Today is the International Youth Day. The initiative aims to draw attention to both the problems facing young people as well as their achievements and contributions to political, socio-economic, and cultural development at global, national, and local levels. On this day, public events and campaigns are organized worldwide to encourage youth participation in decision-making in all areas of public life.
The "Workshop for Civic Initiatives" Foundation supports young people in the country by implementing various projects to support their professional and personal development. A great example of our successful program in this direction is the Initiative for Building the Next Generation of Civic Leaders.
The initiative increases the capacity of young people engaged in the field of civic organizations, by helping them and offering solutions to deal more easily with the challenges in the sector, including above all: the crisis in the social state, the shrinking space for civil society, and the increasing radicalization of broader segments of the population.
The first edition of the "Initiative" was successfully completed in the summer of 2021 with a final meeting held in Sofia, with the participation of the already trained civic leaders. For almost three years, the 30 participants conducted over 10 different trainings, met with mentors - experts from different spheres of civic work, and formed an Alumni Club. The organizers, forced by the circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 crisis, paid attention to yet another significant topic - overcoming the crisis in NGOs, thus preparing young people to react adequately to unforeseen circumstances and to better understand crisis communication techniques.
The second edition of the project is currently underway. As part of their participation, young people receive a series of trainings with established leaders of national organizations (NGOs), journalists, marketing and public communications specialists, fundraisers, and lawyers, as well as the opportunity to work in a network for the purpose of exchanging experience and joint activities.
On the occasion of today's holiday, we congratulate all inspiring young people with whom our work has crossed paths over the years and who motivate us to look towards brighter future days.
