When was The Bulgarian School of Politics established?
The Free and Democratic Bulgaria Foundation, New Bulgaria University, Open Society Foundation, and Political Academy for Central and Southeastern Europe founded the school in 2001.
Why choose Pamporovo as the school's location?
We find the best conditions here for seminars. Conditions such as good hotels with the required facilities, and sufficient isolation so there are no distractions.
What was so intriguing about the Moscow School that made you want to build a similar one in Bulgaria?
The results of seeing the people there mix so successfully together, a record of 10 years of successful seminars, and the passion with which all those who attended the school in Moscow and graduated from it, who were talking about the school. Last but not least the great inspiring personality of the founder of the Moscow School, a lady called Elena Nemirovskaya.
What kinds of students enter this school?
They're essentially young potential leaders who have responsibilities on different levels. These leaders can be on a municipal level, members of Parliament, mayors, police officers, doctors, teachers, professors, or lawyers. Basically people that make society move by becoming more responsible, growing in beauty and in their visions about their own country, its culture, and their own lives.
What does the school teach the students about politics?
It teaches them to be good responsible citizens.
What kinds of political leaders should evolve from this school?
What you want to see in the future are more people with visions about their mission at all levels. These are visions about their responsibilities, where they want their nation, country, town, village, and family. This means be honest, responsible, open-minded, tolerant, and importantly be open to dialogue, always ready to listen to the other's point of view.
What was the purpose for creating the Street Children Programme?
When I came back to Bulgaria after many years abroad, my wife and I were struck by a number of things including the number of street children at that time. We felt that it was one of the problems that maybe needed to be addressed. In 1993 we started working together with a British foundation called ChildHope, on a programme to train people how to deal with these children on the streets. It consisted of providing the children with basic assistance such as medical care, food, clothing, education, and shelter. Later that evolved into the creation of a centre, which was a house given by the city council where children up to the age of 16 are provided for and who still come today.
The second centre deals with over 16 year olds. In this centre there are drug addicts, young mothers with babies, people who come for medical assistance for tuberculosis, venereal diseases such as AIDs, and other diseases. We try to find these people jobs that sometimes are successful and have managed to change lives.
In both centres the children and youth are free to come and leave whenever they want since it's not an orphanage or an institution. However, once there they get assistance, food, shelter where they can spend the night, and they have educators who teach them how to read, write, and to draw. Since a normal Bulgarian school is situated nearby, the educators help them go to school so that some capable children are sent there and others are sent to boarding schools in the country. Basically out of 100 percent a third are happy kids being educated, a third go back to their families, and unfortunately a third go back to the streets.
Once on the streets they are open to all the violence and horrible things that happen such as skinheads, child prostitution, and drugs. These incidents do not only occur in Sofia but everyday on the streets as a big town in the world.
What do you expect to come out of the centre in the long run?
It's a struggle to find money to keep it going every year, month, and day. However it is very badly needed since it has become a model to the rest of the country. Similar centres exist in Varna, Burgas, Plovdiv, Rousse, and Haskovo where we train with people to work with these children in other cities.
How can one contribute to the centre?
One can give money donations, clothing, toys, and food but basically everything is welcome. However, since the children are not orphans, adoptions are practically impossible because the legal situation with the children is very complicated. Unfortunately we cannot help people adopt these children but I wish we could because they're absolutely wonderful kids. Otherwise people can go there in person and pay a visit to the kids since the center is not that far.
What did you hope to accomplish in the Western world when you left Bulgaria in 1948?
Nothing in particular, I was just trying to survive and make an honest living!
When you came back to Bulgaria what seemed to have changed drastically compared to when you left in 1948?
I was gone for 42 years so you can imagine that a lot of changes occurred. The changes that struck me the most were for the worse such as the degrading of the buildings, the falling state of some of the houses, and the loss of old friends that were no longer there. Since it was a hard life in 1990, the atmosphere also changed. There were food lines everywhere, empty stores, and above all no choice. What was most important was that you couldn't choose since it was either that or nothing. It is one of the fundamental differences between then and now. Today you have a vast choice where you can choose the restaurant you want to eat in, the papers you want to read, the schools you want to go to, and the stores you want to shop in.
You have accomplished a lot such as The Bulgarian School of Politics, the Street Children Programme, and the Free and Democratic Bulgaria Foundation, do you have a specific accomplishment you liked the best?
One has to be modest in life, but everything I have done I have done it with my wife. Every day is another day and today I'm very excited about the school of politics as I was last week about another programme. However, what we have done more importantly is the journalism prize, an annual journalism award for excellent journalism that has been going on for nearly 10 years now. I hope it will go on as I hope the children's programme will survive one way or another since it's an example of what can be done and that the school of politics will manage to survive while I'm no longer around. I am also quite proud of starting the outward-bound programme, which is a series of outdoor activities destined to entertain a wide range of people.
Do you have any more specific projects for the future?
