Fifteen young people from Smolyan participated in a training on “School for citizens – participatory process”, which was held from the 20th to the 22nd of February, in the hall of the Youth Center in the district town.
Some of the topics discussed at the three-day forum were connected with the legal possibilities for civil society’s influence on local communities, tolerance and multicultural understanding, the impact modes of the local governments, as well as the legal aspects of the concept of civilian control. The young people simulated a meeting of a city council, wrote essays on important topics related to the personal development and the active citizenship, and discussed urgent problems of local and national level.
“We are the future of our city and, demonstrating activity, we stand firmly against the claim spread in the recent weeks that young are passive and uninterested in the life around them.” It was one of the many conclusions reached by the group of learners at the end of the course.
The training was conducted under the “Promoting the active citizenship of young people” project, financed under the program for support of NGOs in Bulgaria under the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area. There will be another interesting and useful activities for the Smolyan’s young people in the frame of this project, which will be conducted by experts from the partner organization of CTW – Norway.

With the financial support of the Program for support of NGOs in Bulgaria through the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area.

Fifteen young people learned how to make full use of the new information and communication technologies in the work of NGOs focused on the active citizenship, on a two-day training, which was held in the town of Smolyan last weekend.
In the two days of the training the participants acquired skills in the creation of electronic forms and surveys and their dissemination in the social networks and via e-mails. The young people acquainted with most of the opportunities that Google Disc provides, as well as with the ways of analyzing and processing data by using Excel.
“If we want to adequately meet the challenges of our environment, we must be up with the information technology. The benefit of training like this is huge!” Thеse were the words of the youngsters when they received the certificates for completed training.
The two-day course was held within the project “Promoting active youth citizenship”, financed under the program for support of NGOs in Bulgaria under the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area and carried out by “Ecoworld Rodopi” association in partnership with the Norwegian NGO “Change the World”.
This is another training that aims to help young people of Smolyan to be active and worthy citizens.

Information for “Ecoworld Rodopi” association – Smolyan
The association was established in 1997. It works in the area of ecology, informal education and youth development.

Contacts:
Mrs. Lydia Arsova – Project Manager
Tel. 00359/878 775 919 E-mail: ecoworldrhodopes@abv.bg
Website: www.active.ngogrants.ecorodopi.eu
Facebook: Ecoworld Rhodopes