov from Foundation Open Society Institute – Sofia.
„Two things are essential for the future of the civil sector in this country – first, to be outward-looking and utilize the expertise of other sectors, and second, it needs to renew itself through the involvement of young people“, said Iliyana Nikolova.
Also on the panel were Stela Kostova from Roma Academy for Culture and Education, Silsila Mahboub, one of the participants in the Next Generation Civil Society Leaders Initiative, and Slavka Petrova, one of the scholarship-supported Roma medical students.
„This program helped me work for my cause in an even more purposeful and effective way, as refugees are citizens of Bulgaria as well“, shared Silsila Mahboub.
In the afternoon part of the final event the attendees took part in diverse and interactive sessions.
The forum performance of Tsvete Theatre titled “And what would you do?” presented three of the most common forms of school violence, encouraging the viewers to participate actively and propose solutions for dealing with such occurrences.
The session „Active citizens in the lens“ included screening and discussion of project-funded short films illustrating the variety and significance of the supported initiatives.
The topics of the subsequent discussions were focused on media literacy and civic education as tools against misinformation. Special emphasis was also put on the role of art and culture in the building of an informed and active society.
In parallel with the main program, there was an all-day film event called „Through the lens of civic organizations“. The cinematic program showcased video content and short movies created under initiatives supported by the Fund in the 2017 – 2024 period, which pinpointed the diversity and importance of the projects funded through the years.
The closing event of Active Citizens Fund Bulgaria marked the end of a successful seven-year program, which has created a platform for exchange of practices and knowledge oriented to the future of civil society and democracy in Bulgaria.
The total cost of Active Citizens Fund Bulgaria amounts to EUR 16,045,000 provided entirely by the donor countries Iceland, Lichtenstein and Norway. The program was active till April 2024 and has contributed to the attainment of the common goals of the EEA and Norway Grants of reducing the economic and social differences and reinforcing the bilateral relations between the beneficiary countries and the donor states. In Bulgaria the Fund is managed by Foundation Open Society Institute, Workshop for Civic Initiatives Foundation and Trust for Social Achievement Foundation. In a nutshell, the objective of Active Citizens Fund is „Strengthened civil society, active citizens and empowered vulnerable groups“.
