This presentation, called "Bulgarian miracles: Stara Zagora youth and business in pursuit of the Millenium Development Goals" was made by the Initiative Regional Youth Council about their contributions to the Millenium Development Goals.

1. Bulgarian miracles:
Stara Zagora youth and
business in pursuit of the
Millenium Development Goals

2. WHO WE ARE
Initiative Regional Youth Council
In existence since 2005;
Umbrella of local youth
clubs , organizations , Informal groups;
Inter-mediating between youth and other social
stakeholders in Stara Zagora Region;
Albeit grasrooted , Initiative has sent over 300
young people to international events/projects

3. OUR INSPIRATION
Initiative operate in a unique ethno-
cultural surrounding;
A region with over 8 000 years of
civilization;
The legacy of the very past , which we
shall lay in the grounds of the BETTER
future
Wisdom , responsibility and inspiration that
we all share.

4. MDGs RELATION To suffice short-term survival
needs : fundraising
campaigns, charity events,
DMS, pay roll donations.
Narrowing the distance
between schools/university
and the job market :
database of vacancies ,
meeting youth with large
companies , proposals for
changes in education
curriculum , training on soft
skills.
In times of crisis: youth are
particularly targeted as
they suffer the most
(financially , economically
and socially)

5. OUR CONTRIBUTION TO MDGs
Universal education
Advocating for and
preventing drop-outs;
Working primarily with
minority and rural youth
(UNICEF Rural Voices of
Youth);
Non-formal learning
tools:comic
strips,information
campaigns,youth
media,online training
platform (turnover
6000)
europeanyouthtraining.c
om/softskillstraining/

6. OUR CONTRIBUTION TO MDGs
Gender issues
50/50 involvement of young male and female participants in
projects;
Conselling and rehabilitation of victims of domestic violence;
Networking in SEE Cross-bordered Counter-Trafficking Youth
Task Force;

7. OUR CONTRIBUTION TO MDGs
Child and maternal health,
HIV/AIDS
Awareness-raising on
reproductive health;
Discuss family planning with
minorities;
Volunteer with local social
institutions (hosting single
mothers,orphans)-largest
number in the region;

8. OUR CONTRIBUTION TO MDGs
Environment sustainability
Protests against multi-year gas
pollutions in the region;
Establishing a permanent SEE
body:Balkan Inter-parliamentary
Green Lobby Group;
A strong voice in international
fora such as World Water-
Forum 5 (Istanbul),Challenge
the Best (climate
change,Switzerland) , Nuclear
Investments (Frankfurtam Main)

9. OUR CONTRIBUTION TO MDGs
Global partnership
Networking in over 50 world-wide projects;
Emphasis on cooperation with developing countries in the
neighbourhood-the Black Sea Basin,SEE,Post-Soviet space;
Refugess: REFUGICS series of comic strips and website

10. Important for a total of 20
ethnic groups co-existing OUR CONTRIBUTION TO
locally; INTERCULTURAL DIALOGUE
Innovative approach:Miss
Interculture contest,a
common calendar of
cultural customs,visit of the
local Ombudsman,building a
museum of ethnicities,Mall
of Democracy,etc.
Expanded to 14 points in
Bulgaria,7 900 youth
directly reached (a project
of the CEGA foundation
and OSI) in 2009-2010

11. Let us contribute together! Join us:
More on:
www.chambersz.com
http://www.stara-zagora.travel/en/
rms.iniciativa@gmail.com