Project “Enabling students and citizens to realize their global environmental and social footprint”
Since October 2015 Civic Association (SCA) – Shtastlivetsa and Environmental Association “Za Zemyata/Friends of the Earth Bulgaria” are partners in the project “Enabling students and citizens to realize their global environmental and social footprint” (CEE Bankwatch Network No 681/15 (address Rozcesti 6 / 1434, Prague 9, 190 00, Czech Republic).
Within the framework of this project, a team of SCA-Shtastlivetza organised and carried out more then nine public seminars-discussions with guest lecturers on themes, dedicated to the Year of Development proclaimed by the UN. Participants in these events were students and professors from several different universities.
STAGE I
1. Bertchen Kohrs: ”What links Bulgaria and Namibia? The Lying about Clean Nuclear Energy“:
On October 26, 2015 in New Bulgarian University (NBU), SCA Shtastlivetsa organised two discussions on the topic “What links Bulgaria and Namibia? The Lying about Clean Nuclear Energy”. The event included screening of the film “Yellow Cake: The Dirt behind Uranium” (director: Joachim Tschirner) and a conversation with one of its inspirers – Mrs. Bertchen Kohrs (Earthlife Namibia).
Participants in the discussion and co-organizers of the event were also Natural Sciences Department at NBU, Student Council of NBU, ECO PRO Club – New Bulgarian University, Environmental Association “Za Zemyata/For the Earth”.
Lecturer: Mrs. Bertchen Kohrs (Earthlife Namibia), Moderators: Dr. Radosveta Krastanova PhD (NBU, SCA Shtastlivetsa), Mr. Genady Kondarev (Environmental Association “Za Zemyata/Friends of the Earth”)
The students were impressed by the global nature of uranium pollution problems, the scale of civil society initiatives in Germany and Namibia, and the people who organise them. There was a lively debate. Watch the entire video of the event here: http://placeforfuture.org/?p=3017&lang=en
2. Emmanuel HUSSENET visit Bulgaria: Within the framework of the project, in May 2016, Shtastlivetsa Association invited the French polar explorer, journalist and writer Emmanuel Hussenet from the organisation “Robinsons of Ice” to Bulgaria.
Since his youth, Mr. Hussenet has been familiar with the polar ice sheet problems caused by climate change. In the past few years, Emmanuel Hussenet had embarked on an international political initiative to declare the disappearing island Hans in the northern polar circle as an international zone, a symbol of awareness of developmental impacts caused by the global climate change.
On May 16, 2016, the project team organised and held a seminar with international participation “Can the climate conference in Paris change the world ?: Is the global political system able to cope with a planetary problem?” (Aka La COP21 à Paris pourrait-elle changer le monde? À à un enjeu universel, les limites du pouvoir politique?) at the French Cultural Institute in Sofia.
Lecturers: Emmanuel HUSSENET, French writer, journalist and researcher of the Far North, Georgi STEFANOV (Climate Coalition – Bulgaria, SCA Shtastlivetsa and WWF-Bulgaria), Gennady Kondarev (Environmental Association “Za Zemyata/Friends of the Earth Bulgaria”), Moderator: Dr. Radosveta KRASTANOVA , PhD (New Bulgarian University, SCA Shtastlivets and Educational Network PLACE OF FUTURE).
Participants in the discussion: Jean-Jacques Cegarra, French Attaché for scientific and university cooperation in Bulgaria, Philip Kirov from ‘Trinoga” (Tripod) Association for Sustainable Development, Dr. Petar Kanev PhD, coordinator of international education network “Place for Future” lecturer in Communications Department at University of Library Studies and Information Technology, Mrs Daniela Pandurska from Zelenika Foundation and many students from four universities and from more than seven different university disciplines.
The problems that the melting of ice on the poles caused greatly impressed the participants in the discussion. The question of whether the decisions of the COP21 Climate Conference in Paris will lead to effective policies provokes a lively debate between the representatives of various academic and scientific institutions, civic initiatives and NGOs, students and lecturers from different universities (New Bulgarian University, Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski, University of Library and Information Technology, etc.), journalists, politicians and diplomats. Watch the entire video of the event here: http://placeforfuture.org/?p=3523
4. Emmanuel HUSSENET: The Climate Problems and our Common Future:
On 17 May 2016 the team of SCA-Shtastlivetsa organised a discussion with the French polar researcher Emmanuel Hussenet in the Alma Mater of Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski “.
Co-organizers and participants in the discussion were Ecoclub “UNECO” at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski “,” S.K.O.R.E.T.S. Club” at Sofia University” St. Kliment Ohridski “, Environmental Association” For the Earth “, Educational Network” PLACE OF FUTURE “.
