partners

 Since its incorporation in 1998 Partners Bulgaria is promoting Education for democratic citizenship and Human Rights Education. Partners Bulgaria is providing research,  training, dissemination of good practices and activities which aim to empower young people and adult learners to exercise and defend their democratic rights and responsibilities in society, to value diversity, to act as active citizens and to promote democratic values and the universal culture of human rights.

Partners Bulgaria promotes the Council of Europe Charter on Education for Democratic Citizenship and Human Rights Education. Being a long standing member of the Council of Europe’s program of Education for Democratic Citizenship and Human Rights Education /EDC/HRE/ in her capacity as the national coordinator /2000-2010/, Dr. Daniela Kolarova, Partners Bulgaria director, has contributed to the development of Council of Europe policy on EDC/HRE:

Partners Bulgaria Foundation is a founding member of DARE – The European network for democracy and human rights education that advocates for independent human rights and democratic citizenship education and contributes to the improvement of their framing conditions, especially in the non-formal learning field. Incorporated in 2003 in Belgium, DARE promotes Democratic Citizenship and Human Rights Education as an integral part of lifelong learning and encourages cooperation between formal and non-formal education and youth work.

One of the latest publications of DARE is STEPS – Survival Toolkit for Education for Democratic Citizenship in Post-factual Societies /2018/, with the support of the European Commission. This textbook focuses on Populism, Post-factualism and Radicalisation and its relation to EDC work with young people. Partners Bulgaria contribution reflects on the development of democratic resilience by introducing educational concepts and approaches for youth work.

Partners Bulgaria is participating with lectures, panel discussions, workshops and presentations in DARE European seminars. Latest DARE initiative /2018-2019/ is Exchange on Quality of Education – Project SemiFit – aiming to assist intercultural trainers in Human Rights Education to gain knowledge and inspiration from their European peers.

Partners Bulgaria initiatives in Education for Democratic Citizenship and Human Rights Education in Bulgaria target students, young people and adult learners. Some examples include:

  • Innovative Models on Democracy and Human Rights Education in Class and out of the Classroom in schools in Turkey, supported by the Delegation of the European Union in Turkey /2013-2014/. Partners Bulgaria developed training materials for teachers and youth facilitators, conducted training for trainers in Turkey and supported Student Action Teams to organise human rights campaigns in schools and to reach to the wider communities in Edirne and Istanbul.
  • Religious Diversity and Anti-discrimination Education /2015-2013/, supported by the European Commission. This project united the expertise of a wide European consortium to develop teaching materials and training kits in combating discrimination, islamophobia, anti-semitism and homophobia. The Religious Diversity and Anti-discrimination Training Kit for adult learners won a golden award of the European commission for its innovation and quality of intercultural and human rights education.
  • Educating young people in Climate Change: Make the Links – Climate Exchange /2009-2012/. This initiative connected students from Bulgaria, UK, and the Netherland with students from Kenia, Senegal and Malawi.  Led by Plan UK, partners developed learning materials and promoted dialogue and action on climate change by linking European schools with secondary schools in key at risk countries in Africa. Participating students communicated via a secure, interactive and multi-lingual web platform to learn about, and share experiences and views on climate change.
  • Etsablishing Student Councils at School, Municipal and Regional Level /2012-2016/. Supported by the State Agency for Child Protection, UNICEF Bulgaria and Open Society Institut /through the FM of EEA/ the project promoted young people’s participation and encouraged school students to practice active citizenship and demand changes in local policy that are important for them. Manuals for child participation and guidance how to etablish and manage students councils at all levels have been developed to serve the needs of students, school professionals, youth facilitators and municipal officials. The project encouraged and supported various community initiatives of young people.