Sure, everyday I have new ideas and ambitions, you have to have ideas but its doubtful I will have enough time to do everything I want to do. One must always look forward to doing things otherwise life is terribly boring.
Further Information:
School of politics:
www.schoolofpolitics.org
Sofia 1000, 82 Rakovski Street,
floor 2
Bank account of the Alliance for Children and Youth:
Municipal Bank Plc
Account numbers:
6, Vrabcha Street US$ 1111584703
Sofia 1000 Bulgaria EUR 1411584704
Swift code: SOMBBGSF BGN 1011584700
Sorting code: 13073590
Cheques: also the address of Faith, Hope, and Love Center for Street Children
Alliance for Children and Youth
Nadejda-2, 30 Svobodna Street
Sofia 1220 Bulgaria
Outward Bound information:
www.outwardbound-bg.org
Who is Dimitry-Ivan Evstatiev Panitza?
Panitza is Chairman of the Free and Democratic Bulgaria Foundation. He was born on November 2, 1930 in Sofia. A native Bulgarian, he left in 1948. He was a trainee the Reader's Digest Editorial department, head of the European Editorial office of Reader's Digest and to become on June 1st, 1994, the magazine's Managing Editor.
In 1991 Panitza and his wife Yvonne decided to establish the Free and Democratic Bulgaria Foundation (FDBF), in Sofia, whose purpose is to facilitate the process of democratisation of Bulgarian society through: pluralism, free press, free markets, tolerance, educated youth, open dialogue. Its activities include Bulgaria's first Street Children Programme which was recently expanded to include over 16-year-olds; Outward Bound Program, Civil Society Programmes, including the establishment of Junior Achievement - Bulgaria, annual Excellence in Journalism Prizes, donations and scholarships.
Panitza is Honorary Member of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, a long-time member of the London based International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS), of the Anglo-American Press Association in Paris, of the French Foundation for the Future, of the Institute for Market Economics in Sofia, of the Institute for Democracy in Eastern Europe (IDEE) in Washington DC. He is Honorary Chairman of Junior Achievement - Bulgaria and has been a founding member of The Board of Directors of the American University in Bulgaria since 1991. In May 2001 he was awarded the honorary title Doctor Honoris Causa of the University. He is on the advisory council for the annual Civil Courage Prize in New York and a member of the Board of the Balkan Children and Youth Foundation.
In 2000 he was awarded Bulgaria's highest civilian decoration, the order of Stara Planina, first class.
The Free and Democratic Bulgaria Foundation, New Bulgaria University, Open Society Foundation, and Political Academy for Central and Southeastern Europe founded the school in 2001.
Why choose Pamporovo as the school's location?
We find the best conditions here for seminars. Conditions such as good hotels with the required facilities, and sufficient isolation so there are no distractions.
What was so intriguing about the Moscow School that made you want to build a similar one in Bulgaria?
The results of seeing the people there mix so successfully together, a record of 10 years of successful seminars, and the passion with which all those who attended the school in Moscow and graduated from it, who were talking about the school. Last but not least the great inspiring personality of the founder of the Moscow School, a lady called Elena Nemirovskaya.
What kinds of students enter this school?
They're essentially young potential leaders who have responsibilities on different levels. These leaders can be on a municipal level, members of Parliament, mayors, police officers, doctors, teachers, professors, or lawyers. Basically people that make society move by becoming more responsible, growing in beauty and in their visions about their own country, its culture, and their own lives.
What does the school teach the students about politics?
It teaches them to be good responsible citizens.
What kinds of political leaders should evolve from this school?
What you want to see in the future are more people with visions about their mission at all levels. These are visions about their responsibilities, where they want their nation, country, town, village, and family. This means be honest, responsible, open-minded, tolerant, and importantly be open to dialogue, always ready to listen to the other's point of view.
What was the purpose for creating the Street Children Programme?
When I came back to Bulgaria after many years abroad, my wife and I were struck by a number of things including the number of street children at that time. We felt that it was one of the problems that maybe needed to be addressed. In 1993 we started working together with a British foundation called ChildHope, on a programme to train people how to deal with these children on the streets. It consisted of providing the children with basic assistance such as medical care, food, clothing, education, and shelter. Later that evolved into the creation of a centre, which was a house given by the city council where children up to the age of 16 are provided for and who still come today.
The second centre deals with over 16 year olds. In this centre there are drug addicts, young mothers with babies, people who come for medical assistance for tuberculosis, venereal diseases such as AIDs, and other diseases. We try to find these people jobs that sometimes are successful and have managed to change lives.
In both centres the children and youth are free to come and leave whenever they want since it's not an orphanage or an institution. However, once there they get assistance, food, shelter where they can spend the night, and they have educators who teach them how to read, write, and to draw. Since a normal Bulgarian school is situated nearby, the educators help them go to school so that some capable children are sent there and others are sent to boarding schools in the country. Basically out of 100 percent a third are happy kids being educated, a third go back to their families, and unfortunately a third go back to the streets.
