Building Bridges Between Communities

Fighting rumours and stereotypes

Call for EVS volunteers 

(Italian candidates)

“Building Bridges between Communities” project is an initiative launched in May 2018 in Sofia, Bulgaria as a partnership between the organizations CVS-Bulgaria, SCI Italy, SCI Madrid and Rota Jovem which aims to create space for understanding, dialogue and cooperation between different groups of people in the local community.

The project supports the core initiative of the organization: The Refugee Project (www.refugeeproject.eu), which is implemented in partnership with Caritas Sofia since 2011 and  gathers local volunteers who organize variety of lessons and workshops for the asylum seekers and refugees in the main reception centers in Sofia – Ovcha Kupel, Voenna Rampa and Vrazhdebna, as well as excursions and different events. The Refugee project is a space where thousands of volunteers every year open their heart to asylum seekers in Bulgaria and give them a warm welcome through activities and quality spent time together. The project is managed by volunteer coordinators from CVS-Bulgaria and Caritas Sofia. Every year EVS volunteers join this team and make a difference by being part of this crazy, vibrant and hardworking crew.

The Refugee Project Brochure

About the EVS project 

Check out this dream EVS project below and if you are a volunteer from Italy ( We already selected candidates from Spain or Portugal), do not hesitate to apply! We promise it is worth it!

Volunteering circles: Human Library on Migration

The project will bring together the efforts of three EVS volunteers from Italy, Spain and Portugal, who will work within one year to 1) Raise awareness among young people and fight rumors in the local community that affect marginalized / vulnerable groups, including refugees and migrants; 2) increase the media literacy of young people and combat hate speech; 3) enhance the integration of refugees through different kinds of interaction with the local community / organized volunteering in temporary accommodation centers; organized outdoor activities and excursions; events /; 4) promote of volunteering and its opportunities for integrating marginalized / vulnerable groups. CVS-Bulgaria has been working in these fields for many years, both nationally and internationally, in cooperation with a number of international partner organizations. The volunteers will be involved in the different stages of the project, namely Identification of rumors, creation of a Network and Campaign to fight rumors and Evaluation and dissemination of results. As part of the project, each volunteer will have specific tasks that will be directed both to the main goal of the EVS project and to the other objectives – to build up the activities of the previous EVS projects on the subject; actively involving target groups in the rest of the activities of the organization, including informing and encouraging their participation in Erasmus + activities; supporting the bilateral integration process and informing the local community on the topic of forced migration. The results of the project will be: an online platform and a campaign to fight rumors; a strategy for identifying rumors in the local community and their logical refutation; multiplier training on the subject, an online handbook for multipliers; different materials for organizing and conducting activities with refugees; articles in the newsletter on project achievements and related topics; educational workshops within the CVS UNI format; an international volunteer camp at a reception center for refugees outside Sofia. The volunteer service activities are particularly connected and predetermined by the idea of fighting racism, xenophobia and Islamophobia and working towards social inclusion and respect for human rights. The project activities will be complimented by two national trainings for multipliers, an expert workshop for creation of handbook for multipliers and five national events for its presentation and promotion. In their activities, EVS volunteers will work first to familiarize young people with the problems and their nature, caused by the lack of tolerance and perception of foreign culture. These are issues of paramount importance in the European Union and worldwide, because our shared existence would not have been possible without the initial building of a bridge between communities and connecting with each other.

Working in The Refugee project

Dates: 1.07.2018– 1.07.2019
Venue: Sofia, Bulgaria (some of the activities may require travelling within Bulgaria)
Working language of the activities: English, Bulgarian
Contact person: Katerina Stoyanova
Contact email: cvs.katerina@gmail.com
Project theme: Building bridges campaign, Antiracism, Antifascism, refugees, ethnic minorities, refugees/asylum seekers
Number of vacancies: 1 (Italy)

During the year of this exciting voluntary service the volunteers will be supported by CVS-Bulgaria, its staff and volunteers. They  will be part of a dynamic and amicable team of co-workers in the office of CVS-Bulgaria and will have the opportunity to be included in the ongoing events and tasks, concerning the overall work of the organization, will join the other EVS volunteers in their project activities and will participate in the process of planning the activities in CVS-Bulgaria.

Personal project

Each volunteer will have the opportunity to develop its own personal project, while the volunteers will be introduced to already existing partnerships the organization has – Vlahi Nature School, Concordia Foundation, Sofia International Film Festival, Caritas Sofia, UNHCR, Bulgarian Red Cross, The Council for Refugee women, Multi Kulti Collective, Sate Agency for Refugees. They will have the chance to involve them in the development of their personal project which will definitely enrich their experiences and help them develop key competences.

Profile of the participants

An interest and some experience (or strong motivation to work) with asylum seekers is essential. Strong motivation to learn Bulgarian or basic knowledge of the Bulgarian language is an advantage. Volunteers are required to be flexible, independent and responsible, with good social and organizational skills. Most welcome will be candidates with strong self driven and self initiative personalities, creative spirit and open mindedness, ready to develop a great project within the framework of the suggested EVS program.

Working in The Refugee Project

Food: Provided money allocations for food every month 250 lv (128 EUR)
Accommodation: Provided – a room in a shared apartment; all utilities and Internet are covered
Pocket money: 4 EUR (per day)
Insurance: Provided (standard EVS CIGNA health insurance)
Phone: Phone and monthly plan covered in order to fulfill the project tasks
Transport – international: reimbursed up to 275 EUR
Transport – local: Monthly public transport card
Bulgarian language course: OLS
Support: Personal support will be provided by individual mentor; task related support will be provided by the coordinator/supervisor and other staff members of the organisation.

If you think this is your dream EVS project, please send at cvs.katerina@gmail.com:

– your CV

– motivation letter

Deadline for applications: 10th June 2018.  All shortlisted candidates will be invited for a skype interview. 

For any further questions, please contact us at cvs.kterina@gmail.com

Information about CVS-Bulgaria

CVS-Bulgaria is a non-governmental organisation that has been working in the field of international volunteer exchange since 1998 and was officially registered in 2002 as an organisation working in public benefit. CVS-Bulgaria is a branch of the international peace and volunteer-exchange network of Service Civil International (SCI – www.sci.ngo) and a full member of South Eastern European Youth Network (SEEYN – www.seeyn.org).

CVS-Bulgaria aims to promote the values of volunteer work through organizing variety of voluntary activities; to motivate young people to be active and participate in volunteer actions – thus taking part in the development of the civil society; to promote and support intercultural understanding and solidarity, social justice and environment preservation.

Main activities of CVS-Bulgaria are: organizing short- and long term volunteer projects, youth exchanges, trainings, hosting and sending volunteers for projects in public benefit in Bulgaria, Europe and the world, as well as working in partnership with other NGOs on local and international level to promote volunteering as a tool for active citizenship.

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