Liberal Integration Foundation

Date of Establishment of the Liberal Integration Foundation: April, 09, 2003.

Type of Organisation: NGO and a nonprofit legal person

Organisation and management:

· Council of the Foundation – represented by the founders:

· Managing Board;

· Executive Director - Vesselin Malinov Penev

Mission:

Proclamation and support to the fundamental values of the modern liberalism such as freedom, responsibility, tolerance, social justice and equal opportunities.

Aims and Goals

Work towards better understanding of the liberal idea within the context of the European integration of Bulgaria throughout information and education of citizens and society;
Building and establishment of the national identity within the context of globalization through preservation of the ethnical and religious diversity as a constructive component of the civil society in Bulgaria; popularization of the unique Bulgarian ethnic model as a convertible social product;
Assistance for the development of ethnic relationships and tolerance through establishment of social mechanisms for the realization of the modern liberal values.
Assistance to the process of improvement of the social status and the quality of life of the population through establishment of the principles of sustainable development, giving priority to the economically underdeveloped regions, with minority groups population.

Scope and Activity Determination

Research of the problems connected with the establishment and the development of modern liberalism and the liberal integration of minorities;
research, analysis and studies of wide range of problems, connected with the negotiation process for integration with the European Union, with emphasis upon the assistance of the local self-governance in conformity with the best practices;
education in the sphere of best European practices, connected with the democratic elections' organization and pre-election initiatives.
development, management and consultation on projects, connected with preassesment programs such as Phare, ISPA and SAPARD:

a) improvement of the economic status of the population in economically underdeveloped regions through assistance to the small and medium size business;

b) priority development of the ecological and alternative agriculture, ecological tourism, cultural tourism and all types of alternative tourism;

c) elaboration of educational programs with emphasis upon breaking the stereotypes of isolation and alienation of groups with different ethnic, cultural and religious background. Organization and assistance of interactive programs and campaigns in order to be induced sensibility of the society towards the problems of equal access to good general and professional education and to vocational training.

To achieve its purposes the Foundation shall use all legal means, including:

- establishment of partners' relationships with universities, research centers, public administration, non-governmental organizations, natural persons and business groups in order to be supported decisions that shall contribute to the process of enlarging the national expert basis in the sphere of the liberal idea, social integration of the minorities and the integration of Bulgaria to the European Union;

- organization of funds and granting them for the research of projects and studies, connected with the purposes of the Foundation;

- publishing, translation and assistance in the publishing of scientific manuals or works, journals, newspapers, brochures and other printed publications, preparation of authors transmissions, films for the electronic means for mass information and web-sites, connected with the activity;

- realization and maintenance of relationships with the means for mass communication and fulfillment of purposeful activity for introduction of the Foundation's purposes and work to the society;

- explanatory and propaganda activity in order to be attracted local and foreign donators;

- establishment and fulfillment of collaboration with similar in purposes and activity organizations, foundations and movements within the country and abroad;

- cooperation and participation in governmental and non-governmental organizations projects in spheres similar to the purposes of the Foundation.

Start of Activities

Next to the organizational issues, team building and strategic planning of the activities the Foundation already has developed and presented to the public 4 projects in the short period of only 6 months of existence such as:

· Folklore music and dance show “Vakali” – Call for proposals for debut projects in the area of contemporary arts. The proposal was within the framework of programs of the National Fund for Culture, the Swiss Program for Culture in Bulgaria and the Soros Center for Cultural Policies. Despite the fact, that the proposal didn't received a grant within this program, the team has been proposed to establish an experimental music and dance laboratory in the Department of the History of Culture of the New Bulgarian University. Two private companies sponsored the group so as the show would be created and performed to the public next year.

· Educational Project within the Program ”Interethnic Fund for Development – Call for proposals 2003” sponsored by “King Boduen Fund” – Belgium, “Charles Stuart Mott Fund” USA, “Open Society Fund” - Bulgaria. The Foundation is a partner in a consortium of NGOs with a project proposal in an area of the primary school involvement against ethnic discrimination and lack of tolerance, for overcoming racism. The project would be carried out in Targovishte town – a region with mixed population for 10 months during the next school year. The authorized donor of the Program is: Interethnical initiative for Human rights Foundation.

· Educational Project in the partnership with the Sofia University, Shumen University and “Ivan Bogorov” Publishing House – Sofia on writing new curriculum programs and notebooks for the children of Turkish minority group who don't speak Bulgarian and are not fit to the general curriculum of the state primary schools. The Project has started in June and will be carried out till October 2003. The Universities teams are responsible for writing the books and the materials, “Ivan Bogorov” Publishing House – Sofia is responsible for the editing and printing, The Liberal Integration Foundation - for spreading and the dissemination the products and the materials among the Turkish communities in Bulgaria.

· Mega Concert – Benefice “Where are you friends” dedicated to the 60 anniversary of the popular Bulgarian pop singer Mustapha Chaushev who is a member of the Turkish minority community. The concert was performed in The National Palace of Culture – Sofia in the presence of the Members of Parliament and other VIP persons and 5 000 people audience. The concert was an expression of the idea of friendship between Bulgarian and Bulgarian Muslims artists singing together.

· “Road to the cultural past of Bulgaria” - Database and Infrastructural system of marking and signs in the cultural tourism in Bulgaria”. Project within Phare Programme – Economic and Social Cohesion. The purpose of the project is the development of an integrated database and infrastructural system of marking and signs for the cultural monuments in Bulgaria, in compliance with the EU standards. It aims to support the development of cultural tourism since it will encourage the tourist business in the country through providing informational products and infrastructural orientation facilities. Within the project will be constructed a database on the cultural heritage in two versions, such as printed materials and Website and also a multi-media product. A system for infrastructural marking and signs of the cultural objects will be created and also a pilot implementation and testing of the created products and arrangement of information centers on the territory of Haskovo region, which is a cross-border region with ethnically mixed population.

· “Job Creation and Qualification through Protection of Public Interest in ‘Kremikovsti' Region, Sofia Municipality” - Project within Phare Program Grant scheme for Social Inclusion. The Project helps overcoming the tendency of marginalisation of minority groups (roma, roma identifying themselves as Turks and ethnic Turks. Within activities of public interest, such as the reconstruction and repair of the building of the elementary school in ‘Seslavtsi' will be created jobs for 43 non-qualified and lastingly unemployed willing to acquire professional qualification as construction workers. They are to be trained by a licensed centre for vocational training, gain professional experience and will acquire legitimate qualification certificates and recommendations. Thus, their competitiveness on the job market and their quality of lives will be improved.

· “Road Map” for Successful Business” – Project within the Phare Program Grant scheme for Labour Market Initiatives. The project aims to support entrepreneurship and business development through management training and individual consultation encouraging and facilitating the expansion of business. It will help 30 existing SMEs to solve specific company problems through training in management, marketing, entrepreneurship and managerial accountancy. Each entrepreneur will be provided with a personal consultant with whose assistance he will work out the strategic plan for his company that will guarantee its sustainability. Club of the Entrepreneur will be established which will work towards building a business community and will provide methodological help to entrepreneurs.

· In connection with the forthcoming local elections due on October, 26 2003 the Foundation have organized series of education and training in the sphere of best European democratic elections' practices, political marketing, and pre-election initiatives for the local organizations of the Movement for rights and freedom around Bulgaria.

The Liberal Integration Foundation has 4 full - time employees (see CVs enclosed).