Project name:“Civil Dialogue for Development”

Description: The project is implemented by the Bulgarian Platform for International Development (BPID) where ARCI is a member  in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Republic of Bulgaria.

The overall objective of the action is to ensure strong understanding and commitment of the CSOs and the general audience towards EU role in 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals implementation for poverty eradication and sustainable development linked to the priorities of the Bulgarian presidency of EU. In particular focus will be the Sustainable Development Goals 3, 4, 5 and 16 in accordance to the specific expertise of the BPID members.

Financed by:  by the European Commission, Directorate General for International Cooperation and Development

The project beneficiaries include other civil society organizations, educators, academia, business structures, and media interested in development cooperation issues. This way is envisaged to be reached a large audience in order to improve the knowledge and understanding of the functioning of the EU related to development as well as the beneficial internal and external effects of the international development collaboration for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda and the sustainable development goals. The project will complement some of the planned by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs activities related to the Presidency of the Council of EU and will strive to reinforce their impact and will ensure wider awareness.

Period for implementation: November 2017 – October 2018

Main activities:

• Training for members of the BPID. During the training specific attention will be allocated for the main EU areas of concern connected with SDGs 3, 4, 5 and 16 and the key European actions in support of these Goals.
• Three 2-day trainings for intermediaries – CSOs, educators and academia; business; media. The purpose of the training is to increase the capacity of the participant on topics related to development and to ensure further dissemination amongst particular groups of the society.
• Organization of CONCORD HUB 2 (Financing for development) meeting in Sofia. The event will be focused to ACP-EU political dialogue and monitoring of the implementation of the cooperation strategies, policies and programs.
• Development Cooperation Conference. The purpose of the conference is to put focus on academic researchers in Bulgaria related to development.
• Global education:

a) Information Days. Under series of local events will be provided information and promoted development cooperation policies of the EU with a narrow focus on SDGs 3, 4, 5 and 16. Participants in the workshops will be teachers, CSO representatives, university students and professors, journalists, all of whom are expected to act as catalysts for change in their communities, professional and social circles.

b) Global school award. All schools that implement activities related to global education will be invited to design a campaign or a small project seeking to enhance knowledge and understanding of the EU, Bulgarian and personal commitment to the implementation of 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development Goals for poverty eradication and sustainable development. A total of five prize holders shall be selected by the BPID judging panel and the Global school awards will be bestowed at a two-day global education conference

• Media awards for materials related to SDGs and the role of the EU. Based on a desk review of current media coverage of matters/events related to development there will be selected awarded a prize(s) at a special ceremony.
• Conference for CSOs from the Black Sea and Western Balkan countries. A conference of representatives of CSOs from the Black Sea and Western Balkan countries, where reports and analyses concerning SDGs 3, 4, 5 and 16 will be presented and matters related to social and economic sustainability, migration and regional cooperation will be discussed. The conference will be organized simultaneously with the CODEV/COHAFA meeting in Sofia.
• Elaboration and launch of the AIDWATCH report. The report will cover extensively Bulgaria’s participation in development cooperation throughout the past 3 years – geographic and thematic funding, main gaps and recommendations.
• Elaboration of compendium about the role of EU in development policy. The purpose of the compendium is to provide various stakeholders with the opinion of prominent CSO activists.