From 28 to 31 May in Sofia was held the Annual Meeting of the National Network for Children. The event brought together over 200 representatives of civil society organizations, government institutions, local authorities, professionals working with children and families and children and young people, members of the Youth Network “Megaphone”. During the four days of the forum in various panels were discussed key topics on children’s rights and well-being.
There were meetings of the Thematic Working Groups of the Network, where the American child psychiatrist Dr. Fadi Haddad had a lecture.
The Annual Meeting brought together a working group “Children and youth participation,” which discussed the topic of how we understand that we are really exercising children’s participation.
The topic of the panel “15 years of the child protection system – successes, challenges and perspectives” raised great interest and was attended by the Ombudsman of the Republic of Bulgaria Maya Manolova; Rositsa Dimitrova, Director of “Social activities”, Veliko Turnovo Municipality and Chairman of standing committee on labor and social policy at the National association of municipalities in Bulgaria; Assoc. Prof. Velina Todorova from the Institute of State and law at Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and Nadya Shabani from the Bulgarian center for Non-Profit law.
Other interesting panels of the meeting were “The school as a center of the community” and the panel dedicated to the local authorities’ Municipality, a friend of the child “in which colleagues from UNICEF Bulgaria and representatives of local authorities and NGOs discussed what makes a municipality friendly to children living in its territory.
During the Annual Meeting was held an exhibition where 17 different organizations presented their work at special stands.
During the first day was organized four trainings to enhance organizational capacity. Trainings were dedicated to Fundraising, Organizational development and leadership, Development and financial management of projects for NGO and Principles of child’s and youth participation.
The Annual Meeting ended with celebration of the tenth birthday of the National Network for Children and awards ceremony “Golden Apple” on May 31st attended by the President Rosen Plevneliev and other distinguished guests.
