Lom, October 1, 2026
The first regional meeting of the "Networks in Action" project in the Northwestern Planning Region, hosted by Europe Direct Lom, was held in Lom. 35 representatives of civil society organizations, community centers, institutions and active citizens from Montana region participated in the discussions. The project is funded under the Civic Engagement and Transparency Facility of the Swiss-Bulgarian Cooperation Program.
The meeting was held using the "World Café" method, which contributed to high engagement, activity and inclusion of all participants in the discussion of key topics for the development of local communities.
The participants outlined a number of challenges: depopulation, low incomes, lack of qualified personnel, shortage of medical specialists, problems in education and unequal access to services. The most striking was the lack of trust in institutions, which often leads to passivity and a sense of powerlessness.
At one of the tables, a participant shared: “When one person is left alone with their problem, it is difficult for it to become a public issue. When people recognize it as a common one, organize themselves and present it to the institutions with arguments, civic participation begins to gain real power.”
A clear cause, a sense of belonging, personal example and visible results were cited as incentives for participation, while obstacles to participation included bureaucracy, mistrust, lack of time and skills, financial difficulties and social polarization.
The participants formulated several key directions for future work in the field:
- mapping active local organizations and people;
- building sustainable connections between them;
- developing skills for advocacy and civic participation;
- training in civil rights and forms of participation;
- creating regular spaces for dialogue with institutions;
- supporting local mediators who connect citizens with the administration.
The results of the meeting in Lom will be included in a regional analytical report on the civil sector in the North-West region, together with the conclusions of the upcoming meetings in Vidin, Vratsa, Pleven and Lovech. The report will be presented at a regional forum and at the national level.
The project "Networks in Action" unites seven of the largest civil society networks in Bulgaria and the Swiss Democracy Foundation. The coordinator is the National Network for Children.
The regional coordinator for the North-West region is Ralitsa Popova, Association "Knowledge" - Lovech, in partnership with the "Devetaki Plato" Association .
For contact:
Ralitsa Popova
tel. +359 68 627 952 e-mail: znanielovech@znanielovech.org