Youth Talk: Disinformation
As part of the training, the participants of Academy Youth Democracy: “Together for the Future” had the task to organize a final project that would help them to use and structure the knowledge and skills acquired during the academy course.
Therefore, on 27.11.2024, the students organized a youth panel called “Youth Talk: Disinformation”, which opened the Atlantic Club’s event “Disinformation in Elections: Challenges and Implications for Democratic Nations”.
Panelists were:
- Irina Shekerova, President of the Political Science Student Club
- Alexander Petkov, Co-Chair of the Youth Association for Global Security
- Dafina Kandova, editor at Factscheck.bg
- Atanas Radev, President of NMF
Moderator was a participant from the academy – Yulian Lazarov (currently a member of BEAYC).
The panel gave young people the opportunity to express their opinions on the topic of disinformation, to share their experiences, assess the situation, discuss possible solutions and make connections for future projects to combat disinformation. In the discussion that developed, the problems related to media literacy of young people, the danger posed by misinformation and the importance of non-formal education in this area were discussed.
We are extremely happy and proud of the wonderful organisation our young members achieved at this event and look forward to seeing all they will do in the future!
Sessions 13 and 14:
Youth Participation and Reflection
On November 11 and 21, 2024, the last editions of the Youth Democracy Academy: “Together towards the Future!” took place. After six months, 14 successful sessions and trainings, a lot of new knowledge about the rights and opportunities of young people and unforgettable emotions, our journey has come to an end.
The 13th session, held on November 11, was dedicated to the topic of youth participation in the European Union with guest speaker Nicole Parvanova – activist and member of the Youth Advisory Board of the Council of Europe. The session took place in the hall of our partners Hyperspace, who were once again our hosts.
Nicole shared her personal journey in the NGO sector and interaction with the European Union institutions. She talked about how she got involved in activism back in 2015 after participating in an academy for women leaders. From her initial activity at regional level, she gradually reached international forums, becoming part of the Board of the National Youth Forum and the EU Youth Dialogue.
During the session, Nicole presented different ways of engaging young people, from participating in student councils and programs such as Erasmus+, to getting involved in umbrella organisation initiatives such as the NMF and the European Youth Forum. She also explained the role of youth centers and their importance for the development of young people in Bulgaria. The session ended with a Q&A part about issues such as the implementation of the recommendations from youth discussions.
In the practical part, the participants focused on their final task – organising an event of public benefit. They actively developed ideas, created an agenda, discussed venue, target audience, panel topics and potential guest speakers.
The 14th session, the last for the academy, was held on November 21 and was again hosted by Hyperspace. Attendees gathered for a final meeting to retrospect on the past six months.
In this session, all the key points of the program were discussed, from the topics and speakers, to the challenges, to the unforgettable emotions and lessons learned. Each participant joined as an active member of the Bulgarian Euro-Atlantic Youth Club, and discussions focused on their future role and development within the organisation.
Without them, this adventure would not have been possible.
Sessions 11 and 12:
Public Speaking and Activism
On 14 and 28 October 2024, the Youth Democracy Academy “Together Towards the Future” held its 11th and 12th sessions, on the topics of public speaking and persuasive communication, as well as social movements and local activism.
The 11th session, held on 14 October at Sofia Tech Park, focused on the art of public speaking and persuasive communication. As the academy is coming to its end, practical exercises take on an increasingly important place, helping participants to actively immerse themselves in the topics. During this session, each of the participants had the opportunity to demonstrate their public speaking skills and receive valuable feedback.
The training part included a series of practical tasks on self-expression, voice control and expressiveness when speaking. Participants learned key skills to persuasively defend a position and influence an audience through tone and manner of expression.
The 12th session, held on 28 October, took place in the auditorium of our partners Hyperspace, who have traditionally supported us thanks to our established partnership program. The guest speaker was Peter Bodurov, President of the organization “Improve”, who spoke on the topic “Social movements and activism at the local level”.
During the lecture, Peter Bodurov shared his experience from the NGO sector and talked about the “Youth Sphere” initiative in Shumen. From the initial idea, through overcoming obstacles, to the successful unification of youth organizations and local administration. He focused on the importance of advocacy, the difficulties young people face in implementing their ideas, and the importance of sustainability in projects.