Once on the streets they are open to all the violence and horrible things that happen such as skinheads, child prostitution, and drugs. These incidents do not only occur in Sofia but everyday on the streets as a big town in the world.
What do you expect to come out of the centre in the long run?
It's a struggle to find money to keep it going every year, month, and day. However it is very badly needed since it has become a model to the rest of the country. Similar centres exist in Varna, Burgas, Plovdiv, Rousse, and Haskovo where we train with people to work with these children in other cities.
How can one contribute to the centre?
One can give money donations, clothing, toys, and food but basically everything is welcome. However, since the children are not orphans, adoptions are practically impossible because the legal situation with the children is very complicated. Unfortunately we cannot help people adopt these children but I wish we could because they're absolutely wonderful kids. Otherwise people can go there in person and pay a visit to the kids since the center is not that far.
What did you hope to accomplish in the Western world when you left Bulgaria in 1948?
Nothing in particular, I was just trying to survive and make an honest living!
When you came back to Bulgaria what seemed to have changed drastically compared to when you left in 1948?
I was gone for 42 years so you can imagine that a lot of changes occurred. The changes that struck me the most were for the worse such as the degrading of the buildings, the falling state of some of the houses, and the loss of old friends that were no longer there. Since it was a hard life in 1990, the atmosphere also changed. There were food lines everywhere, empty stores, and above all no choice. What was most important was that you couldn't choose since it was either that or nothing. It is one of the fundamental differences between then and now. Today you have a vast choice where you can choose the restaurant you want to eat in, the papers you want to read, the schools you want to go to, and the stores you want to shop in.
You have accomplished a lot such as The Bulgarian School of Politics, the Street Children Programme, and the Free and Democratic Bulgaria Foundation, do you have a specific accomplishment you liked the best?
One has to be modest in life, but everything I have done I have done it with my wife. Every day is another day and today I'm very excited about the school of politics as I was last week about another programme. However, what we have done more importantly is the journalism prize, an annual journalism award for excellent journalism that has been going on for nearly 10 years now. I hope it will go on as I hope the children's programme will survive one way or another since it's an example of what can be done and that the school of politics will manage to survive while I'm no longer around. I am also quite proud of starting the outward-bound programme, which is a series of outdoor activities destined to entertain a wide range of people.
Do you have any more specific projects for the future?
Sure, everyday I have new ideas and ambitions, you have to have ideas but its doubtful I will have enough time to do everything I want to do. One must always look forward to doing things otherwise life is terribly boring.
Further Information:
School of politics:
www.schoolofpolitics.org
Sofia 1000, 82 Rakovski Street,
floor 2
Bank account of the Alliance for Children and Youth:
Municipal Bank Plc
Account numbers:
6, Vrabcha Street US$ 1111584703
Sofia 1000 Bulgaria EUR 1411584704
Swift code: SOMBBGSF BGN 1011584700
Sorting code: 13073590
Cheques: also the address of Faith, Hope, and Love Center for Street Children
Alliance for Children and Youth
Nadejda-2, 30 Svobodna Street
Sofia 1220 Bulgaria
Outward Bound information:
www.outwardbound-bg.org
Who is Dimitry-Ivan Evstatiev Panitza?
Panitza is Chairman of the Free and Democratic Bulgaria Foundation. He was born on November 2, 1930 in Sofia. A native Bulgarian, he left in 1948. He was a trainee the Reader's Digest Editorial department, head of the European Editorial office of Reader's Digest and to become on June 1st, 1994, the magazine's Managing Editor.
In 1991 Panitza and his wife Yvonne decided to establish the Free and Democratic Bulgaria Foundation (FDBF), in Sofia, whose purpose is to facilitate the process of democratisation of Bulgarian society through: pluralism, free press, free markets, tolerance, educated youth, open dialogue. Its activities include Bulgaria's first Street Children Programme which was recently expanded to include over 16-year-olds; Outward Bound Program, Civil Society Programmes, including the establishment of Junior Achievement - Bulgaria, annual Excellence in Journalism Prizes, donations and scholarships.
Panitza is Honorary Member of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, a long-time member of the London based International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS), of the Anglo-American Press Association in Paris, of the French Foundation for the Future, of the Institute for Market Economics in Sofia, of the Institute for Democracy in Eastern Europe (IDEE) in Washington DC. He is Honorary Chairman of Junior Achievement - Bulgaria and has been a founding member of The Board of Directors of the American University in Bulgaria since 1991. In May 2001 he was awarded the honorary title Doctor Honoris Causa of the University. He is on the advisory council for the annual Civil Courage Prize in New York and a member of the Board of the Balkan Children and Youth Foundation.
In 2000 he was awarded Bulgaria's highest civilian decoration, the order of Stara Planina, first class.
