At the end of last year, the participants of the first edition of the Initiative established an Alumni Club to share their experiences and knowledge, exchange ideas, and launch joint projects. Every month, the participants gather for a virtual meeting on Zoom, and one of them presents a topic of interest that they believe will be useful to the other participants.
In the first meeting in February, Lily Dragoeva, Executive Director of the Bilitis Foundation, presented "Anti-gender Narratives." With this topic, she drew attention to what "gender" actually means. She answered important questions such as: what are the anti-gender messages that have taken over the public consciousness in recent years; where did they come from and why did they become part of our popular psychology so quickly; is this phenomenon unique or is Bulgaria just another country where an established scenario is being repeated; who is behind the hysteria and who finances it; and how can we counteract it?
Radoslava Slavkova from the environmental association "For the Earth" spoke on the topic of "What is a carbon, climate, and ecological footprint?" and specifically in the context of the planetary boundaries of the Earth, from cradle to cradle approach/life cycle assessment. She showed sample calculators for calculating our own carbon footprint and clarified what to keep in mind when choosing more ecological alternatives.
In May, Gloria Filipova, again from Bilitis, presented a Handbook for Working with Youth, which introduces an innovative methodology for combating stereotypes and hate through theater and playing out studies. This methodology is particularly useful for anyone working with youth or in the human rights field as a whole.
In June, Alexander Milanov from the National Patient Organization will draw attention to the importance of storytelling and how to attract support through gripping stories.
The "Initiative for Building the Next Generation of Civic Leaders" project by Workshop for Civic Initiatives Foundation is funded by the Active Citizens Fund Bulgaria under the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area (EEA FM) 2014-2021, provided by Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway. The project aims to support the development of a new generation of civil leaders in Bulgaria who have the knowledge and skills to work effectively in a shrinking space for civil society and limited resources.