The training part of the session covered a wide range of topics related to civic participation, from volunteering and advocacy, to networking and coalition building, to humanitarian aid, cultural activities and human rights protection. The differences between activism and volunteering were discussed, historical examples were presented and positive trends in Bulgarian society, such as increased participation in philanthropic initiatives and organisations, were highlighted.
Participants were given guidance on how to inform themselves about civic activities, how to actively express their opinions and implement their ideas to change the environment around them. Finally, they were given tips on how to achieve their main goal of organizing a public event on a topic of their choice.
Sessions 9 and 10:
Human rights and Ethics
On 25.09.2024 and 07.10.2024, the 9th and 10th sessions of the Youth Democracy Academy: ‘Together towards the Future’ were held respectively, and as they are coming to an end, the participants are gradually progressing towards their main goal, to organize an event of public benefit under the umbrella of the Euro-Atlantic Youth Society.
The 9th session of our academy was held in Sofia Tech Park with guest speaker Rosalina Nedkova, Secretary General of the UN Society in Bulgaria. She addressed the topic of human rights and civil liberties, going through the UN Declaration of Human Rights and conducted exercises focused on ways to assert our rights in society. Additionally, participants looked across the spectrum of opinion on a host of current issues to understand where their stand, but also to learn that even within the smallest groups of people, opinions on given topics can be radically different.
In the practical part, in the form of a game and a puzzle, participants went through all 30 rights of the Declaration. Reading each point of the document opened a broad discussion about human rights and their application in everyday life.
On 07.10.2024, the tenth session of our Youth Democracy Academy: ‘Together for the Future’ was held on the theme of Ethics and Transparency in Governance. Again the session was held in the space our partners and friends from Hyperspace. Ambassador Biserka Benisheva, member of the core team for the EU accession negotiations, Ambassador of Bulgaria to Hungary and Ireland and currently, Director at PanEuropa Bulgaria, was invited as a guest speaker. Ms. Benisheva’s extensive experience in diplomatic relations helped the participants to gain a deeper insight into the topic of transparency in Bulgaria’s EU accession negotiations, ethics in negotiations and international relations and how they fit together in the management of an activity.
During the training session, the young people delved deeper into the topics of aspects and principles of governance through concrete examples, code of ethics and framework and the importance of ethics in democratic institutions, the importance of restraint and approach in each situation was highlighted.
Sessions 7 and 8:
Leadership and Innovations
The seventh and eighth sessions of the Youth Democracy Academy: ‘Together for the Future’ addressed the topics of ‘Developing Leadership Skills in the Democratic Context’ and ‘Innovation and Democracy’ The trainings were held on 09.09 and 17.09, 2024 respectively.
In the seventh session, our guest speaker Yuliy Yuliev (President of the Youth Council at the American Embassy) explained to the attendees what democracy and leadership mean and how to create and motivate a team. One of the important points discussed was about taking personal responsibility, with examples of how people with a cause or an idea can change their surroundings for the better. This is the case with organizations such as NRAB, Caps for the Future, Ucha.se, Soft uni, etc. Topics like personal cause, how to convey it to people around us, how to become a leader, how to find solutions rather than problems, personal stories from our guest speaker’s 10+ years of experience were also spoken.
At the end of the talk, attendees had the opportunity to ask Yuliy questions about a leader’s frustrations with lack of initiative from his team, proactive overconfidence in people, how optimal our team should be as a unit, etc.
In the second part of the session, the participants were involved in the learning session, each of them shared about their biggest success in their performances as a leader as well as their biggest failure. Illustrative examples were given of how the participants used certain of their strengths to achieve their given goal, with further commentary on what qualities and soft skills a good leader should have.
The eighth session of the Youth Democracy Academy touched upon the topic of “Technology, Innovation and Democracy”, presented by our guest speaker Rumyana Atanasova. She talked about the importance of the ecosystem for innovation, and the reasons why leaders need to be innovative to change the environment around them. Rumyana presented the development of innovation nowadays, locally and around the world, focusing on some of the most developed countries in the field such as Switzerland, England and the USA. Using their best practices as an example, she drew attention to the reasons why Bulgaria lags behind in the world of innovation and the ways in which this could change.
