Project period: April 2026 - September 2027
Objective of the initiative:
- Supporting civil society organizations and activists working in the field of access to information
- To raise local communities awareness of the standards of access to public information
- To present tools for civic participation to the local communities and to provide support in specific cases
Activities:
- 5 informational and consultative meetings with local communities
- Providing legal help in access to information cases for civil society organizations and civic activists nationwide
- Public campaigning and artivis
- Launching and developing a platform for the engagement and active participation of citizens and CSOs in local decision-making and information exchange regarding the design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of local initiatives
- Updating the handbook "How to Get Access to Information"
Results:
-
Access to Information and Civic Participation Bring Experts and Active Citizens Together in Smolian - Opportunities for access to public information, the protection of the right to know, and mechanisms for citizen participation in local decision-making were the focus of an information and consultation meeting held on 15 October in Smolian. The event was organized by the Access to Information Programme (AIP) Foundation and the Ti Reshavash Association, bringing together representatives of civil society organizations, active citizens, and journalists from the region. The meeting covered two main topics: the practical implementation of the Access to Public Information Act and opportunities for direct citizen participation in local governance. In addition to presenting the legal mechanisms, participants discussed specific cases from across Bulgaria and the Smolian region. The meeting sparked an active discussion, with participants raising specific questions related to local authorities’ decisions and opportunities for citizens to influence them. The experts’ practical advice and the discussion of specific cases from the country and the region turned the meeting into an opportunity to exchange experience, raise questions, and seek solutions.
-
The video “The Steps to Access” is an artistic animation about access to information that uses creative visuals to illustrate the process of seeking and finding public information. Through clear language and recognizable symbols, it presents citizens’ right of access to public information by guiding viewers through a series of practical steps. Voice-over: Vasilena Kiara-Dimitrova Script: Katerina Kotseva Editing: Alexander Kashumov (AIP), Darina Palova and Dimitar Palov (Ti Reshavash Association) Production: Plamen Stefanov Consultant: Vangel Vangelov Artificial intelligence was used in the production of the video.
-
Online Platform for Civil Society Organizations – a space for civic networking, sharing experience, and joint action is now open for registration to organizations from across the country: https://tireshavash.bg/register-organization.
The platform aims to strengthen connections among civil society organizations, facilitate the exchange of knowledge and good practices, and help them join forces to address the challenges facing local communities. Each registered organization receives individual access to a shared online space featuring a forum for discussing current issues, making decisions, and coordinating civic initiatives. Organizations can create and share folders containing documents related to various cases, allowing the experience gained and good practices developed by one organization to benefit all members. The platform also offers the option of conducting surveys to gauge public interest, as well as an interactive map providing information and contact details for all organizations that have joined the network.
-
New episodes of the video podcast “Dela i Demoktatsia”. The video podcast is dedicated to court cases accompanying democratic processes in Bulgaria. Certain epizods and represent local cases and other developments of the project activities. The episodes are produced as a partnership between the Access to Information Programme and KAYA PRO Ltd.
"This publication was created within the framework of the initiative 'Enhanced Democracy Through Informed Participation', co-funded by the European Union and the Open Society Institute – Sofia (OSIS) Foundation. The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union, the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA), or OSIS. Neither the European Union nor EACEA nor OSIS can be held responsible for them."