Description
The project addresses the need to bridge the gap between the common European and the local level of societal risk analysis resulting in misunderstanding and absence of good risk management strategies. The project aims at setting up a network of NGOs bridging the gap between the European, national and regional risk analysis. First, 25-30 NGOs –will be identified as potential network members based on their analytical capacity, experience and activity. Second, 7-10 NGOs will be shortlisted and the network for societal risk analysis will be set up. Third, a network website will be developed. Finally, the network members will organize 3 meetings to discuss the following risk factors: poverty, hate speech, xenophobia and populism and minorities. The project will benefit the NGOs, public institutions, decision-makers and the public in general.
Summary of project results
What can be observed in Bulgaria is a gap between local and regional problems and the national and EU policies. This gap made it necessary for the Centre for Liberal Strategies (CLS) to develop the project. The project helped create a network for analysis of public risks made up of 30 NGOs from across the country which are competent to provide information about local and regional risks with a view to policy-making. The development of the network involved visits and meetings held across the country with potential participants and selection of the network team. Three national meetings of the network took place in - Plovdiv (14-15.03.2016) on hatred, xenophobia and populism as risk factors, - Pernik (24-25.03.2016) poverty as a risk factor and - Bourgas (4-5.04.2016) on minorities/refugees as a risk factor. 110 representatives of member organizations, local NGOs and the media took part in these meetings. A number of meetings were held between the organizations in the network. During the meetings the participants informed each other in detail about their work and outlined joint approaches to training in risk analysis after the project end. Some of them started preparing projects related to risk analysis and other joint projects. 3 NGOs started working on a citizen campaign. An interactive website (platform) of the network was set up –
www.ngounity.com. The online network serves for communication between the network members and between the network and interested parties. An important part of the project was devoted to information activities. The CLS experts prepared three information materials for the network (one was published in the Culture Portal). Reports from the national meetings were prepared and published on the online platform. Next, some network members and the rapporteur of the national meetings took part in a one-hour broadcast on the Bulgarian National Radio where the project was presented. Several interviews about the project were presented in the local TV and radio stations and the press. Out of the 30 member NGOs, 4 are based in Sofia (including CLS, the leading project organization) and 26 are based in the country. These organizations communicated online via the project platform but face-to-face direct communication proved much better as many of them did not know each other: at their meeting with CLS, the three national meetings of the network and during the bilateral visits among network members.
Summary of bilateral results