The melting of the glaciers, as well as the problems they led to, excited the participants in the seminar. The students were most impressed by Mr. Hussenet’s initiative to make the polar island Hans an international area, and that provoked many questions and a lively discussion. Watch the entire video of the event here: http://placeforfuture.org/?p=3523
5. Discussion “The city and its future: development in the” first “and” third “world
From May 26 to June 1, 2016, the Shtastlivetsa Association organises an International Traveling University and a student conference “The City of the Future – the Future of the City”: integrated with the project activities.
A lively interest among students, scientists and lecturers from different nationalities from seven departments of New Bulgarian University (“Architecture”, “Administration and Management”, “Economics”, “Mass Communications”, “Political Sciences” and “Romans Studies and Germanism”, “Natural Sciences”), from two departments of University of Libraries and Information Technologies (” Communications and Information “and” Library Sciences “), and also from Institute for the Study of Societies and Knowledge at Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, from the Social Sciences Department of Grenoble University Pierre Mandes-France,Talent Campus, Burgundy, France, and House of Humanities at the University of Burgundy, has prompted the discussion with Genadi Kondarev of the Environmental Association “Za Zemyata/For the Earth”.
The organising team held the discussion “The city and its future: development in the” first “and” third “world on May 29, 2016 in the area of Gushovski Monastery” St. Michael”, with moderator Mr. Ivan Popov. Watch the entire video of the event here: https://youtu.be/vjn_TFYNAXY
The participants debated whether green technological innovations can alleviate the harsh social and environmental problems induced by industrial development. http://placeforfuture.org/?p=3577&lang=en
6. 
International Student’s Conference “The City of the Future – the Future of the City”:
The students continued to discuss this issues raised by the debate on future development during the concluding conference in which the interdisciplinary working groups presented the results of their work during the Travelling University (May 30 – June 1, 2016).
The final discussion was also attended by the District Governor of Montana District, mr. Ivaylo Dimitrov, as well as representatives of the Chiprovtsi Historical Museum, Petar Parchevich Primary School in Chiprovtsi, Chiprovtsi Alternative and Development Association, Matej Bel University in Banska Bystrica, Slovakia - Watch the entire video of the event here: https://youtu.be/yJCsJv3iXoU
STAGE II
was conducted in the centre of distance learning in the International Business School – Sofia, on 14th October 2016. It was directed to students in the second year, Majoring in Tourism and headed by Assist. Prof. Dr Desislava Aleksova, PhD, from Shtastlivetsa Civic Association.
Speaker at the event was Gennady Kondarev from “Za Zemyata” (“For the Earth”) Environmental Association.
The students had the opportunity to become acquainted with extremely inspiring people like Oscar from Namibia who make a presentation about the problems near the town of Tsumeb where is processed concentrate from the mine in Chelopech; Wilmar from the town of Ferro De Pasco, Peru – one of the highest municipalities in the world; Carmen from the town of Oyon, Peru, where in its neighbourhood the mine Islay Cruz corporation Glencore mining lead-zinc concentrate, which until recently crossed by land and water half the globe. The short version of the documentary “Good Life” by the Canadian-Hungarian director Megan Horvath, shot in Krumovgrad and Namibia, was presented. In the film matched the expectations of the two local communities in the lands for which operates Canada’s mining and manufacturing corporation Dundee Precious Metals. http://placeforfuture.org/?p=3927&lang=en
8. On December 20, 2016 SCA-Shtastlivetsa organised and held a discussion with the participation of students from the fields of Communication and Information, and Public Policies and Practices, at the University of Library Science and Information Technologies.
The public seminar was devoted to the problems of future development, “International communications and conflicts on our planet and the links between the First and Third World” – guest speaker Genadi Kondarev, an economist at the Environmental Association Za Zemyata/For the Earth.
An enhanced interest among students prompted the video footage from the industrial pollution of Nigeria and Peru, which Mr Kondarev had made during his travels in those countries. His personal story as an eyewitness to the problems that extractive industries are causing in these countries excited the audience and provoked lively discussions. http://placeforfuture.org/?p=3934
9. Public discussion “Do we live on a planet? What connects Bulgaria, Namibia and Peru?”
On February 8, 2017, a team from the Shtastlivetsa Association organised and held a public discussion on the topic: “Do we live on a planet? What connects Bulgaria, Namibia and Peru?” with the participation of students from the Department of Communication and Information at the University of Library Science and Information Technologies (ULSIT) and the Department of Geology at Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski, with guest lecturer Gennady Kondarev, an economist from the Environmental Association Za Zemyata/Friends of the Earth.
