he new in this year’s program was the holding of public discussions on a topic of regional significance within the framework of each course and the organizing of working visits to various municipal and state institutions in the host countries
The new in this year’s program was the holding of public discussions on a topic of regional significance within the framework of each course and the organizing of working visits to various municipal and state institutions in the host countries. The training under this project aims at giving the participants knowledge of and skills in the political processes that may lead to increasing public trust in political parties and state institutions by reconnecting the political elites with the publics in Southeast Europe and to the development of common visions on problems of key importance for the region. The program’s specific objectives are to encourage the active civic positions of young political and civic leaders through their participation in public debates on salient political issues; promote constructive dialogue between political parties, civil society and the media in Southeast Europe; stimulate an active exchange of experience and ideas for the democratic development of the region; develop leadership skills of a group of young political and civic leaders from Southeast Europe and their ability to think and act more as statesmen than politicians.
May – November 2006
The team of the Bulgarian School of Politics decided to change the format of the 2006 training. It decreased the number of the training courses to three per year, but each course was conducted for an extended span of six days. Within the framework of each course, the School team decided to introduce and hold public discussions on a salient topic. Prior to the beginning of each course, the participants were asked to prepare short papers (2 to 5 pages long) on the topics of the public discussions and send them to the Bulgarian School of Politics. These essays served as a basis for the discussions. Besides the trainees, participants in the public discussions were also politicians, experts and journalists from the host countries.
Training courses and public discussion topics:
• Political Democracy and the Political Process – Skopje, Macedonia, 28 June – 2 July 2006; public discussion topic: “The Rule of Law and Fight against Corruption”
• Conflict Management and Negotiations – Belgrade, Serbia, 27 September – 1 October 2006; public discussion topic: “Multiethnic Societies and Nationalism in the Balkans”
• Regional Policy – Sofia, Bulgaria, 25 – 29 October 2006; public discussion topic: “Regional Cooperation and the Future of the Balkans”
A novelty in this year’s program was the organization of working visits to various Serbian and Bulgarian municipal and state institutions: city halls, parliaments, presidencies, and councils of ministers. These working visits, considered as indispensable from an educational point of view by the participants, are likely to persist during the training program next year. The participants, who had complied with all the requirements and criteria of the program, who had duly sent their essays on the public discussion topics prior to the beginning of each seminar, and who had successfully completed the entire training, were awarded certificates for specialization in political management at the New Bulgarian University.
The Program’s participants are representatives of parliamentary represented political parties, the media, public institutions, and NGOs from the region of Southeast Europe: Albania, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, and UNMIK/Kosovo. For the purpose of attaining the project goals, the various courses were held in different countries of the region. This helps the cross-cultural learning in the native environment of each participant.
The public discussions held in Skopje, Belgrade and Sofia were attended and covered by representatives of the media in the host countries:
• 27 June, Focus News Agency - information about the starting of the Regional Program of the Bulgarian School of Politics
• 27 June, Makfax - information about the starting of the Regional Program of the Bulgarian School of Politics
• 27 June, MIA - information about the starting of the Regional Program of the Bulgarian School of Politics
• 28 June, Focus News Agency - information about the lecture of Mr. Kiro Gligorov delivered during the first training course under the Regional Program of the Bulgarian School of Politics
• 1 July, Macedonian National TV – coverage of the public discussion “Rule of Law and Fight Against Corruption” in the prime time broadcast
• 1 July, Sitel - coverage on the public discussion “Rule of Law and Fight Against Corruption” in the prime time broadcast
• 1 July, Channel 5 - coverage of the public discussion “Rule of Law and Fight Against Corruption” in the prime time broadcast and interviews with participants
• 1 July, Al TV – coverage of the public discussion “Rule of Law and Fight Against Corruption” in the prime time broadcast and interviews with participants
• 26 October, News Agency Focus – Information on the Program and donors. Announcement of the meeting with the Sofia Mayor Boyko Borissov
• 26 October, Dnes +, internet agency- Announcement of the meeting between the Class 2006 of BSoP Regional Program and the Sofia Mayor Boyko Borissov
• 27 October, Internet Media BIG.BG – Description of the Regional Program and Announcement of the meeting between the Class 2006 of the BSoP Regional Program and the Sofia Mayor Boyko Borissov
• 27 October, News Agency Focus – Announcement of the certificate awarding ceremony in New Bulgarian University and that Deputy Prime Minister Ivailo Kalfin would award the participants with certificates in Political Management
• 27 October, BBT TV, Interview with Georgi Prangov and Edvard Mitevski, Class of 2006 on the goals and achievements of the Regional Program
• 27 October, Radio France International – Interview with Nora Kartelova, Class of 2006 on the goals and achievements of the Regional Program
• 27 October, Bulgarian Telegraph Agency – Information on the certificate awarding ceremony in New Bulgarian University and that the Deputy Prime Minister Ivailo Kalfin will award the participants with certificates in Political Management
• 27 October, ACTUALNO.com – Information on the certificate awarding ceremony in New Bulgarian University and that Deputy Prime Minister Ivailo Kalfin would award the participants with certificates in Political Management
• 17 November, Interview with the Macedonian participants in the FORUM Magazine about the Regional Program and the current situation in the Balkans.
TBC
H.E. Mr. Kiro Gligorov, Former President of the Republic of Macedonia; Dr. Svetoslav Malinov, Professor of Political Science at the Sofia University, MP (Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria); Prof. Georgi Karasimeonov, Sofia University; Elizabetha Jovanovska, Project Manager, Governance and Youth, British Council – Macedonia; Marijana Grbesa, Professor at the Zagreb University; Saso Ordanoski, Member of the Board, Macedonian Association of Political Affirmation; Rumjana Kolarova, Chief Expert, Transparency International – Bulgaria; Gabriela Konevska, Transparency International – Macedonia; Zorislav Petrovic, President, Transparency International – Croatia; Jasmina Mironski, Journalist, France Press, Macedonia; Mrs. Sonja Licht, President of the Belgrade Fund for Political Excellence; Alexander Petkovski, trainer in conflict resolution, Macedonia; Ivelin Nikolov, Deputy Chairman of the Bulgarian Socialist Party; Jani Makraduli, Member of Parliament, Macedonia; Mile Grubisic, President of the Youth Organization of the Croatian People’s Party, Class of 2003 of the BSoP Regional Program; Ivan Delibasic, Secretary of the International Youth G17+, Class of 2003 of the BSoP Regional Program; Merita Myftari-Poni, Advisor to the Minister of Labour, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, Democratic Party of Albania, Class of 2004 of the BSoP Regional Program; Prof. Vojislav Stanovcic, Member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts; Milan Nikolic, Director of the Center for Policy Studies; Olga Borisova, American University, Sofia; Ivailo Kalfin, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Bulgaria; Francois Friederich, Political Affairs, Council of Europe; Prof. Sergei Ignatov, Rector, New Bulgarian University; Prof. Dobrin Kanev, Advisor to the President of the Republic of Bulgaria; Mincho Spasov, MP, (Bulgarian School of Politics, Class of 2006); Boiko Borisov, Mayor of Sofia; Irina Savina, Deputy Mayor of Sofia (Bulgarian School of Politics, Class of 2002); Boiko Vasilev, Panorama Talk Show, Bulgarian National Television; Vessela Cherneva, Program Director, Centre for Liberal Strategies; Dimitar Abadjiev, MP, Deputy Chairman of the Parliamentary Group of Democrats for Strong Bulgaria, EU Observer.
