We are a group of EVS volunteers working for the Infinite Opportunities Association Ngo in Sofia, Bulgaria. We are part of a European campaign focused on the protection of human rights and the spreading of European values on the internet. This is our blog. Here you can find information about our experience in Bulgaria and other interesting news connected to the on-line tolerance platform. Sharing is Caring!
We recently found this very nice journal - Klaxonpress - which is publishing poetry of young Bulgarian authors in two languages, Bulgarian and English. Not just the design, but also the content was fascinating us, especially when we found the following poem by Stefan Ikoga: "Easy to Hate".
If you want to read the whole journal, you can find it here, go for it, we can only recommend it!
Moreover you can follow our Blogger-collegue Stefan Ikoga on http://stefanikoga.blogspot.com/ .
At the end of August one of our organization’s major
projects – The Youth Cause (Младежка Кауза) is coming to an end. That having said it is about
time to point out what we have reached, who and how have benefited from this
project.
The main activities during the projectincludedbuilding
partnerships and networks for youth information and support, capacity building
and providing information, trainingcourses for Youth Initiatives and awareness raising. We are
proud to say that with the establishment of the Youth Cause platform www.kauza.net, the network of partner NGOs was created including 12 youth NGOs in the
active partnership and spreading the capacity building tips to other NGOs
currently not officially involved in the network. Twenty young people have participated
in the training “The organizing and implementing interactive youth initiatives.”
The platform
is open for all the NGOs and youth activists, and is filled with manuals and
tips for the effective young NGOs capacity building. One can find information
on EVS accreditation, project writing, establishment of NGOs to current youth
events in Sofia and Bulgaria. Templates of documents needed to proceed with activities
are uploaded to the platform as well. The project has been encouraging and will
continue to encourage the youth participation and active citizenship. During
the awareness raising campaigns the information about the Youth Cause and
importance of active citizenship was provided to more than 300 youngsters in
schools, universities and festivals all around the country. The project visited
6 municipalities and has been presented in more than 15 formal education
institutions.
Although at
the end of its duration, the Youth Cause will not stop functioning. The useful information uploaded on the
platform will remain there and the IOA staff will continue updating the website
with events and other important news related to the youth work and youth
participation. So if you missed your chance yet, then visit the page and check
all the useful videos, documents and manuals to improve your active
participation in youth work!
"The Youth Cause - network quality,
sustainability, knowledge and authority youth work in Bulgaria" is funded
under the program to support NGOs in Bulgaria under the Financial Mechanism of
the European Economic Area 2009-2014. The whole responsibility for the content
of this article goes to the Infinite Opportunities Association and under no
circumstances it can be assumed that this article reflects the views of the
Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area and the Operator of the
Programme to support NGOs in Bulgaria. This project is implemented with
financial support of the "Youth in action" Programme of the European
Commission in Bulgaria administered by National Centre "European youth
Programmes and Initiatives." Content of the article does not reflect the
position of the European Community program "Youth in Action" or NCEYPI.
Our two new Interns from AIESEC finished their first week, therefore it's time to introduce them to you. They are going to help us in our project "Green Community", as both of them plan to work in the environmental sector in their future. Five questions, five simple answers:
Iris
Hong Kong- 20 –Bachelor, environmental Management and Technology
Best thing about Bulgaria You
have experienced so far?
The
antique market in the basement of Temple Sveta Paraskevais so amazing to me, you
can find everything there!!
Your personal contribution to
the environment?
I don’t
use any disposable utensils. I bring my own bags to market.
Any person you would like to
have a cup of coffee with?
June Leung – a teacher and an entrepreneurin Hong Kong.
If you could write a slogan on the sky, what would that be?
Hey guys,
please appreciate every single moment in life.
What drives you crazy?
Mosquitoes
make disgusting noise when I am sleeping.
Carmine
Napoli, Italy - 24 – Master Degree
Best thing about Bulgaria You
have experienced so far?
The Seven Rila Lakes.
Your personal contribution to
the environment?
I don’t use my car if I can.
Any person you would like to
have a cup of coffee with?
Steve Jobs.
If you could write a slogan on the sky, what would that be?
In what moment
our love and respect to nature becomes more important that non-violence, acceptance and respect for human rights and human life?
We invite
you to explore the possible consequenceswhich may result fromdesire to
prove the rightness of green life and unrespect to other people's opinions. Not everything is fair
in love and war. Why? Check our pictures to understand.
How does it start? Where do the roots of the values of eco terrorists come from?
What are the main activities of eco-terrorists's?
