„We’ve been through a turbulent period, where historical time seemed to advance faster than astronomical. In the course of seven years we saw eight changes of government, and we had to deal with the Covid pandemic, on top of that. In this uncertain environment, however, we managed to ensure that the civil sector would successfully implement its long-term initiatives“. With these words Mr. Georgi Stoytchev, Executive Director of Open Society Institute – Sofia, opened the final event of Active Citizens Fund, „Citizens at Work“. He pointed out that thanks to the donor countries the Fund has secured the most thematically diverse initiatives ever. A similar opinion was expressed by Kerstin Agneta Wahlberg, Counselor at the Norwegian Embassy, who was also in attendance.

Open Society Institute – Sofia, in collaboration with Frivillighet Norge, is pleased to release a comprehensive comparative report on civic engagement in Bulgaria and Norway. The report, titled "Civic Engagement Compass", provides thought-provoking insights into the current state of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in both countries, exploring trends, challenges, and needs.

The Active Citizens Fund Bulgaria Programme, within the framework of the EEA Financial Mechanism 2014-2021, ended on 30 April 2024. In the period from October 2018 to April 2024, six competitions were held to collect project proposals on six thematic areas: improved democratic culture and civil awareness; human rights support; empowerment of vulnerable groups; gender equality and preventing gender-based violence; raising the commitment of citizens to environmental protection/in relation to climate changes; and improved capacity and sustainability of the civil sector, including civil society organisations.

The majority of Bulgarian citizens approve of the implementation of various policies for Roma integration and agree that it is good to have more Roma who become students (77%), teachers (62%), journalists (62%), doctors (59%) and police officers (53%). With almost full support among society (nearly 80%), the idea is that the state should take measures to encourage more Roma students to take matriculation exams, which would open the door for their continued education at higher education. More than half of the respondents (51%) also express support for the idea of the state encouraging more Roma to become students with scholarships.

The Scholarship Selection Committee reviewed and evaluated the applications received from students willing to participate in the program for Scholarship Support for Roma Students Enrolled in Medical Studies (the Scholarship Program), implemented within Active Citizens Fund Bulgaria under the European Economic Area (EEA) Financial Mechanism 2014 – 2021.