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
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.
March – October 2004
Five training courses were conducted under the program:
• The Unfinished Journey of Democracy in Southeastern Europe – Bankya, Bulgaria, 26 – 28 March 2004;
• The Political Process – Dubrovnik, Croatia, 23 – 25 April 2004;
• Political Communication – Ohrid, Macedonia, 11 – 13 June 2004;
• Conflict Management and Negotiations – Belgrade, Serbia, 2 - 4 July 2004;
• Policy for Regional Cooperation – Sofia, Bulgaria, 1 – 4 October 2004.
The participants, who complied with all the requirements and criteria of the program and who successfully completed the courses, received certificates for specialization in political management from the New Bulgarian University and the Council of Europe.
The Program targets representatives of parliamentary represented political parties, the media, public institutions, and NGOs from the region of Southeast Europe: Albania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo/UNMIK. For the purpose of attaining the project goals, the various courses are held in different countries of the region. This helps the cross-cultural learning in the native environment of each participant.
• Bulgarian National Radio, Horizont Program - An interview with Iva Dobichina and Goran Lojancic on the role and objectives of the Regional Program of the Bulgarian School of Politics, on conflict resolution methods and the interaction of the new generation of political and civic leaders from the region;
• The Troud - an interview with Lirak Celaj, author – Plamen Yotinski, on the problems facing Kosovo, on building a multiethnic society and the likelihood for democratization, on relations with Serbia;
• Bulgarian National Television - an interview with Haralan Alexandrov and Lirak Celaj on the Bulgarian School of Politics, on the mission of the School and on the ways in which a new political culture can be build up in the region;
• Bulgarian National Radio - interviews with Iva Dobichina, Dan Spicer, Lirak Celaj, Nebojsa Savia-Valha on the role of the School in creating new political elite in the Balkans, on the unique opportunity given to the participants of being trained together, of communicating and getting to know each other, of acquiring knowledge and understanding of the positions expressed by the representatives of all the countries in the region, which leads to development of a higher level of mutual trust, good will and consensus;
• Radio New Europe (former Radio Free Europe) - interviews with Lirak Celaj, Goran Lojancic, Nebojsa Savia-Valha and Ilija Dimovski on the problems in the Balkans, the ways of reaching permanent solutions to the region’s problems, the future of Kosovo, relations with Belgrade, the problems of the multiethnic societies in Macedonia, on the role of the Bulgarian School of Politics in this context and the uniqueness of the training method;
• Radio France Internacionale - conversation with Marko Kronja and Baskim Nuredini – analysis of the elections in Serbia, the implementation of the Ohrid Agreement and the building of stable multi-ethnic societies in the region; on the role of the Bulgarian School of Politics in building a new political culture and new political elites in the participating countries;
• Darik Radio - interview with Kaloyan Metodiev on the Regional Program of the Bulgarian School of Politics, on its importance for the progress of the young political and civil leaders in the countries of the region, on the new political culture promoted via the School’s programs;
• The Tema - The Vicious Circle of Corruption in Southeast Europe – essay by Ivan Delibashic;
• BNN - Information on the Bulgarian School of Politics
• Bulgarian National Television (Horizont Program), Darik Radio, Info Radio - information in the newscasts on the opening of the School, on the work under the regional program, and on the awarding of certificates for specialization in political management at New Bulgarian University;
• Bulgarian National Television, Nova TV, 7 Days TV, MSAT TV - news coverage of Prime Minister Saxe-Coburg Gotha, giving certificates to the participants who had successfully completed the courses under the regional program of the Bulgarian School of Politics;
• The 24 Hours, Dnevnik, Sega - picture and caption – Awarding certificates at New Bulgarian University
• MSAT TV - Interview with Svetlana Lomeva on the Regional Program of the Bulgarian School of Politics, on the conception of the idea, on the program objectives, training methods and results achieved
Janusz Bugajski, Director for Central and Eastern Europe at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington; Ognyan Minchev, Director of the Institute for Regional and International Studies; Thomas Markert, Deputy Secretary, Venice Commission, Council of Europe; Boyko Vassilev, journalist, presenter of the political weekly program “Panorama” of Channel 1, Bulgarian National Television; Svetoslav Malinov, Sofia University, Editor-in-Chief, the Reason Journal; Prof. Georgi Karasimeonov, Sofia University; Iva Dobichina; Nebojsa Savija-Valha; Mitko Marinov; Mile Grubisic; Dan Spicer; Saso Ordanovski, Director, FORUM, Member of the Board, Macedonian School of Politics; Haralan Aleksandrov, Member of the Advisory Board of the Bulgarian School of Politics, New Bulgarian University; Jasmina Mironski, France Press, Macedonia; Vasil Tupurkovski, Macedonia; Borjan Jovanovski, Anchor of a talk Show, Citel TV, Macedonia; . Lubov Mincheva, Affiliated Researcher at the University of Maryland and professor at the Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”; Steiner Bryn, Director of Democracy, Human Rights and Peaceful Conflict Resolution Course at Nansen Academy, Norway; Zeljko Vojinovic, Director of Political Marketing agency “Senat,” Serbia; Oliver Ivanovic, Vice President of Democratic Alternative, Serbia; Georgi Koritarov, journalist, Radio Free Europe; Stanimir Ilchev, MP, Chairman of the Parliamentary Group of the Simeon II National Movement; Mihail Mikov, MP, Deputy Chairman of the Parliamentary Group of the Bulgarian Socialist Party; and Nikolay Mladenov, MP, Deputy Chairman of the Union of Democratic Forces; Thomas Volgy, Executive Director of the Association for International Studies, USA; Katia Hristova, Assistant Professor in Political Institutions and European Integration at New Bulgarian University, Consultant at Transparency International; Simeon Saxe-Coburg Gotha, Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria; Associate Professor Sergey Ignatov, Rector of New Bulgarian University.
