THE CONSTITUTIONAL ASSEMBLY OF CIVIC PARTICIPATION FORUM WAS HELD ON 6TH JUNE 2012 IN SOFIA

The Citizen Participation Forum has been founded as an informal network of organisations working for citizens inclusion in the decision-making process and policy-making on local, regional and national levels. During the last three years, more than 120 civil society organisations from around the country have joined the Forum. The Citizen Participation Forum has proven the strength of its coalescing efforts through elaborating and negotiating positions as well as defending common causes devoted to local governance, regional development, Bulgaria’s development and of the EU in the following years.

Aiming at strengthening the network’s sustainability and its efficiency, the Coordination Council, and then all the Forum’s members have agreed during the Members’ Annual meeting in April 2012 to take it to the next level by establishing an association under the Non-Profit Legal Entities Act in public benefit.

The Constitutional Assembly of Citizen Participation Forum was held on 6th July 2012 in Hall 2 at Rila Hotel in Sofia.  The 33 organisations present signed the Statutes and the Constitutional Protocol. The assembly elected the first members of the Board, representing 9 organisations:

• Devetaki Plateau Association, represented by Iva Taralezhkova
• Club of Non-governmental organisations, Targovishte, represented by Nevena Madzharova
• Bulgarian Center for Non-profit Law Foundation, represented by Ralitsa Velichkova
• Balkan Assist Association, represented by Slaveya Hristova
• The Broadcast Training Center ProMedia Foundation, represented by Desislava Velkowa
• Innovative Community Centres Association, represented by George Petrov
• “Knowledge” Association, represented by Ralitsa Popova
• National Network for Children, represented by George Bogdanov
• European Institute Foundation, represented by Lubov Panayotova

Iva Taralezhkova was elected for Chair of the Board; Slaveya Hristova – as Deputy-Chair.

Special thanks goes to all our members for all invaluable efforts, responsiveness and cooperation, which were conducive to the Network’s success story.

We believe that Association ‘Citizen Participation Forum’ would give a new impetus for civil society development in Bulgaria.