Civil society is an aggregate of small changes that me, you and others around us do! In order to take even small steps, we must have the necessary knowledge and be able to mobilize resources. Young people from different ethnic groups live in many of the small settlements of the Targovishte and Shumen municipalities, where lack educational, health, social infrastructure. Only the chitalishte works, which is called to be a community center, but for one reason or another it fail. Change is needed!

Young people from four ethnic groups living in 10 villages of municipalities Targovishte and Shumen.

High unemployment, closed schools, kindergartens and health services, which makes it difficult for people in villages to access any services. Municipal councils consist of people living mainly in the city and the problems of the villages are not their priorities. Even when people in the villages want to solve a case or problem, they do not know their civil rights and the tools of civic initiatives for influence. The village mayors are rather "officials" of the municipal administration, do not have any resources and are largely dependent on the party that nominated them. Our project will "arm" the young and proactive residents of 10 villages, who, supported by the project team and experts, will take the first successful steps in democratic solution of specific problems of specific people.

We will work for and with young and active residents of small settlements inhabited by people from different ethnic groups - Roma, Turks, Pomaks, Bulgarians. These will be 2 representatives of each of the villages. We will choose the participants with the active support of the local chitalishte centers and the mayors. Each participant will apply with a short motivational essay. We will strive for equality between men and women. Subsequently, other residents of these villages will be involved in the project activities - the discussion of local problems and the implementation of the civic initiative to solve a specific problem - a total of over 150-200 people. In the Incubator of Ideas in addition to the trained 20 young people, at least 10-15 more active residents will join as participants

4 main steps: 1) Training - for 20 representatives of 10 villages from 2 municipalities. It will take place in 2 modules (2nd & 3rd months). As trainers we will invite external experts. 2) Community forums - will be held in 10 villages in 4th - 6th months and will involve local leaders, representatives of community centers and village mayoralties, young people. Their task will be to unite around 1 or 2 specific problems. They will be led by trained people from the respective village. 3) Civic initiatives, (7th & 8th months) - the trained young people will be responsible, and we will provide financial resources through the project - in 7-10 months. Indicators for selection of initiatives will be set up. 4) Formation of a permanent group "Incubator for ideas" – 11th & 12th months and after

After the project completion 20 young people from different ethnic groups in 10 villages from 2 districts will be trained in the field of civic education.
There will be 10 consolidated communities with implemented 10 small initiatives, which will periodically discuss the problems of small settlements and will work to solve them through various initiatives.
A strong network of proactive and competent young people from different villages will be developed. They will work for their communities and share knowledge and experience in the two incubators of ideas.
The incubators will give long-term support to the young people in the small settlements of Targovishte and Shoumen districts for the preparation and implementation of civic initiatives.

The very logic of the project guarantees democracy and citizen’s participation. We will start with training in civil rights and democracy for 20 people, who will then discuss in pairs with 10 local communities the problems in their locality and end with the implementation of specific initiatives that require the joint efforts of the whole community. The 20 trained young people, supported by the team of leading organizations, will form the core of a larger group of people who will periodically discuss the problems of small settlements and through various initiatives / Incubator of ideas / will work for their solution. We will invite representatives of local authorities, institutions, media and other "stakeholders" to participate in the periodical meetings of this community.

As representatives of the civil sector in both municipalities it is extremely important for us to increase the number of people and organizations that have built capacity and can actively participate in public life. In order to have a civil society, the participation of each of us is necessary. Why do we want to work in the villages? The history of the chitalishte organizations proves that at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century there were awake, enlightened and active people in the villages, who, worked for the cultural and educational growth of their cohabitants. Today, small rural communities face new challenges that require new thinking and new approaches for work. We will create a model for solvingspecific community problems, which can be used elsewhere.

For selection of the main target group - 480 EUR
For 2 training modules x 2 days with 20 participants – 4,590 EUR
Community forums - 10 furums - 4,080 EUR
Civic initiatives - 10 initiatives x 1,500 EUR = 15,000 EUR
Establishment of Incubators - in 2 places x 200 EUR = 400 EUR
Public relations - 800 EUR
Staff costs / manager, 2 coordinators, accountant, translator / - 16,900 EUR
Office expenses - in 2 places x 1000 EUR = 2000 EUR.
Total = 44 250 EUR

We expect to receive feedback on the goals we have set through this project, as well as the methods by which we want and can achieve these goals. We will be happy to learn from colleagues about their ideas, and we are ready to share our experience on this and other projects and activities.