In the practical part, the participants had a fun activity teaching them how they can be innovative in something as simple as paper airplanes, understanding the importance of strategy and creativity rather than push power and skills.
Both sessions were held in the space of our partners at Hyperspace, who we are grateful to for continuing to support us in this initiative.
Sessions 5 and 6:
Digital Democracy and AI
The fifth and sixth sessions of the Youth Democracy Academy: ‘Together to the Future’ focused on the digital world in democracy and how it influences and modernizes democratic processes.
On 19.07 in the space of our partners from Hyperspace, the fifth session was held, which covered the topic of digital democracy and online civic participation and was narrated by Boyko Blagoev (Deputy Head of the European Commission Representation in Bulgaria and one of the founders of “Association 365”).
The students were introduced to the main institutions involved in the EU legislative process, the division of competencies, and the EU rights, but most of all they had a detailed look at the executive body of the Union, namely the European Commission, which has 4 main roles.
Mr. Blagoev revealed how laws and policies are initiated through NGOs, local bodies, or businesses, as well as how the EU’s long-term budget is formed and where the funds come from, enabling programs such as Erasmus, RescEU, Galileo, Horizon Europe, Recovery and Sustainability Mechanism and many others. The lecture also covered the stages of establishing an infringement for non-compliance with EU rights and the role of the “Guardian of the Treaties”. Last but not least, the International Dimension was covered, where the participants learned about the role of the EU globally, the European Ombudsman, and the different European platforms.
The training session continued the theme, where participants were tasked to develop a project for a successful information and advocacy campaign for a socially relevant cause or new idea.
The sixth session of the Youth Democracy Academy: ‘Together to the Future’ took place on 16.07 and touched upon the topic of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its impact on democracy. The lecture was led in the space of our partners at Hyperspace by Kristina Eskenazi – Chair of AI Cluster Bulgaria.
Her presentation showed the timeline of artificial intelligence, tracing its development and the change in people’s perception of it. Ms Eskenazi touched on the ethical issues that come with the development of AI, giving the example of George Orwell’s novel 1984. While it has its risks, artificial intelligence can be used to make our everyday lives easier, and ‘AI for good’ and ‘This climate does not exist’ were given as examples of this.
The session covered the 2021 UNESCO agreement that sets a global standard for AI ethics – the ‘Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence’. According to it, by 2027 all regulations would come into force, guarding human rights and the democratic idea.
At the end of the session, attendees had the opportunity to ask their questions, touching on the topics of democracy, fake news, and the risk of losing a job to AI. This led to an in-depth discussion, followed by a test of AI platforms, where participants asked questions to different software on topics related to democracy. In this way, they were able to analyze the way they answered and understand to what extent AI can speak about ethical issues.
Sessions 3 and 4:
Electoral processes and media literacy
The third and fourth sessions of the Youth Democracy Academy: ‘Together for the Future’ covered the topics of participation and voting in electoral processes and fake news and media literacy.
The third session was held on 20.06.2024 at Sofia Tech Park, led by Miroslav Sevlievski (Co-founder of NDSV and Minister of Energy in 2005). The lecture addressed the topic of participation in voting and electoral processes. The lecturer expanded on the broad topic of electoral processes in Bulgaria and how they have changed over the years and revealed how our electoral system differs from that of other countries. Additionally, students learned about the types of democracy, the path of democracy in Bulgaria, and how leadership works in a country.
Later, Mr. Sevlievski invited participants to talk about their experiences with political parties and processes, analyzing the steps they took and commenting on the decisions made, potential mistakes, and the outcomes of these situations. He gave relevant and interesting advice to the young people about their future participation in political processes and parties, which they later applied in a debate held during the training session.
The session on 28.06.2024 took place in the hall of our partners at Hyperspace and was led by Petko Kralev (founder of Radiocast BG), who spoke extensively about fake news and media literacy.
Mr. Kralev started the lecture, by talking about the development of media and the ways it influences us. He explained that we are all walking media that interact and communicate in different ways. One method of communication is social groups formed by people with common interests. In these groups, information is often shared, and over time, it is reworked and altered, resulting in the dissemination of false or fake information.
