We are the Bulgarian School of Politics “Dimitry Panitza”, a non-governmental non-profit organization with public benefit purposes, which has been training the political and civic leaders of Bulgaria since 2001. The school was established on the initiative of Dimitriy – Ivan Evstatiev Panitza – a patriotic Bulgarian and philanthropist, who up until his death worked with astounding vigour for the development of the democratic society in Bulgaria. We are the co-founders of the Network of Schools of Political Studies under the auspices of the Council of Europe.
The network comprises 21 members from different regions, including Central and Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Northern Africa. Our mission is to support the creation of a community of civic and political leaders with an active stand in national, European and global political and public life, devoted to contemporary democratic values of pluralism, tolerance and informed debate.For more than a decade we have been sharing our unique experience with other countries in Southeast Europe, North Africa and Ukraine.
Through training programs, conferences and initiatives targeting the professional development of young civic leaders we aim to encourage the process of democratization in Bulgaria and the countries from the Western Balkans, Black Sea region and the South Mediterranean.
Our programs have hosted more than 650 Bulgarian and 200 foreign leaders – Members of Parliament, leading politicians, senior government officials, judges, prosecutors, members of the business community and civic leaders.
Our partners are Citizenship School of Political Studies in Morocco, Tunisian School of Politics, The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance – IDEA, NETHERLANDS INSTITUTE FOR MULTIPARTY DEMOCRACY(NIMD), Dutch House for Democracy and the Rule of Law (ProDemos), Bulgarian civil organizations and research institutes.
The programs and projects of the School are financed Council of Europe, America for Bulgaria Foundation, Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, Robert BOSCH Stiftung, Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie, EEA Grants, Trust for Civil Society in CEE, Balkan Trust for Democracy, Bonita Trust, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Matra program), National Endowment for Democracy , Open Society Foundation, Youth in Action, the Global Environment Facility Small Grants Program (SGP), The University of Cambridge Programme for Sustainability Leadership, USA Government, Government of Norway, Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety of Germany , Embassy of the United Kingdom, Embassy of Germany, PHARE Program, Westminster Foundation for Democracy, Freedom House and others.
