Project: 'Network in Action'

a nationwide network for bulgarian civil society

Through the 'Network in Action' project, the Swiss Democracy Foundation is working with our Bulgarian partner organisations to establish a nationwide network of civil society organisations. The three-year project, which is being implemented as part of the Swiss-Bulgarian Cooperation Programme, seeks to raise visibility for local issues and give them a voice at national level. 

The aim: to bridge the gap between local and national levels

Bulgaria has a vibrant but often fragmented civil society. 'Network in Action' addresses precisely this issue: over the course of three years, a network for civil society organisations form all six regions of the country will be established and regional and local forums will be held to identify, consolidate and convey local concerns at national level. The focus is on building capacity, structures and trust – both between the regions and between civil society and the authorities. 

November 2025: The kick-off – a Briefing Tour to Switzerland

The project got underway in November 2025 with a briefing trip to Switzerland by our Bulgarian partner organisations. The aim of this trip was to give the partners a first-hand insight into Swiss practices of direct democracy and civic engagement – as a common foundation and source of inspiration for the project’s future work in Bulgaria, as well as discuss different perspectives, hopes for the project and establish the base of trust and understanding necessary for the duration of this project.

April 2026: Moderators Training in Karpachevo, Bulgaria

The next major milestone was the three-day moderators training held from 21 to 23 April 2026 in Karpachevo. Regional coordinators and representatives from all six regions of Bulgaria gathered for this event in the village’s old mill – a place that, thanks to the commitment of active citizens, has been transformed into a vibrant hub for democracy and civil society, and which, not coincidentally, is reminiscent of our own Democracy Tower in Bern. Karpachevo itself, a small village in the municipality of Letnitsa, is part of an impressive network of nine villages on the Devetaki Plateau, which has been revitalised through precisely this kind of civic engagement.

In terms of content, the training combined an introduction to Swiss experiences in civic engagement and direct democracy with practical modules on facilitation skills – including questioning techniques, paraphrasing, prioritisation and argument management – as well as structured guidance on organising public processes.

Next step: August 2026 - Workshop on AI and digital tools for citizen participation