Dr. Milen Vrabevski, Chairman of the Bulgarian Memory Foundation, addressed participants from Moldova, Ukraine, Serbia, Albania, Greece, Romania, Republic of Macedonia, Southwestern and Northeastern Bulgaria during the 20th Spring Seminar organized by the BMF.
For the tenth consecutive year, from 10th to 14th of April, the Foundation gathered in Varna more than 200 young people from Bulgaria and our historical diaspora. Youths from eight countries met and shared time, emotions and knowledge, and the lecturers as well as prominent personalities from business, science, media, institutions and the civil sector united their knowledge and experience around the topic: “Bulgaria 2017 – 10 Years in European Union, a period of challenges, opportunities and learned lessons”.
Special guests at the opening of the seminar were:
Dr. Milen Vrabevski – Chairman of the Bulgarian Memory Foundation
Ivan Portnih – Mayor of Varna
Ognian Zlatev – Head of the European Commission Representation in Bulgaria
Dr. Klaus Fiesinger – Regional Director for Southeast Europe at the Hanns Seidel Foundation
Bogdan Mirchev – Representative of the Hanns Seidel Foundation for Bulgaria
Rosen Plevneliev – President of the Republic of Bulgaria (2012-2017) and President of the Solutions for the Future Foundation.
After the opening, the guests took part in a meeting – discussion: “Bulgaria in the EU – 10 years in the big European family”.
Within the program of the seminar a cooperation agreement was signed between the Bulgarian Memory Foundation and the Solutions for the Future Foundation.
During the seminar, which has become a successful example for sustainable development and cross-border cooperation, a number of meetings and discussions were held on the topic of “The Cyrillic alphabet — the alphabet of EU expansion”; “EU expansion and the European perspective before the Eastern Partnership Countries”; “Branding of Bulgaria for the EU Council Presidency in 2018 – messages through art and culture “.
The 20th edition was part of “Varna – European Youth Capital. InnoWave2017 ” program, and in this regard various outdoor initiatives were held:
- “Illustration of the EU motto – Unity in diversity, with letters carried by representatives of the different communities participating in the seminar.
- Flash mob “Bulgarian round dance – young people from Bulgaria, Ukraine, Moldova, Serbia, Republic of Macedonia, Romania, Albania and Greece will unite by dancing together in a big Bulgarian round dance.
- In the sky over the city of Varna colorful balloons flew with the logo of the Bulgarian Memory Foundation and InnoWave2017.
- “Value Tree” – the participants will decorate trees in the Sea Garden of Varna with prepared eggs with written European values on them: tolerance, solidarity, respect …
The emblematic seminar of the BMF is realized in partnership with: The Municipality of Varna, the EC Representation in Bulgaria and the Hanns Seidel Foundation.
