Ambassadors of the initiative

November 2022 

Project initiative - "Strategic cooperation between Bulgaria and Norway in support of Bulgaria's international commitments to combating antisemitism and the preserving Jewish heritage" 

As part of the initiative, the State Institute for Culture is preparing a seminar program aimed at young leaders of public opinion - journalists, representatives of the non-governmental sector and the diplomatic service, of educational institutions, students in public administration.

The Seminar

The goals of the initiative, the preparation of a National Plan for countering manifestations of xenophobia and the protection of Jewish heritage, the lessons from the events of the 1940s and the opposition to the deportation plans of Bulgarian Jews, the discriminatory measures against our compatriots will be presented in several discussion panels. These topics are important today, when we are faced with the trivialization of hate speech, not only in the anonymous spaces of social networks, but also in the public environment.  

The purpose of the seminar is to explore the possibilities of developing communication strategies, based on the example of the history of "persecution and salvation", on the contemporary threats of inflamed xenophobia and antisemitism, on the ways of valuing this "civic capital", such as the reaction of many members of the public, the Church and representatives of Bulgarian society as a whole against the threat. We will also look for examples of how the preservation of Jewish cultural heritage is an asset to our society and the contribution of many members of the community to our culture.

Profile of the nominated participants - the seminar aims at young professionals with leadership potential and an interest in developing communication skills. The possibility of becoming "Ambassadors of the initiative" and being engaged in subsequent debates with a youth audience will also be explored.

In the course of the seminar, they will become familiar with the main issues of the historical events of the Holocaust, the specifics of the "Bulgarian case", and the policies of countering manifestations of antisemitism. The problematic points in the construction of a narrative that expands the knowledge of the dramatic events of the Holocaust and the value of the society's resistance against the deportation of Bulgarian Jews for the construction of democratic values in modern society will be discussed.