The topic was expanded upon as students learned about the blurring of sources that leads to fake news and misinformation, as well as its differences with misinformation. Mr. Kralev also talked about satirical news being shared as truth and how this is a problem (Goodell News was given as an example). Another problem that is not only found on satirical sites is clickbait headlines that do not match the content of the articles.
During the session, participants realized that sites cannot vouch for the validity of information that is published and that even major media outlets such as BNT can be misled with fake news. However, media outlets such as BNT, BNR, and BTA were given as examples of having little chance of containing fake news.
Media literacy is of utmost importance these days, given the vast array of unreliable information. Mr. Kralev showed how it is directly related to critical thinking and how it can be mastered, giving useful tips that can come into use to those listening. Some of these are: checking for the author of a particular article, his biography, and checking the quotes used.
After these two sessions, the participants came out with even more knowledge and motivation that will allow them to develop not only as activists of the democratic idea but also as responsible Bulgarian citizens.
Sessions 1 and 2:
Introduction to Democracy and the Role of Youth in Democratic Processes
The Youth Democracy Academy: “Together for the Future” is a training program consisting of 14 educational sessions involving experts and lecturers from different fields, aiming to develop and enrich the civic skills of young people in Bulgaria, to encourage them to participate more actively in the democratic processes of the country and to train them how to implement their own civic initiatives as ambassadors of the democratic idea.
The first two sessions of the initiative were held on June 13 and 18, 2024, and aimed to introduce the participants to the topic of democracy. The Academy was opened by the President of the Atlantic Club of Bulgaria, Mr. Solomon Passy, who talked about the roots of democracy, its growth over the years, its strengths and weaknesses, as well as opportunities for change, development, and modernization.
Mr. Passy described democracy as “An objective method for bloodless change of power” and spoke about its roots in ancient Greece. He pointed out many advantages of democracy and voting but also drew attention to the existing flaws and mistakes in traditional democracy. He showed his TEDx on this topic, describing the idea of i-democracy and connecting democracy with computers and math to make more informed decisions. One of the existing problems, for example, is the subjective election of leaders, of which he gave examples from the Bulgarian governmental system.
Solomon Passy’s lecture sparked an extensive discussion among participants about the possibilities for developing democracy and potential changes in education, voting, and civic responsibility.
Later, during the training session, the participants had the opportunity to learn about the goals of the academy and connect them to their own expectations and ideas, as well as participate in creative activities that helped them get to know each other and stimulated teamwork that will continue to take place in the coming months.
The topic of democracy continued on June 18, when Atanas Radev (President of NYF) opened the issue of the role of youth in modern democracy. He presented democracy as the rule of law with fair and free elections, citizens’ rights and freedoms, and separation of powers. Participants were asked to think about the actions that citizens take such as associations, voting, protests, petitions, etc. Additionally, Mr. Radev talked about the electoral processes in the country and the decisions that different democratic institutions deal with.
On the topic of youth participation, Atanas Radev explained the advantages of young people participating as well as the existing obstacles to it. He said that the lack of information and knowledge, together with the insufficient opportunities offered for participation are some of the reasons that stop young people from getting involved in democratic processes. His lecture ended with a discussion on promoting youth participation, during which participants talked about civic education, their experiences with student councils, and ways in which young people can implement their ideas.
One of the key highlights of the training session was the examination of Roger Hart’s Pillar of Youth Participation, which illustrates the different levels of participation and influence of young people in societal processes. Participants were asked to think about where Bulgarian youth are on this ladder and how they can progress to higher levels of engagement and participation.
We would like to extend a special thank you to our wonderful hosts from Hyperspace who welcomed us into their hall and created a warm and welcoming atmosphere for us and our participants!
We believe that the Youth Democracy Academy will create a society of ambitious, young people who support the democratic idea and actively participate in various projects and initiatives.
Youth Democracy: Together for the Future 2024
The Bulgarian Euro-Atlantic Youth Club is happy to announce the start of the Youth Democracy: Together Towards the Future Academy. This is a new project of the Euro-Atlantic Youth Society (MEYS) and the Atlantic Club, funded by the German Marshall Fund. Its aim is to prepare a new generation of democrats to actively participate in public life, supporting their role in creating a better future for Bulgaria in the European Union.
