Bulgarian Memory Foundation

Bulgarian Memory Foundation is a non-profit organization founded in 2007 – the year of the Accession of Bulgaria to the European Union, working for and with young people. The program priorities of the Foundation are implemented in five main areas: 1)Initiatives for development of knowledge-based economy and youth realization and entrepreneurship in Bulgaria and Europe; 2)Educational initiatives for integration, socialization and European perspective of the young people in Bulgaria, Bulgarian communities from the historic diaspora and EU neighbouring countries–Serbia, Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Moldova and Ukraine; 3)Strengthening the sense of national and European identity of youth, through initiatives for preserving the Bulgarian cultural and historical heritage, part of the European civilization; 4)Initiatives for overcoming the demographic crisis and sustainable regional development in Bulgaria and Europe; 5)Initiatives in the field of European integration and multicultural dialogue of young people from Bulgaria and EU neighbouring countries Serbia, Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Moldova and Ukraine. The target group of the Foundation is mainly young people aged 15–24 years, in the transition of secondary to higher education. The specific characteristics of the young people from Bulgaria are that they are mainly from small cities and villages in the Southwestern and Northeastern regions of the country and due to economic and geographic reasons they fall into the so-called disadvantaged category. Young people are from families with low social status, living in the so-called mixed regions characterized with differences in ethnic and religious composition. Since 2007, nearly 5000 young people from Bulgaria and the region of Southeastern Europe and the Eastern Partnership countries have been involved in projects and initiatives realized thanks to the many partnerships of national and European institutions, business sector representatives, non-governmental and academic organizations. The team of the Foundation, headed by its Chairman – Dr. Milen Vrabevski, awarded with the Citizen’s Prize of the European Parliament for 2013, is composed of motivated and creative people with great experience in the above mentioned fields.