Who are they?
Did they have rules?
Here you can watch two videous about Earth Liberation Front. The first one is "If a tree Falls: A story of the Earth Liberation Front" is the official documentary made by filmmaker Marshall Curry, exploring the origins, motives eco-terrorism.
The second movie is another documentary, "Behind the Mask: The Story Of The People Who Risk Everything To Save Animals" is a 2006 documentary film about the Animal Liberation Front (ALF).
This documentary made by Shannon Keith, animal rights lower. She consider the members of the ALF like a people who speak up for the animals, but simultaneously they break the law to do it. "We only can see changes in our society when the law has been broken", - the lower, Mrs. Keith said.
Eco-terrorism has been a topic not only of documentary movies but also of books, TV-shows and musical lyrics. We made Top-5 fiction books about it:
5. "State of fear" by Michael Crichton
4. "The monkey wrench gang" by Edward Abey
3."Green Is the New Red: An Insider's Account of a Social Movement Under Siege" by Will Potter
When we are
being motivated by impatience, low price, hunger, fashion or sale,
without thinking we surrender marketing ploys and tricks and become a part of
consumerist society. Is it dangerous? If you surrender to the passion of shopping
regularly, the answer is: “Yes, it is”. Consumerism is destructive for the
planet and it is harmful for your life. Life of consumerist may be depicted by a qoute from Chuck
Palahniuk novel: „Advertising has us chasing cars and clothes, working jobs we
hate so we can buy s**t we don’t need.”
In our
office we try to be happy, healthy and pro-green by avoiding buying unnecessary
products. Sometimes our desire ofpossession of the product is so strong,
that we lend ourselves to passion and buy the product. But we are buying “green”.
How we manage doing this without boredom and frustration? You can find the
answer while checking our tricks and suggestions how to buy, but buy “right”
products:
Has it ever occured to you that becoming more sustainable is kind of hard? You have to stop using car, become vegetarian, buy only organic food and cosmetics... Isn't that the change of the whole life style?? False!!!! In the beginning littkle steps are what matters. We found 16 easy steps to help the planet with minimal efforts.
Designed by Iuliia Zadorozhnia, written by Indre Lechtimiakyte
Despite that fact that in many countries women’s rights are established by law, a lot of people, both man and women, ignore the basic standards of gender equality and (we hope that they just) forget to respect the women’s rights and freedoms. We don’t even mean the right to vote, to work, to own property, to have education or to have marital or parental rights. We mean deeper issues, like stereotypes about what women should do or what woman’s work is.
If you are bored of reading philosophical tractates of Mary Wollstonecraft, Betty Friedan, Shulamith Firestone, Gloria Steinem and Angela Davis, look carefully through our list –its non-fiction literature with brilliant plots and breathtaking manner of storytelling.
1. ‘’The Second Sex’’by Simone de Beauvoir
2. “The Vagina
Monologues” byEve Ensler
3. "Field Work In Ukrainian Sex" by Oksana Zabuzhko
4. “The Beauty Myth: How Images of Beauty Are Used Against Women” by Naomi Wolf
Did you know that 90% of Roma are living at the risk of poverty? Or that every fifth Roma in Bulgaria had experienced discrimination based or the ethnicity within last year. Check out more facts about Roma in Bulgaria on our chart.
На 05 юли се проведе седмото издание на „София прайд парад”.
Въпреки осъждането от страна на Българската православна църква и изявленията на лидера на Атака, парадът беше подкрепен с писмена декларация от 11 дипломати и посланици от дипломатически мисии в София. София прайд 2014 премина през центъра на столицата без инциденти и бе посетен от около 400 души.
В София има около 80 000 ЛГБТ, които всеки ден са обект на неравностойно третиране. Парадите по целия свят целят да привлекат публичното внимание към иначе скритата и маргинализирана общност на ЛГБТ и по този начин да предизвикат обществен дебат за предразсъдъците и дискриминацията срещу тях.
On the 5th of July the 7th Sofia Pride parade was held.
Despite the earlier condemnation by the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and incidental statements of Ataka leader, the parade was supported in a written statement by 11 diplomats and ambassadors on diplomatic missions in Sofia. Sofia Pride 2014 went through downtown without incidents and was attended by approximately 400 people.
There are approximately 80 000 LGBT people in Sofia every day experiencing unequal treatment. Pride Parades all over the world are meant to increase visibility of of otherwise hidden and marginalized community of LGBT and thus give rise to a public debate on prejudice and discrimination against them.
