“Victim of Corruption? No Way!”
(Youth campaigns for active citizenship)
Coordinator: Bulgarian Reading Association (BulRA)
Partners: “Centre for Youth and Educational Initiatives” – Silistra, “Paideia” Foundation
Financed by: Democracy Commission Small Grants, US Embassy, Sofia, Bulgaria
Project time: September 2005 – October 2006
Project Site: Sofia– activities with a national scope (e.g. national youth contests), Silistra, Russe, Razgrad – local youth anticorruption campaigns
Goals: The goal of the project is to raiseunderstanding and awareness about the threat of corruption for democracy and social justice among members of two target groups:
- Youth (on a national and regional level in 3 regions) as:
- direct participants in project activities (formation of teams, trainings, campaigns);
- main target audience for the campaigns;
- authors of the products and messages oriented to youth and community in general.
As future citizens and professionals in different areas youth are the main resource for sustainable multiplication of democratic principles and values. Only a timely prevention of distorted understanding of individualism, market economy and disappointment in democracy could ensure active and informed civic participation.
- Community in general (on a national and regional level)
Youth are adequate source of messages to the whole society since they are not overburdened with extreme negative predispositions and stereotypes from the previous value system; it is typical for their age to be optimistic, critical and craving for justice. The creative imagination of youth achieves original forms to attract the social attention.
Activities:
- Activities with a national scope – Contests for essay, graffiti; logo and motto contests for the anticorruption campaigns,
The contests were oriented to students aged 16 – 19; launched in November 2005, and the results announced in March 2006. The announcements and information was disseminated via the BulRA network and the partner organizations. - Activities in the 3 target regions
Youthteams were formed in Silistra, Russe and Razgrad. Each team included 8 participants, aged 16 to 19 who were supported by a local coordinator and two adults. They organized a local anticorruption campaign. The 3 regional teams participated in an initial training, consultative and instructional meeting. The team members were acquainted with the different forms of corruption and their impact on society and each individual; planning was made about the content and logistics of the prospective local activities.
The teams assisted locally with the dissemination of information and motivation for participation in the national contests, which were planned, organized and held in April – May 2006, and were actively involved in the local campaigns for informing and raising the awareness of community towards corruption (Anticorruption weeks).
Types of activities:
- local competitions and exhibitions;
- radio broadcasts and publications in the local media and youth publications;
- design, preparation and distribution of leaflets and posters;
- trainings and other meetings held by peers and teachers;
- public debates on issues of corruption;
- meetings with governmental institutions, open letters, etc.
Each team had its own plan and form of activities to be realized locally. The project was concluded with a final meeting of the 3 local team members and finalists in the national contests. The participants presented and discussed with peers their local campaigns and exchanged valuable experience for prospects of sustainability of activities realized during the project time.
For more detailed information about the CD “Education against corruption” -CD-AC-CONTENTS-EN.