CALENDAR OF ACTIVITIES FEBRUARY 2023 IN THE BUREAU FOR INFORMATION AND SERVICES FOR THIRD COUNTRY NATIONALS

The second month of this calendar year begins and the work does not stop at the Bureau of Information and Services for Foreign Citizens.

In January, the office was visited by a total of 85 people who used a different set of services. Among the most sought-after are legal consultations, and inquiries about financial subsidies, followed by accompanying services and consultations with other non-governmental organizations. Interest continues in terms of signing up for language courses.

On the official website of the bureau, a program is offered every month, in which the various services are described by days and hours. The content of this program is in several languages: Bulgarian, English, French, Ukrainian, Russian, Arabic and Persian.

Here you can see the program for the month of February:

          - You can find the program for February in Bulgarian HERE.
          - You can find the program for February in UkrainianHERE.
          - You can find the program for February in English HERE.
          - You can find the program for February in French HERE.
          - You can find the program for February in Russian HERE.
          - You can find the program for February in Arabic HERE.
          - You can find the program for February in Farsi HERE.

CONNECTION project: CONNEcting Cities Towards Integration action, is co-funded by the European Union’s Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund.      

THE SOFIA DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION AND NATIONAL ALLIANCE FOR VOLUNTEER ACTION – PLOVDIV ARE ORGANIZING THE “INSTITUTIONAL MODEL DESIGN OF A COMPETENCY CENTER IN THE FIELD OF SOCIAL INNOVATIONS – STRUCTURE AND MAIN FUNCTIONS” SEMINAR

Sofia Development Association and the National Alliance for Work with Volunteers – Plovdiv are organizing the "Design of an institutional model of a Center for competences in the field of social innovations - structure and main functions" seminar on February 16, 2023 from 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the National Alliance for Work with Volunteers hall, 11 "Dimitar Tsonchev" Street, 4th floor in the city of Plovdiv.

At the seminar, the team of the Sofia Development Association will present the study of similar structures of such centers in other European countries, as well as the main conclusions of the projects study and approaches to social innovations, which took place last year.

The next step in the project is to finalize a plan for the establishment of the Competence Center in Bulgaria, in order to start real work on the realization of such a space. During the event in Plovdiv, various possibilities for financing social innovations in Bulgaria will also be discussed.             

The project is funded by the EUROPEAN COMMISSION, European Social Fund and European Programme for Employment and Social Innovation      

THE “SOCIAL INNOVATIONS PLUS – COMPETENCE CENTRES” SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT NETWORK IS HOLDING ITS SECOND MEETING IN FEBRUARY

Social innovation is a key element of the new innovative framework needed for sustainable development. They increase the accountability of measures related to sustainable development and enable different groups to participate in the green transformation.

That is why a thematic network "Sustainable Development" was created within the framework of the SI PLUS project. Within this network, emphasis will be placed on the interrelationship between social innovation, green jobs and labor market policy. Moreover, in the context of the ESF+, green transitions play a crucial role when it comes to promoting skills for the green economy and reskilling and upskilling accordingly. Education and training systems are at the heart of a greener Europe and the environment, climate, energy and circular/bioeconomy sectors need upskilling of the workforce – a need already reflected in the main strategies of our time.

Regarding these aspects, the objectives of this meeting are:

- To bring together stakeholders from different fields and start a discussion on how National Competence Centers and Social Innovations integrate sustainable development into their agenda;

- To strengthen the exchange of experience through examples of projects and initiatives;

- To discuss the possibilities that the green transition includes;

You can find the registration link and more information here.

The SI PLUS project is funded by the EUROPEAN COMMISSION, European Social Fund and European Programme for Employment and Social Innovation.

THE SOFIACOIN APP IS GIVING AWAY THEATER TICKETS AND A BRAND NEW TABLET TO ITS USERS

The active lifestyle app SofiaCoin is announcing new exciting prizes for its users, including tickets to performances in Sofia’s leading theaters and a brand new modern tablet.

