Why is the Civic Education important?

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One of the main goals of the sMisal Foundation is the development of critical and analytical thinking in young people.

The first and main step is Civic Education and its varieties.

What is Civic Education?

This term has been used for a long time and widely, used by various communities and countries to describe the basic knowledge needed for full and active participation in the political, economic, and even legal process of people with institutions, statehood, and the environment. This term must first and foremost be implemented in the education system, which in turn must engage in proper teacher education and be translated into an easily digestible subject for pupils and students.

Each community prioritizes different knowledge according to its needs, for example – civic education is defined in an Eurydice report under the auspices of the EC as a means of avoiding and preventing the radicalization of young people.

Is there one in Bulgaria and what should be our priorities?

The short answer to the question is yes, there is.

There is a project that is to be implemented, focused on introducing students from 11-12 grades to new concepts, rights, and obligations. This project has recently been updated to include economic terminology that goes through the state budget, labor, and social processes in the EU, the nature of the market economy and its functions, and other important knowledge.

All this is necessary, but we believe that key aspects and priorities are missing, such as personal financial responsibility, the tax system, the pension system, political systems and ideologies, contracts, the media (social and traditional), and freedom of speech, and others. Given the volume of the project, even without adding our suggestions – all these things will be indirectly affected by the allocated 31 teaching hours per year.

Why do we need it?

Creating basic legal, political and economic literacy provides the basis for a strong and educated Civil Society that knows how, when and why national and global processes take place and strives to be an active participant and work for improvements not only for itself, and for the community.

The more a person is involved in the social processes, the more he is engaged and aware of his rights and those of his friends, neighbors, compatriots and removes the paralyzing apathy of conformism.
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Founders

[av_team_member name=’Nikol Parvanova’ job=’President’ src=’https://smisal.eu/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/никол2-287×300.png’ attachment=’141′ attachment_size=’medium’ image_width=’av-team-img-original’ description=’Nikol is 22 years old, a student at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, Faculty of Law, studying Law.

In 2015 she got to know the non-governmental sector with the organization GLOW leadership academy, and then with ABLE mentor where he focused on organizing a donation campaign for the Crisis Center “Faith, Hope, and Love”.

Since 2015 she has been a volunteer at the National Patient Organization – first on the prevention and control of HIV / AIDS among young people aged 14 to 18, then on the project “Vaksinko” – info campaign on the importance of vaccines.

In 2016 she took part in the European Youth Parliament as Bulgaria’s representative in Manchester. In the same year, she became a member of the Sofia Student Council and was elected for General Secretary with a term of 1 year.

In 2017 she was in the National Youth Academy of the National Youth Forum – NYF became an ambassador of the Structured Dialogue – with the current working title “EU Youth Dialogue”. She was a representative of Bulgaria at the conference in Bucharest 2019 and during the Bulgarian presidency in 2018.

Since 2017 she has been part of the Foundation “International Award of the Duke of Edinburgh – Bulgaria” with a completed level of Bronze, and from 2020 of Silver.

In 2017 she was elected for the Board of NYF until 2019. The first year she was responsible for the priority “Civil Activism”. In the second year, her priority was Youth Rights.

2021 Nikol was elected for the Advisory Council on Youth part of the Council of Europe.’ font_color=” custom_title=” custom_content=” av_uid=’av-kf1fzm16′ admin_preview_bg=”][/av_team_member]

[av_team_member name=’Hristina DImitrova’ job=’Co-founder’ src=’https://smisal.eu/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/72601311_1722459087886523_619128976056516608_o-300×300.jpg’ attachment=’163′ attachment_size=’medium’ image_width=’av-team-img-original’ description=’Hristina is 26 years old, a Ph.D. student in political science at the University of National and World Economy. She graduated with a bachelor‘s degree in Political Science in German and a major in Political Science with English. She has a master’s degree in Applied Political Science.

She has over 12 years of experience in the NGO sector, student organizations, and working in the field of youth policies. For over 8 years she was a volunteer in the Bulgarian Red Cross. Her role in the organizations was to promote the humanitarian values among children and young people. She has been active in “Introduction to Humanitarian Law” and “First Aid and Psychosocial Support”. Along with that, she has years of experience in working with children with special and educational needs.

Member of the Student Council term 2016 – 2018 at the University of National and World Economy. Chairman of the NGO “EGO POLITICO” term 2016 and 2017. Deputy Chairman of the Youth Association of Political Science since 2017.’ font_color=” custom_title=” custom_content=” av_uid=’av-kf1g0d1n’ admin_preview_bg=”][/av_team_member]

[av_team_member name=’Kristiyan Hristov’ job=’Co-founder’ src=’https://smisal.eu/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/77141503_10213182802285131_2472995302353666048_o-2-300×300.jpg’ attachment=’175′ attachment_size=’medium’ image_width=’av-team-img-original’ description=’Kristiyan is 26 years old and graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the University of National and World Economy – UNWE, in Political Science in English and French.

He has been involved in civic education for 6 years, participating in various campaigns to promote an active civil society and increase civic culture.

From February 2015 – February 2017 he was elected Deputy Chairman of the Student Association “EGO POLITICO”. From June 2016 – June 2018 he is a member of the Faculty Council at the Faculty of International Economics and Politics, UNWE.

From June 2017 – December 2018 he was elected a representative of the Department of Political Science in the Student Council at the University of National and World Economy.

Member of the board of the Youth Association for Political Science. He actively participated in the team for the formation of the Advisory Council on Youth Affairs at Sofia Municipality. is 26 years old and graduated with a bachelor’s degree from the University of National and World Economy – UNWE, in Political Science in English and French.

He has been involved in civic education for 6 years, participating in various campaigns to promote an active civil society and increase civic culture.

From February 2015 – February 2017 he was elected Deputy Chairman of the Student Association “EGO POLITICO”. From June 2016 – June 2018 he is a member of the Faculty Council at the Faculty of International Economics and Politics, UNWE.

From June 2017 – December 2018 he was elected a representative of the Department of Political Science in the Student Council at the University of National and World Economy.

Member of the board of the Youth Association for Political Science. He actively participated in the team for the formation of the Advisory Council on Youth Affairs at Sofia Municipality.’ font_color=” custom_title=” custom_content=” av_uid=’av-kf1g1bcg’ admin_preview_bg=”][/av_team_member]

Foundation “sMisal”

This is a non-profit organization, which carries out its activities for public benefit, to encourage and support the personal realization and social integration of every young person between 18 and 35 years in the Republic of Bulgaria. It will work to optimize and support youth policies on the European, national, and local levels.

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