The project will encourage the active participation of young people in democratic processes, improving their civic skills and introducing them to democratic principles through educational sessions.
The Academy will start on 13 June 2024, at 18:00 at Hyperspace (Pette Kyosheta, ul. “20-ti april” 13, 1606 Sofia) and will be opened by Dr. Solomon Passy, President of the Atlantic Club.
Младежките посланици на НАТО ще разговарят с Борислав Банков, секретар на комитета на Алианса относно прилагането на големи данни и иновативни аналитични методи за това как да подготвим успешна кандидатура за работа в международна организация като НАТО.
Борислав Банков ще разкаже още за работата в Алианса и за стажа по програмата за млади професионалисти; организационната структура и институционалните реформи в НАТО; животът в новата Главна кваритра на НАТО и мястото на новите технологии в Алианса.
Ако сте кандидатствали или имате намерение да кандидатствате в Алианса, този разговор със сигурност ще е интересен и полезен за Вас! Онлайн събитието ще се проведе на 12 март от 14:00 ч. в Zoom
Необходима е предварителна регистрация тук: https://us02web.zoom.us/…/tZUsduGurj0tH9SQlDvp_pSO5bMcl…
Повече за Борислав Банков
От 2018-та година Борислав работи за помощник-генералния секретар на НАТО по въпросите за новите заплахи и пробивни технологии. В момента изпълнява и ролята на секретар на комитета на Алианса относно прилагането на големи данни и иновативни аналитични методи в процеса по вземането на решения.
Предишният му опит включва Дирекцията по оперативни способности на Европол, информационната мрежа на Европейския съюз, както и кабинета на Генералния секретар на НАТО Йенс Столтенберг. Като част от екипа на Столтенберг, взима участие в срещите на върха във Варшава (2016) и Брюксел (2018), както и в извънредните заседания на Алианса след терористичните атаки в Европа.
В свободното си време развива проекти за увеличаване на гражданската устойчивост в България на базата на образователни инициативи. Разработва и докторантура върху ролята на хибридните заплахи и нови технологии в международните отношения.
За програмата Младежки посланици на НАТО
Младежки посланици на НАТО е лидерска програма на Атлантическия клуб в България, създадена през 2018 г., с подкрепата на Дирекция „Публична дипломация” на НАТО. В инициативата участват младежи на възраст 18 – 26 г. от цялата страна с интерес към дипломацията, международна политика и сигурност, които се избират след национален отворен конкурс.
Програмата продължава 12 месеца, в рамките на които посланиците участват в обучения в София, дискусии с ученици и студенти от страната, посещение в Главната квартирата на НАТО в Брюксел.
Целта на инициативата е да отличи младежи, ученици и студенти от цяла България, които чрез срещи с дипломати, представители на институциите и неправителствения сектор да задълбочат знанията си в областта на международната политика, многостранната дипломация и членството на България в НАТО, и да развият своите умения за комуникация, ораторство, работа в екип, организациионни умения и протокол.
Глобална академия 2020
Краен срок за кандидатстване – 2 октомври 2020 г.
Младежко евро-атлантическо дружество има удоволствието да Ви покани да вземете участие в Глобална академия 2020 – тридневен семинар, имащ за цел да инициира дебат и обмен на мнения по съвременни глобални проблеми. Семинарът ще се състои в периода 23 – 25 октомври 2020 г., в Хотел „Банкя Палас“, гр. Банкя. Събитието се осъществява с подкрепата на Посолството на САЩ в България.
С навлизането в ново десетилетие и пандемията от COVID-19 възникват въпроси как е най-добре държавите да изразходват нарастващите си ресурси, за какви заплахи и предизвикателства трябва да се подготвят и какви нови технологии ще са необходими за противодействие на настоящите и бъдещите заплахи за сигурността. По време на Глобална академия 2020 ще се фокусираме върху тези конкретни проблеми, стремейки си да генерираме свежи идеи и решения, които впоследствие да бъдат разпространени сред широката общественост и да насърчат диалог сред младото поколение. На участниците в семинара ще бъде предоставена възможността да вземат участие в лекции и дискусии с експерти в областта на международните отношения, включително представители на публични институции, неправителствени организации, медии и университети, както и да се включат в социални дейности.
