From 17 to 19 June 2026, the National Network for Children (NNC) took part in the international conference Start2Act: Safer Spaces and Participation in Cultural Education, organised in Berlin by the German Federal Association for Cultural Education of Children and Young People (BKJ).
The event brought together representatives of organisations, institutions, researchers, youth workers, child protection experts, and policymakers from across Europe to discuss how safer spaces for children and young people can be created and how children’s participation can become a meaningful tool for preventing violence.
Although the conference focused primarily on the cultural sector, one of its central themes extended far beyond it: how different systems and professional communities can work together to prevent violence against and between children and foster a culture of safety, respect, and responsibility.
Among the showcased good practices, particular attention was drawn to a workshop led by Bogdan Romanita from World Vision Romania, which presented approaches developed by local civil society organisations to prevent violence in schools. Participants explored dozens of practical tools and initiatives created with the active involvement of children and young people from across Romania. Among them were the so-called “detective cards” – educational materials based on real-life cases that encourage children to analyse situations involving violence, explore possible responses by those involved, and identify solutions for safe intervention, support for victims, and relationship restoration. These practices demonstrated how children can be not only beneficiaries of protection but also active contributors to creating safer school environments.
During the closing session of the conference, Georgi Elenkov from the National Network for Children presented the Bulgarian experience in child protection, advocacy against violence, and the promotion of children’s participation. The presentation highlighted NNC’s initiatives aimed at empowering children and young people, the work of the “Megaphone” youth programme, and the activities of the Legal Aid Network supporting cases of violence, discrimination, and violations of children’s rights.
One of the key messages of the presentation was that child protection should be understood as a shared responsibility across all areas of public life in which children participate. Schools, social services, cultural organisations, sports clubs, institutions, and civil society organisations work with the same children, who move between these systems every day. Effective violence prevention therefore requires cooperation, information sharing, and a common understanding of the standards that ensure children’s safety.
Special attention was given to the relationship between participation and protection. It was emphasised that participation is not separate from safety but rather a prerequisite for it. A child who does not feel heard, respected, and taken seriously is significantly more vulnerable to abuse, violence, and rights violations. At the same time, meaningful participation cannot exist only within a single project or institution. If a child has a voice in a social service but is discouraged or ignored in a cultural programme, their participation remains incomplete.
The discussions also highlighted the benefits of a multidisciplinary approach. Representatives from different sectors exchanged experiences and practices related to child safeguarding policies, reporting mechanisms, risk assessment, and building organisational cultures that do not tolerate violence or abuse of power. Participants agreed that effective child protection goes beyond rules and procedures. It requires proactive commitment, clear community standards, readiness to act whenever a child may be at risk, continuous learning, reflection, and improvement.
NNC’s participation in the conference provided an opportunity to present the Bulgarian experience to European partners and institutions and to discuss shared challenges and solutions with colleagues from the Eurochild network and other organisations working for children’s rights, participation, and safety across Europe.
The participants united around a clear message: creating safe environments for children is not the responsibility of a single sector or institution. It requires collective effort, consistency, and zero tolerance for all forms of violence, regardless of the context in which they occur.
