Gender Project for Bulgaria

Getting to Know! is a three-year joint initiative of six of the  Bulgarian NGDO platform founders, between them – Gender Project for Bulgaria Foundation (GPF). The project aims to contribute to the process of delivering development aid (DA) by activating a clear mechanism for integrating a global development dimension in the curriculum of the education system in Bulgaria. The methods employed in the project will allow children and young people to explore global links by participating in activities and classes organized at schools and universities. Toolkits will be prepared, which will present a clear rationale for bringing global perspectives into the thematic context of the educational curricula.

The Action addresses all Millennium Development Goals: Eradicate extreme poverty & hunger; Achieve universal primary education; Promote gender equality and empower women; Reduce child mortality;  Improve maternal health; Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases; Ensure environmental sustainability; Develop a global partnership for development.

The Partners strive to help youth gain opportunities to understand the complexities of development, develop skills and habits that will benefit them and their communities in the long term, and help them find channels for effecting positive change. They will understand what "development" really means with respect to different countries. “Sustainable” development could be called “equitable and balanced,” meaning that, in order for development to continue, it should balance the interests of different groups of people, within the same generation and among generations, and do so simultaneously in three major interrelated areas-economic, social, and environmental. So, sustainable development is about equity, defined as equality of opportunities for well-being, as well as about comprehensiveness of objectives.

Bulgaria is one of the newest EU member states and practically has no traditions and expertise in development education issues. There are very few initiatives in this direction that took place in recent years and, as a whole, our society remains far from the development perspectives and international development agenda. It comes as no surprise, since for many years Bulgarians regarded themselves as the ones in need, not understanding the complexity and dynamics of the development world. Thus, a representative research of the United Nations Development Program, made in 2007, shows that the vast majority of the Bulgarian society (94% of the respondents!) are not aware of the MDGs at all. Further, there was almost no awareness of the Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) and that our government is obliged to support some development countries. Most of those who were aware about Bulgarian government’s commitment were not particularly eager to demonstrate solidarity with people from developing countries and would rather address “development issues” on national or even local level. In our globalizing world it is obsolete and myopic for a whole, though not big, nation to stay out and away from the world’s achievements. Young Bulgarians studying at schools and universities need to grow up as responsible and caring Europeans, and it is our duty to encourage them in that.

Partners:

Global Initiative on Psychiatry - Sofia, Foundation Caritas Bulgaria, BlueLink Information Network,  Centre for Inclusive Education (CIE), Cooperation for Voluntary Service – Bulgaria (CVS-Bulgaria)