Since 1993 the Center for the Study of
Democracy hosts the Information Centre on
the Council of Europe in Sofia (ICCE-Sofia).
The Information Centre disseminates information
about the Council of Europe(CoE)
activities and offers technical assistance to
the CoE delegations to Sofia. Herewith is a
summary of some of the most important
initiatives of the Information Centre in 2006,
the final year in which it was hosted by CSD.
Additional information is published at:
www.cid.bg
Participation in the campaign to limit
violence against children
The Information Centre organized a
series of activities in the framework of
the CoE initiative ”To Build Europe for
and with the Children”, which was
launched at the Monaco international
conference (April 2006). At a pressconference
in the aftermaths of the
conference the ICCE and the State
Agency for Child Protection informed
the journalists about the campaign’s
priorities and about some related
initiatives of the Bulgarian authorities.
Another presentation of the children’s
campaign was organized at the ICCE
premises for the members of the National
Association of the European Clubs in
Bulgaria. At the end of June, 2006 the
ICCE in close cooperation with the
Applied Research and Communication
Fund organized a conference on ”The
Safer Use of Internet by Children”. It was
attended by representatives from the
Bulgarian parliament, state agencies,
firms in the communication technologies,
NGOs and the media. The forum
was addressed by Mr. Svetoslav Spassov,
Chairman of the Civic Council for Safer
Internet. The conference contributed for
the better dissemination of the Council
of Europe initiatives in defense of
children’s rights.
The ICCE also published and disseminated
with the assistance of the
Ministry of Education and Science
posters, containing the rules to be
followed in order to limit children risk
exposure in the Internet-space. These
are to be distributed to all Bulgarian
schools. A Council of Europe brochure
was also published, containing the main
goals and tasks in the framework of the
European campaign for protection of
children’s rights.
In this context the ICCE organized series
of lectures and discussions aimed at
better informing the pupils about their
rights. In coordination with the National
Association of the European Clubs in
Bulgaria teachers, psychologists and
children discussed the prospects of
introducing the School Ombudsman in
selected secondary schools.
In June 2006, the ICCE jointly with a
partner NGO – The Childhood without
Tears Association – hosted a training
seminar for magistrates on the prospects
of improving the mechanisms for
protecting the rights of children-witnesses
of a crime in the framework of penal
proceedings.
Cultural diversity as an antithesis to
racism
The ICCE also took active part in another
CoE all-European campaign aimed at
fostering diversity and upholding
human rights and inclusion, which
focused on young people. In November,
the Information Centre together with
the Regional Inspectorate of Education
in the town of Lovech organized a twoday
regional training seminar on
teaching diversity and multiculturalism.
10 secondary and primary school
directors and 10 teachers attended the
training aimed at informing the audience
about the European instruments in
fostering multi-culturalism. In a parallel
training exercise, schoolchildren from
different ethnic groups took part in a
drawing and essay competition. Participants
in the seminar were lectured
mo the Council of Europe role in
encouraging diversity, human rights
and inclusion as opposed to racism and
intolerance. A particular focus was laid
on integration of Roma children and
desegregation in the education field.
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