On May 29, 2023, an information meeting was held with representatives of the ICBCCMN and the Child Protection Departments of the Social Assistance Directorates of Sofia Municipality. The meeting is organized within the project “Support for the development of integration policies and services for refugees in Sofia”, funded by UNHCR.
The main topic of the event was related to the development of social skills of children and young people, including children and young people with refugee and migrant backgrounds, and the prevention of violence and anti-social behavior. Dr. Maria Shisheva from UNHCR spoke about the profile of refugees arriving in Bulgaria and what are the main problems when working with unaccompanied children. Prof. Ingrid Shikova presented interesting opportunities through civic education at school to “learn to live together” and to be tolerant to others. Snezhina Gabova from SDA focused on the need to prevent discrimination through awareness-raising campaigns and trainings related to online hate speech.
The meeting is part of the project activities aimed at creating institutional and expert capacity to work with refugees and migrants within Sofia Municipality.