The moderator of the discussion, Dr. Petar Kanev PhD (from the Institute for the Study of Societies and Knowledge at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, ULSIT and SCA-Shtastlivetsa), introduced to the students the problems caused by the planetary network which had provoked today’s industrial pollution because of the connectivity of the production process of the extractive industries in different countries and continents.
The participants in the seminar learned about Mr. Kondarev’s activities and investigations in the city of Tsoumeb in Namibia, Krumovgrad in Bulgaria and in the high-mountain areas of Peru. The photo-cadres with terrible pollution around these mines and the data tables for the extreme health issues caused by the exploitation of highly poisonous levels of arsenic in the gold mines in Namibia, in Bulgaria and in Peru had caused many questions to the lecturer and a heated debate among the audience. Gennadi Kondarev projected to the students the documentary “Good Life” by the Canadian-Hungarian director Megan Horvath, filmed in Krumovgrad and Namibia. The guest lecturer also told the story behind the film shot. Students shared their own personal impressions of the mines in Chelopech, Krumovgrad and Bobov Dol in Bulgaria. The subsequent heated discussion raised important questions about the future development of the extractive industries both locally and globally. Watch the entire video of the event here: http://placeforfuture.org/?p=3934
10. eng. Angel Zhilanov: The First Green Municipality in Bulgaria:
On 15.03. 2017 SCA-Shtastlivetsa team invited the mayor of Gorna Malina Municipality, eng. Angel Zhilanov as a guest lecturer at the International Business School in Botevgrad.
Under the management of Mr. Zhilanov Gorna Malina Municipality was declared as the first Green municipality in Bulgaria. He presented the state and the opportunities for the development of tourism in the municipality, the activities and measures set out in the municipal development plans and the Strategy for Sustainable Development of Tourism in the Municipality of Gorna Malina 2017-2030, the challenges and opportunities in the implementation of regional tourism policies and local Development. The Chief Expert on Education, Culture and Religious Affairs in the Municipality of Gorna Malina – Mrs. Ganka Hristova – also participated in the meeting.
The students were from the second and third bachelor’s program “Tourism”, led by Prof. Nikolina Popova and Ch. Prof. Dr. Desislava Aleksova, Chairman of the Association “Shtastlivetsa”, moderator of the discussion. They enriched their knowledge in the fields of “Tourism Planning and Development” and “Field Examination of a Tourist Destination” by getting acquainted with good practices, results of analyzes and projects of the municipality. Special attention was paid to the detailed presentation on “Strengthening the Competitiveness and Efficiency of the Tourism Sector in the Municipality of Gorna Malina by Optimal Utilization of Available Resources in Accordance with Market Requirements and Consumer Expectations for Sustainable Development of Tourism in the Period 2017 – 2030″. A lively discussion followed.
Mr. Gennady Kondarev from the Environmental Association Za Zamyata/For the Earth also took part in the discussion, presenting the local problems of the Bulgarian municipalities in a global context, according to the challenges of our choice of the way of development that we are doing today, but which will determine our future, especially with regard to this what kind of environmental and social footprint we will demise to our heirs from our entire common planet. http://placeforfuture.org/?p=4006&lang=en
For the purpose of the project, the Association “Shtastlivetsa” developed and carried out a press and media strategy and provided the coverage of the public university events and discussions in local and national media, especially with the Bulgarian National Radio.
Our strategy to promote project events in the global network has led to the development of different (by target group) facebook and google groups, mailing lists and youtube channels. The project team provided a domain and hosting to promote the project activity, which was set up in a special section in the site of the Educational Network Place for Future, co-ordinated by the Shtastlivetsa Association.
Our team shot a large part of the public events on the project with the video camera, processed them and uploaded them to our YouTube channel as well as to the the Shtastlivetsa Association website, where they will remain publicly available to a large international audience for a long time.
The team of the Shastlivetsa Association provided participants in public events on the project to a large number of specialists and students from various academic and scientific disciplines, from various scientific, academic and educational organizations, from different institutional and NGO spheres, from different nationalities and from different regions of the country. Part of the events outside the capital were held in cooperation with the municipal authorities of several different municipalities and districts in Bulgaria. Thus, the project has acquired not only interdisciplinary character, and it has not only covered a wider terriot representation in the country but also has a distinctively international character, as well as in terms of international academic and university representation, as well as guest lecturers and civic participants in our public discussions.
The events were carried out with the financial support of the European Union.
The content of the debates, seminars and public events is entirely the responsibility of Shtatslivetsa Sofia Civic Association, Environmental Association “Za Zemyata/Friends of the Earth” and PLACE FOR FUTURE Educational Network and in no way can it be considered to reflect the positions of the European Union.