The Women’s Alliance for Development Foundation is implementing a project entitled “The Future Strategy Europe 2020 – The Vision of Sofia”. The project is funded by EUROPE Program of Sofia City Council.

The project aims to initiate a broad participatory consultative process “EU 2020 – The Vision of Sofia” by encouraging partnership between local government and civil society structures. The project activities will popularize the consultative communication of the European Commission regarding EU 2020 and will assist the development of Sofia’s vision on how to achieve the priorities of the new strategy at the local level.

In result Sofia will be the first municipality in Bulgaria to develop through a participatory and evidence-based process its vision and position, its development goals and the measures for their achievement. In addition this will strengthen the capacity of CSOs to participate effectively in policy-making in the broader EU framework and to take ownership of the implementation.  

WAD Foundation is implementing a project under the Youth in Action Program, entitled “Young People – A Resource for Community Development”.

The project aims to increase youth citizen activism and participation in small and remote from the capital city towns in Bulgaria – the municipalities of Ihtiman, Kavarna and Silistra. The youth dimension of local governments’ sectoral policies affect seriously the resources and conditions for development of young people an their insufficient efficiency is a factor for low youth realization, out migration an immigration. Young people who woul like to stay in their home towns, should be supported through addressing the most common barriers like employment opportunities, education and training, housing policies, transport, recreation, health care.

Disadvantaged young people also nees messages and strategies to combat stereotypes, to lower thresholds for participation and contribution to communal life, policy development and encouraging culture of dialogue an social connectivity. The project activities are designed to send an important message that the national youth strategy is developed not only by organizations and institutions in the capital city but also takes into consideration and encourages the participation of young people and their organizations from remote and small towns. The project activities will also contribute to the consultative process in Bulgaria on the draft strategy “EU 2020”.