Insulting,
abusing, spitting, throwing stones, bricks and Molotov cocktails on the
opposing supporters, abuse of smoke bombs and massive fights: this is another side of Football.
How
football, the most popular sport in the world, has turned from a unifying factor
into a cause of discord? Watch those two films about football fans, which are
showing the life of football hooligans from the inside and you will maybe understand
the reason of their hatred.
Green Street
2005, UK,
Direction:
Lexi Alexander
With:
Charlie Hunnam, Claire Forlani, Elijah Wood and Leo Gregory
The
director Lexi Alexander was inspired by memories of her childhood, when she
supported the Waldhof Mannheim football team. Co-authored with the former
football hooligan Dougie Brimson, she wrote the script and directed the movie
about the lifestyle of the supporters of West Ham United Football Club. This
film is another attempt to portray the so-called "English disease",
hooliganism, in the cinema. The plot is quite simple- journalism student Matt Buckner got
dismissed from Harvard for a crime he did not commit. He moves to London to his
married sister, where her husband introduces Matt to his younger brother Pete. Becoming friends with Pete, Matt discovers the
world of football fanaticism and learns about the mysteries and intrigues
within the football firm”Green Street Elite”. Behind all the sport, alcohol and
fights, a story of true friendship, support, loyalty and honor reveals. On the
contrary, we see the result of baseless hate and senseless fights.
Why the movie is worth seeing? Firstly because of the script: it is exciting to
watch the process of integration of a new member into the most ardent firm, “the
Green Street Elite”, and trying to understand how the violence appears in the
football environment. Secondly, it is unusual to observe the boyish “Hobbit”
face of Elijah Wood in the role of a brutal football hooligan.
The Football Factory
2004, UK
Directed by
Nick Love
Starring: Danny
Dyer, Dudley Sutton, Frank Harper, Jamie Foreman, Neil Maskell, Roland
Manookian, Tamer Hassan
The film is
a cult classic for football fans. “The Football factory”is based on a book written by John
King - the iconic British writer who writes about football club supporters. This
story is not only about football fans, but also about the English middle class society
of the 90’s. Through his description of the everyday life of the middle class,
we can see the reason of hatred, racism and aggression in the football
environment. The movie vividly shows hooligans daily life, how they spend their
time in bars or at the stadium, how they manifest themselves after matches. The
outstanding acting makes the audience fall in love with the actors, although at
the same time the spectators do not justify the actions of the characters. The
Events in the film show the confrontation of two soccer fan clubs, Headhunters
(Chelsea support) and the Bushwhackers
(Millwall). With this the protagonist Danny Dyer became an idol and a
role model for many “true” football hooligans all over the world. The Paradox:
during the movie he keeps asking himself: “Is
it worth it?”
The tagline
of “The football factory” is 'what else you gonna do on a Saturday?'
We know the answer: Get chips and a drink and watch one of our two
movie-recommendations to get in the mood of the football world cup!
If both are not appealing you, here is a list of other remarkable films every
football fan should have seen:
‘’Ultrà’’,
1991, directed by Ricky Tognazzi, Italy
‘’Flying
Pigs’’, 2010, directed by Anna Kazejak-Dawid, Poland
‘’Gegengerade
- 20359 St. Pauli’’, 2011, directed by Tarek Ehlail, Germany
‘’Kicking
Off’’, 2013, directed by Anton Bormatov, Russia
‘’Cass’’,
2008, directed by Jon S. Baird, United Kingdom
‘’The
Firm’’ (made-for-television drama film), 1989, directed by Alan Clarke, United
Kingdom
‘’The
Firm’’, 2009, directed by Nick Love, United Kingdom
‘’I.D.’’,
1995, directed by Philip Davis, United Kingdom
‘’Rise of
the Footsoldier’’, 2007, directed by Julian Gilbey, United Kingdom
‘’Green
Street Hooligans 2’’, 2009, directed by Jesse Johnson, USA
‘’Awaydays’’,
2009, directed by Pat Holden, United Kingdom
‘’Klatka”,
2003, directed by Sylwester Latkowski, Poland
‘’Mean
Machine’’, 2001, directed by Barry Skolnick, United Kingdom & United States
‘’L'ultimo
ultras’’, 2009, directed by Stefano Calvagna, Italy
‘’The Ice
Cream Wars’’, 2012, directed by Paul Tanter, United Kingdom
‘’The Rise
and Fall of a White Collar Hooligan’’, 2012, directed by Paul Tanter, United Kingdom written by Iuliia Zadorozhnia edited by Ida Meyenberg
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