Sofia, September 20, 2016
„There is no other way to explain to ordinary people how the things are, but via personal stories. That is the only way we can show the society that the system is NOT working,” shared Ljuben Georgiev from Re-Act Society at the joint meeting of the Learning Action Partnership (LAP) and the consultative group on project of PULSE Foundation, which took place on September 20, 2016 in “Peroto” club of the National Palace of Culture in Sofia.
The projects of PULSE Foundation and “The art to inform” OAK funded project of BFPA, the training programme of LEAP for specialists and the draft report of UNICEF on the national legislation concerning prevention, detecting, signaling, response and intervention in cases of child abuse were presented. The participants exchanged useful for their work resources, materials and good practices on prevention of violence and sexual exploitation of children. During the discussion were shared weaknesses in functioning of the system for prevention and specificities of the topic in the national legislation.
Discussion topics: whether and to what a extend is successful the system for protection the children and young people affected by domestic and sexual violence in the country, and what else could be done for its improving; the challenges in the work of supporting institutions in Bulgaria; the difficulties in identification and referring of children to special services.
Representatives of Know-How Center of NBU, NCCTCM, UNICEF, GERT, NNC, KK, OAK Foundation, Animus Association Foundation, ICAP, Re-Act Society, SACP, as well representatives of NGO from the partnering on the project of PULSE Foundation countries – UK, Dutch, Romania and Hungary – participated in the meeting.
LAP is a network of specialists in NGO and state institutions, working on prevention and protection of children from violence and sexual exploitation in the frame of the project of BFPA „The Art to Inform. A network for reducing vulnerability of children for sexual exploitation and abusive practices”, supported by OAK Foundation.
The project of PULSE Foundation „Life skills, leadership, limitless potential (LEAP): Supporting children and young people, affected by sexual violence in Europe, via strengthening and facilitating the practices of participation, coordinated by International Center for Research of sexual exploitation upon children, violence and trafficking of University of Bedfordshire in UK is implemented in the partnership with Barnardos SECOS (UK), Terre des Hommes (Romania), PULSE Foundation (Bulgaria), Stichting Alexander (Dutch), Terre des Hommes Regional Office for Southeastern Europe and with collaboration with EuroChild. Supported by EC.