Voices of Exclusion – Minority Empowerment through Media

The leading organization in this project is the Centre for Social Practices, Bulgaria. “ACCESS-Sofia” Foundation plays the role of a partner organization in it.

The project aims at providing an opportunity for young representatives of the minorities to acquire skills and confidence to give publicity to their problems in the media, and stimulate public attention.

The project activities unfold in three main directions: 1) Self-representation training and activities; 2) Communication capacity building; 3) Sustenance of opportune environment.

ACCESS takes part primarily in the second project direction. It includes implementation of a training program, which aims to teach the participants institutional and practical knowledge and skills of communication environment peculiarities for their better self-representation in the public.

The training is organized in five training modules and is designed to give both theoretical knowledge, and practical skills. It includes traditional practices of training (e.g. skill transfer, encouragement and awareness raising) directed to the participants as individuals, as well as, unconventional methods of training, such as organizing the groups, mobilizing them for action, empowerment and enhancement of their capacity and effectiveness. For that purpose, the training is organized to provide opportunities for interaction, role-play and simulation. The 60 participants, including young Bulgarian Muslims, Turks and Roma people are selected according to the criterion of equal representation. They include young minority NGO leaders, community leaders, teachers and students.

The final project stage provides for publishing a book in Bulgarian and English to sum up the analysis results.