The diplomas were awarded on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of the adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child
Today, 20 November, marks the 35th anniversary of the adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, ratified by 196 countries, including Bulgaria. On the occasion of the anniversary, Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev, the Minister of Education Galin Tsokov and the Minister of Labour and Social Policy Ivaylo Ivanov presented honorary awards to 35 experts – professionals working in the civil sector for their active civil activities in the protection of children’s rights in the Republic of Bulgaria and their proven contribution to the development of policies, services at local, regional or national level.
We are happy to announce that most of the awarded experts are from organizations that are members of the National Network for Children from all over the country. Their dedicated work for better policies for the well-being of children and families in our country has received well-deserved recognition.
The award ceremony took place in the Granite Hall of the Council of Ministers. The Prime Minister presented awards to Dr. Georgi Bogdanov, Executive Director of NNC, Assoc. Prof. Velina Todorova, Member and Alternate Chairperson of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in Geneva and Ms. Nadia Shabani, Director of the Bulgarian Center for Not-for-Profit Law.
Here are the names of the other winners who received their diplomas from the Minister of Labour and Social Policy Ivaylo Ivanov and the Minister of Education Galin Tsokov.
- Yulia Radanova, lawyer, Chairperson of the Board of IMEUS Association
- Sabina Sabeva, Executive Director of International Social Service Foundation – Bulgaria – 2004-2020
- Ivanka Shalapatova, PhD in Early Childhood Development, former Minister of Labour and Social Policy
- Alexandrina Dimitrova, Executive Director of the Cedar Foundation
- Maria Guineva, Executive Director of Future for Children Association – Kazanlak
- Antoaneta Ivanova, Executive Director of Karin Dom Foundation – Varna, one of the founders of the Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Association
- Antoaneta Yankabakova, Executive Director of IMCA – Gabrovo
- Ekaterina Veleva, one of the founders of the P.U.L.S Foundation – Pernik
- Elena Kabakchieva, President of the Health and Social Development Foundation
- Galia Bisset, Executive Director of Equilibrium Association
- Diana Videva, psychologist, member of the Board of Demetra Association, member of the European Anti-Trafficking Platform of Civil Society
- Nadezhda Stoycheva, clinical psychologist and psychotherapist, director and founder of Animus Association Foundation
- Nikolay Nikolov, representative of the association “The Faithful Guardian” – Burgas
- Dimitar Rusinov, Executive Director of IGA Fund, Member of the Board of the European Probation Organization (EPO)
- Hristina Georgieva, Ekaterina Karavelova Association – Silistra
- Vesela Banova, psychoanalyst, founder of the association “Child and Space” and other schools
- Prof. Neli Petrova – Dimitrova, founder of the Institute of Social Activities and Practices (ISAP)
- Nadezhda Tsekulova, health journalist and part of the Public Council of the National Children’s Hospital
- Yana Alexieva, Executive Director of Parents Association
- Iliana Nikolova, Executive Director of the Workshop for Civic Initiatives Foundation (WCIF)
- Teodora Krumova, one of the founders of Center “Amalipe” – Veliko Tarnovo
- Radosveta Stamenkova, Executive Director of the Bulgarian Family Planning Association (BFPA)
- Trayan Trayanov, Executive Director of the Together in Class Foundation
- Eva Borisova, founder of Parents Association and National Network for Children
- Nevena Madjarova, representative of the Club of Nonprofit Organizations in Targovishte
- Georgi Elenkov, Director of Policies for Children at the National Network for Children
- Anche Krivonozova, representative of “Future” Foundation – Rakitovo
- Diana Dimitrova, founder and chairperson of Mission Wings Foundation – Stara Zagora
- Eva Zhecheva, the first chairperson of the State Agency for Child Protection
- Maria Brestnicka, psychologist and PhD in sociology, National Network for Children
- Rositsa Petrova, Executive Director of the Foundation “For Children at Risk around the World”
- Rositsa Srednokova, representative of the Board of “CIR – Kardzhali Decides”
In his welcoming address, Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev said:
I believe there is agreement in the country on children’s policies. We must defend them together – you, as outstanding professionals, together with the state, as well as with parents and the whole society. We need to talk about children’s rights and equal access to quality services.
Georgi Bogdanov, Executive Director of the National Network for Children, also greeted the participants:
Much has been achieved in 35 years in policies for children. But we have also missed a lot. We have experienced a period of stagnation, a period of rapid growth and a period of steps backwards for children. We missed the years between 1989 and 2000. Back then, over 30 000 children were growing up in old-style children’s homes. Nobody knew what social work was, although invisible heroes were saving the worst cases.
Children’s policies made their first big steps with the adoption of the Child Protection Act in 2000 on the initiative of civil society organisations and civil society activists. We closed the big old-style homes and developed new services. We also developed: the child protection system, social services. Civic organizations were the first to introduce foster care, health mediators, educational mediators, the network of resource teachers was created, we paved the way for young and new teachers in schools and kindergartens, we made politicians not only talk, but also want the children’s hospital.
The period of growth would not have been possible if the state had not worked with civil society organisations and with these activists here and many more outside this room. But these are the changes that the state could not have made on its own without us, because we are all the state!
For six years now, we have been stagnant again. We do not have a Children’s Strategy, but by law we should have one. Politicians have become frightened by the propaganda against children’s rights. They have shrunk, they have given up! The state institutions did too. Again, we civil society organisations had to defend not just a Strategy, but a policy for children. We continue to have an outdated 1956 law that causes children to be convicted of offences for which adults are not convicted. Child poverty in our country continues to be the highest and 1 in 3 children live in poverty. Children are dropping out of our education system and cannot read or write.
Today, however, I am proud to be in this room with 35 civic activists and hundreds more people outside the room who work every day for Bulgaria’s children to have a happy childhood. All these people dream of having courageous politicians who work for democracy, the development of civil society and the protection of human rights and the rights of the child.
Happy holiday, happy World Children’s Day!
20 November was declared World Children’s Day by the United Nations and UNESCO on 14 December 1954. On the same date in 1959, the UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration on the Rights of the Child and in 1989 the Convention on the Rights of the Child was adopted. To date, 194 UN Member States have ratified the Convention, and Bulgaria was one of the first countries to ratify the Convention by a decision of the Seventh Grand National Assembly.
Traditionally, on World Children’s Day, November 20, Sofia hosts the youth forum of the National Network for Children Voice It, in which young people engage in a direct conversation with politicians and experts from the institutions on important topics for children and possible solutions. This year the forum celebrates its 10th anniversary edition and the theme chosen by the young people themselves is “Healthy at School”. In the discussions on cleanliness at school, sports, healthy food and climate change, the young people will talk with Petar Mladenov – Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, Apostol Dyankov, Head of the Department for Coordination of Climate Policies at the Ministry of Environment and Science, Angel Kunchev Chief State Inspector, MPs, experts, representatives of local authorities and other experts.
