Organisation:

FAR - Association for Democratic Education
Telephone: + 359 (0)56 821585
Fax: + 359 (0)56 821585
 

Contact person: (member of reference group)

Todor Kavrakov (Project Director)
Mobile: + 359 888 272844
E-mail: todor_kavrakov@abv.bg
 

Other contact person:

Violeta Kyoseva (director)
Phone: + 359 (0)56 821585
E-mail: far_bs@bginfo.net
 

Names of I.M.PACT trainers:

1) Todor Kavrakov
2) Vania Valeva
Phone: see above
E-mail: i_valeva@abv.bg
 

Mission:

• FAR is a free and independent association

• FAR is part of the broad civic youth and adult education

• FAR organises and carries out national as well as international encounters to promote the transfer of knowledge with new learning methods

• FAR wants to encourage people of all generations to be involved in the political and societal process

• FAR wants to contribute to the development of stable democracies in South-eastern Europe and the origination of a democratic Bulgarian society

• FAR informs about the EU-Integration process

• FAR pursues the creation of a network of non-governmental organisations on the Balkans

• FAR promotes the exchange of European Volunteers and the accompanied acquirement of intercultural and social competences

• FAR promotes an open debate about the increasing emigration of young Bulgarians and wants Bulgarians to realize and understand their opportunities and perspectives in Bulgaria

History:

• As a result of the first German-English school paper seminar, “FAR – Association for youth education and media pedagogy” was founded in Burgas in 1995. At the beginning the work of the association was carried out exclusively on an honorary basis. Projects and seminars were organised in cooperation with the Academy for Civic and Social Education “Haus am Maiberg“ in Heppenheim, Germany. The members of the association were mainly adolescents, pupils and students as well as young adults, teachers and pedagogues. The establishment as well as the further development of the association FAR can certainly be seen as an example for modern youth work of non-governmental organisations (NGO) in the field of civic education in Bulgaria.
  Non-profit organisations which work entirely for the benefit of the public are a young phenomenon in Bulgaria and receive almost no support from the part of the government. A genuine state youth policy does not exist and NGOs can not yet participate in the decision-making process on the municipal level.
  Considering the current development in Bulgaria and the noticeable trends in the field of education FAR broadened its seminar offers and oriented more towards a further increase in adult education, especially teacher training. To emphasise this new focus the alteration of the associations name into “FAR – Association for Democratic Education” was applied for in 2001 and accepted in April 2003.
  Due to its work FAR became a lighthouse (which is the translation for the word FAR into English) for many adolescents, and its light is already uniting many young people. We want carry on this light in the future so that many more will believe in its power. Because if FAR succeeds in helping young Bulgarians to look positive into future, we are certainly on the right track.
   

• The association set with JUNIOR FAR the foundation for a youth information centre in Burgas. Free and independent from political influences FAR promotes and enhances initiatives by youth organisations and youth groups. In order to overcome the adolescents’ nihilism and idleness the Association FAR presents diverse possibilities for young people to broaden their horizon and actively engage in and for the society. Moreover FAR wants to contribute with its long-term experiences and international connections to the further development of youth work in Bulgaria.
  Once a week FAR offers interested people to come to the association’s office and talk with international volunteers and hopefully develop together ideas for voluntary civic participation. FAR offers qualitative guidance and consultation. Moreover Junior FAR possesses a library in which lots of research materials on different topics in Bulgarian, English as well as German can be found.

Projects (past and present):

• September 2003 – July 2004 „GILE – Generationsübergreifendes interkulturelles Lernen in Europa“
  International intergenerational education seminars to promote the idea of life-long learning. People of different ages with diverse cultural and social backgrounds exchange in learning partnerships their knowledge and perspectives on current social developments and European development trends.
  Participating countries: Poland, Germany, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Latvia.

• February 2004 – May 2004 “Motivation of the pupils of the ‘Goethe Gymnasium’ Burgas to social involvement”
  Supported project work at school to encourage groups such as the school council, the school paper “YO-YO” and the ‘Europe club’.

• February 2004 – July 2005 “I.M.PACT Training program for EDC projects in South-Eastern Europe”
  Development of a training concept for civic education in South-Eastern Europe including training for trainers followed by guided seminars. Participants: Six NGOs from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Moldova, Romania, Serbia

• May 2004 ”Travelling Journalist at the Black Sea”
  In cooperation with the Academy for Civic and Social Education “Haus am Maiberg”
  German-Bulgarian school paper workshop in Burgas which focuses on the intercultural youth exchange and discussions on socio-political topics in Bulgaria.

• June 2004 “Meeting of the former participants of the study program “Teaching politics in South-Eastern Europe” 2003, organised by the Association for Peace Pedagogy D@dalos in Sarajevo”
  During these 3 days lasting meeting the focus lies on the continuation of method development and the exchange of experiences between the participants as well as the maintenance of the shortly created network in South-Eastern Europe.

• July 2004 “Regional youth camp “Learning Democracy in South-Eastern Europe” (II)”
  Multilateral youth encounter for pupils and young students from Albania, Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia to reduce stereotypes, make new contacts and friendships and to discuss critically the democratisation process. Work language: German
  
  PAST PROJECTS
   

• 1998-2001 „Establishment and consolidation of the FAR-Club-Youth-Center for Civic Education“
  Macro project of the “Phare and Tacis Democracy Program” of the European Commission in cooperation with the Academy for Civic and Social Education “Haus am Maiberg” in Heppenheim, Germany – Aim of the project was to set up a free body responsible for out-of-school youth education in Bulgaria. As part of this project 50 national, bilateral and multilateral seminars about socio-political topics were carried out in which more than 1000 young Bulgarians participated.

• 2002 “Active and Motivated”
  German-Bulgarian youth encounter within the framework of Action 1 of the “Youth” program of the European Commission. In May 2002 young Germans visited the region of Burgas and experienced first hand the problems of voluntary work in Bulgaria. During the return-visit in October Bulgarian pupils learned how diverse youth commitment can be and which high reputation in society it enjoys.

• End of 2002 “Events about Civic Education for Adolescents and Teachers”
  Module 6 of the project “Measurements on Civic Education in south-east Europe” was realized in cooperation with the “Association for Peace Pedagogy D@dalos”, Sarajevo. During this, from the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs financed project, two seminars for adolescents and three for adults (teachers) with a total of 100 participants were held.

• 2002-03 “Community Creating I and II”
  In cooperation with the longstanding German partner “Haus am Maiberg” – Different events for young people about socio-political topics such as “Tolerance and Minorities” or “The Rights of Young People” as well as numerous media seminars. Being part of two successive projects - one seminar per month, each for 20 participants was carried out, in cooperation with other Bulgarian and German Associations.

• Summer 2003 “Civic Education for Adolescents – international summer camp in Kiten, Bulgaria”
  Model 2 of the above mentioned project, likewise financially supported by the German Ministry for Foreign Affairs by means of the “Stability Pact”. 32 young people from Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia and Rumania participated in this encounter. The emphasis of the seminar lied on current problems of Eastern European democracies.

• End of 2003 “Civic Education at the spot”
  In cooperation with D@dalos, Sarajevo was realised by diverted financial means of the above mentioned project. In the framework of the four month project for different target groups (pupils and school headmasters) seminars about topics such as “Minorities”, “Human rights” and “Democracy in School” were organised. In addition 5 multipliers for civic education were educated during an additional seminar.