WHAT WAS 2022 FOR US?

One crisis after another…  – this is what we used to say in 2022, being worried if we would have enough time to adapt. Feeling worried was not the solution… – we also needed to respond as efficiently as possible, to transform the challenges into advantages, and to recharge ourselves with a new impetus for more rights and freedoms.

The global and local crises affected the civic energy, the activism and the environment in Bulgaria: while the dialogue with the institutions had its ups and downs, the Bulgarian volunteers and donors demonstrated once again that we, as a society, are not impartial to the tragedies across the world, either – whether these have emerged near or far from us.

We from BCNL focused on:

Improving the environment for CSOs:

• Work Civil Society Development Council to become a platform for dialogue with institutions;
• Involve CSOs in conducting the NGO sector risk assessment on money laundering and terrorist financing;
• Reaction against the draft law on registration of foreign agents;
• Building cross-sectoral partnerships in implementing the highest standards in human rights protection (the issue of effective protection and support for people with disabilities and children in legal proceedings).

More visibility of civic engagement:

• With the fifth edition of the Civic Vigil competition we provoked the creative inspiration of 115 Bulgarian authors who participated with 207 photographs, illustrations and texts;
• Together with the Association of European Journalists, we made the next series of the Civic Hitchhiker.

 

More investment in the capacity of organisations:

• With the training and support of Lets' GO 2022 finalists, the 10th anniversary edition of the Summer School, exchanges between 4 European countries of social entrepreneurs and many other trainings and consultations.

 

You can read more about our annual report HERE.