Bulgaria s President Demonstrates His Support for the Third Sector

A Bulgaria - America: Building Up a Civil Society at Home and Across the Ocean conference took place in Washington, on February 8, 1998. The conference was attended by representatives of more than 100 NGOs from the United States and 15 from Bulgaria, among which Ginka Kapitanova, Executive Director of the Foundation for Local Government Reform. The conference agenda, which included a plenary session and discussions in small groups, created excellent opportunities for individual contacts and exchange of information in accordance with participants interests.

Ivan Krastev and Krasen Stanchev made a review of the current political and economic situation in Bulgaria. Boiko Todorov presented the legal environment in which Bulgarian NGOs work, as well as their efforts in passing new legislation regulating third sector activities. Ambassador Ivan Stanchov introduced the audience to Bulgarian efforts in nurturing respect for cultural, religious and social diversity, for the rights and abilities of people in unprivileged position. Mariana Milosheva focused on partnership at local level and on the need to re-establish a sense of community. Nikolai Mladenov s report Donors as Partners in Bulgaria established a link between the plenary session and the discussion panels on specific areas of Bulgarian NGO activities. Bulgaria s First Lady, Antonina Stoyanova, also attended the conference.

The message of the conference and the follow-up meetings and discussions was that a civil society is being actively established in Bulgaria, that NGOs have clear priorities, an accumulated capacity and potential to stimulate reforms at local and national level and to actively participate in social life, regardless of existing financial problems. They are ready for partnerships with their American counterparts, for exchange of working practices and experience, for joint projects.

The American hosts were impressed by the precise analysis of the current situation in Bulgaria, the clear vision of their Bulgarian colleagues about the role of civil society, and by their willingness for partnership with the other two sectors. Many of the American participants spontaneously expressed their positive attitude towards Bulgaria s new image . A Russian, who has been living in the United States for several years, stated the common opinion in most eloquent terms. She said, I have always believed that in every aspect Russia is a more developed country than Bulgaria. Today, however, after listening to these young people who speak excellent English, travel with their President, talk with such love about new Bulgaria, work to establish an active civil society in their country, and seek partnership across the ocean, I have changed my mind.