Темите, които ще бъдат обсъдени по време на академията, включват: Системата на ООН: адаптира ли се мултилатерализмът към новите глобални предизвикателства; Пътят на един млад професионалист в ООН; Сътрудничеството между НАТО и ЕС: гарантиране на мира и сигурността в Европа; Трансатлантическата връзка след пандемията от COVID-19; Тероризъм и биосигурсност; Жените в сигурността: равнопоставеност на половете 20 години след Резолюция 1325 (2000) на Съвета за сигурност на ООН; Неконвенционални заплахи за сигурността: трансформация на военните способности; Хибридна война; Климатична сигурност: стратегически отражения на Европейската зелена сделка; Инициатива „Три морета“: евроатлантически стратегически проект. Семинарът ще включва и Обучение по дипломатически протокол и етикет.
Глобална академия 2020 е отворена за участие за студенти и млади професионалисти на възраст между 20 и 30 години, които имат интерес към сигурността, отбраната и устойчивото развитие и имат добро ниво на владеене на английски – минимум B2. Разходите по настаняването, храната и транспорта от София до Банкя и обратно ще бъдат поети от организаторите, без заплащане на такса за участие от избраните младежи.
За да кандидатствате, е нужно да попълните следната форма за кандидатстване и да приложите към нея своя автобиография и кратко мотивационно писмо (до 500 думи).
Ако имате въпроси, моля, не се колебайте да ни пишете на beayc@atlantic-club.org или да ни се обадите на +359 884 373216.
Младежки посланици на НАТО 2020
Краен срок за кандидатстване – 11 март 2020 г.
Младежко евро-атлантическо дружество и Атлантическият клуб в България обявиха началото на второто издание на Младежки посланици на НАТО – инициатива за 16 младежки лидери и иноватори с интерес към дипломацията, международна политика и сигурност. В програмата могат да участват младежи на възраст 18 – 26 г. от цялата страна.
Програмата продължава 12 месеца, в рамките на които посланиците ще участват в еднодневно обучение в София, двудневно посещение в Щаб квартирата на НАТО в Брюксел, среща-дискусия с младежи в осем български градове и участие в официална церемония по награждаване в София.
Целта на инициативата е да отличи младежи, ученици и студенти от цяла България, които чрез срещи с дипломати, представители на институциите и неправителствения сектор да задълбочат знанията си в областта на международната политика, многостранната дипломация и членството на България в НАТО, и да развият своите умения за комуникация, ораторство, работа в екип, организациионни умения и протокол.
Изисквания:
Кандидати за Младежки посланици на НАТО могат да бъде младежи на възраст 18 – 26 г., които свободно комуникират на английски език, който ще бъде работен език в рамките на посещението в Щаб квартирата на НАТО.
Кандидатстване:
Изпратете CV и мотивационно писмо до 1 страница на български език на youthambassadors@atlantic-club.org до 11 март.
Програма:
Преди да кандидатствате, моля, запознайте се с графика на програмата. Необходимо е присъствието и участието Ви във всички изброени дейности.
Разходите за транспорт и настаняване до Брюксел се покриват от Атлантическия клуб в България.
Транспортните разходи за местните срещи-дискусии в България (април – юни) се покриват от Атлантическия клуб в България. Във всяка среща-дискусия из страната ще участва екип от двама Младежки посланици. Срещите-дискусии ще бъдат еднодневни, точната им дата се определя след комуникация с местните партньори. Всеки Младежки посланик на НАТО трябва да участва в една среща-дискусия.
18 февруари – 11 март Кандидатстване
13 – 22 март Провеждане на онлайн интервю
23 март Обявяване на имената на 16 Младежки посланици на НАТО
27 март Обучение в София – институции на НАТО и дипломатически протокол
27 април – 10 юни Местни срещи-дискусии из страната: София, Варна, Карлово, Смолян, Горна Оряховица, Пазарджик, Кърджали, Плевен (в случай, че препоръките и инструкциите на здравните власти и МОН към този момент позволяват това)
Юни – Двудневно посещение в Щаб квартирата на НАТО в Брюксел
Официална церемония по награждаване на Младежките посланици в София
За въпроси, моля, пишете ни на: youthambassadors@atlantic-club.org.