SofiaCoin is the result of joint efforts in the framework of the INNOAIR project. The app allows users to earn various rewards based on the distance they walk or cycle in the city of Sofia.

The more kilometers app users travel on foot or by a bicycle, the closer they are to the opportunity to win one of the prizes waiting for them in SofiaCoin. Theater tickets are provided by leading metropolitan theaters, including the "Vazrazhdane" Theater and the "Behind the Canal" Small City Theater. If anyone wants to get two tickets to some of the most interesting productions on the city’s stages, they need to install the SofiaCoin app on their smartphone and be among the first to walk 120 kilometers with it. After reaching the goal, the user must claim his or her reward if they are among the first to cover that distance.

Sofia Development Association, an INNOAIR project partner, also wants to surprise SofiaCoin users by giving away a brand new Lenovo tablet to the first app subscriber who manages to walk or run 250 kilometers and claim their prize.

You can download the Sofia Coin app for Android from HERE or for iOS from HERE.

In 2023 SofiaCoin will offer even more rewards and interesting opportunities. Through the INNOAIR project, which is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund through the Urban Innovative Actions Initiative, Sofia is taking ambitious steps towards electrifying and expanding public transport options and fighting air pollution in the territory of the capital. You can read more about the project here.

INNOAIR project is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund through the Urban Innovative Actions Initiative.

INVITATION FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE “DIGITAL GARDENING – IMPLEMENTING STRATEGIES TO COUNTER HATE SPEECH ONLINE” INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED PROGRAM TRAINING

Do you want to…

… be an ambassador of change?

… gain the knowledge and skills to recognize, decipher and counter hate speech online?

… become part of the international coalition to counter hate speech?

Sofia Development Association invites…

teachers, mentors, social workers, trainers, representatives of non-governmental organizations, public institutions, educational institutions and people actively involved in learning processes, at a one-day interactive workshop "Digital Gardening - Implementing Strategies to Counter Hate Speech Online".

What will you learn?

Social media occupies a very large part of our daily lives, and for adolescents and young people it has become a main way of communication. More and more often we witness verbal aggression directed at someone/something. The training aims to present the different aspects of hate speech in the internet space through interactive methods to help you deal with this challenge more easily.

Where?

SofiaLab – a cozy but also dynamic space where you can learn, but also teach; meet interesting people, but also bring together interesting people; to look for creative solutions, but also to work for their implementation in real situations.

Address: “Serdika” Str. 1, 3rd floor

Conditions for participation:

The event is FREE, including interactive training in the Bulgarian language by mentors representing the program, materials for work during the seminar, coffee breaks and lunch are also provided, as well as a certificate of participation in the program.

The program does NOT cover costs for overnight stays and transportation for participants who would like to join the training, but do not live in the city of Sofia.

How to get involved:

We are attaching three entry forms to this call, with three possible dates that you can join.

One participant can participate in only one of the specified dates!

The seats are limited!

23.02.2023 - https://forms.gle/zfxAUdzdnijtPyaKA

24.02.2023 - https://forms.gle/2e8zKM8Wv7xMKMwi9

25.02.2023 - https://forms.gle/WjnbNACeGq1qpUMt8

By filling out this form, you are declaring your desire to participate in the seminar, and the Sofia Development Association team will confirm your participation by email and send you additional information.

Registration deadline: February 10, 2023.

The training is part of the LEAD - Online project, which through education, information and empowerment, helps young people and their teachers to better understand the phenomenon of 'online hate'. The project seeks to reveal the roots of stereotypes and prejudices, of hostility against the digital "other", in order to change the attitude and position of "digital passive witnesses". Sofia Development Association is the coordinator of the project, which includes six other organizations and institutions from all over Europe. 

For more information about the LEAD - Online project, visit the website of the Sofia Development Association and read more about the seminar program, which is attached to the invitation.

PROGRAM OF THE EVENT CAN BE FOUND HERE!

The project is funded by the EU’s Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme.