Project: Human Rights: Educate, Inspire, Change! will pilot a model in which, through the application of a complex set of interrelated interventions, awareness of the values of the EU will be raised, as well as the protection and promotion of the application of these values in Bulgaria, including the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law, and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities. The project will achieve a national impact among large groups of people in eight pilot areas and will involve a wide range of students, teachers, parents, and experts, including from vulnerable Roma communities and underdeveloped regions, to enhance their knowledge, interest in human rights, and motivation to be active in various forms of civic participation and protection against discrimination. The initiative will be implemented within the framework of the “Action” fund project “Rights and Values” and is funded by the European Union and the Open Society Institute – Sofia Foundation. It will be carried out over a period of 18 months and is valued at 59,968.15 euros.

The goal of the initiative is to encourage educational institutions to be active participants in the fight against stereotypes, prejudices, hate crimes, and hate speech, while empowering active young people and organized local communities to become agents of positive change, contributing to the reporting and response to all forms of hate speech and hate crimes. The project also aims to establish a mechanism of cooperation between key institutions responsible for preventing and protecting against discrimination (such as the Ombudsman, the Commissions for protection against discrimination, etc.) with organized local communities, including active youth groups, parent associations, informal leaders, mediators, and others. The project aims to have a national impact among large groups of people in eight pilot areas and will involve a wide range of students, teachers, parents, and experts, including from vulnerable Roma communities and underdeveloped regions, to enhance their knowledge, interest in human rights, and motivation to engage in campaigns and activities for tolerance and the fight against discrimination.

A Eurobarometer survey on discrimination in the EU shows that Roma are considered the most discriminated group (61%), followed by ethnic minorities and people of different skin color (59%). According to a survey by the Open Society Institute (OSI) on social distances towards various minorities in Bulgaria, Roma are the most segregated and unwanted minority for contacts. Between 2007-2013, attitudes towards Roma improved, but after 2013 there was a sharp deterioration. Schools and other educational institutions are among the key centers of socio-political life. Students and their parents often face challenges related to stereotypes, prejudices, hate speech, and hate crimes. These issues are most often found in their living environment but are also present in classrooms and schools. It is crucial to transform them into “spaces of tolerance,” ensuring that all students, parents, and teachers can freely exercise their rights and feel free from hate. It is equally important to engage the school community in campaigns and actions for tolerance and overcoming discrimination in society, especially against Roma and other vulnerable groups. The idea for the initiative arose from our work in the Network of nearly 300 schools with which the Amalipe Center collaborates, based on observations and feedback gathered.

A survey by the Open Society Institute, conducted as part of the “Intercultural academy for civic participation and tolerance” project carried out by the Center for interethnic dialogue and tolerance “Amalipe”, based on a questionnaire survey among students from schools with a high share of students from vulnerable groups, shows that every fifth (22%) respondent has experienced discrimination at least once in their life, while another 37% could not assess or did not answer the question. Every eighth respondent reported experiencing multiple discrimination – based on more than one characteristic. For comparison, in 2020, 7.3% of the population in Bulgaria reported a personal sense of discrimination, with the rate among Roma reaching 21.8% (National Statistical Institute and FRA). The data indicate an alarmingly high risk of discrimination starting from a young age. Potential victims often do not distinguish between most hate phenomena and reporting mechanisms and have limited trust in institutions. Investments in enhancing the capacity of young people and local communities (to recognize forms of hate crimes, to learn about their rights and reporting mechanisms) and empowering them would have significant added value. There is a pressing need to establish cooperation mechanisms between schools, which are the centers of community life, institutions, and organized local communities.

The results will be disseminated in at least 300 schools from the “Every student will be a winner” network.

The initiative “Human Rights: Educate, Inspire, Change!” is implemented within the framework of the “Rights and Values” project and is funded by the European Union and the Open Society Institute – Sofia Foundation.