Bulgarian organizations from across Europe will gather at forum in Vienna

Bulgarian organizations from various European countries will gather in Vienna on May 30 and 31 to share organizational experience and ideas for development. The second edition of the seminar titled “Models for Creating, Managing and Communicating within Different Associations of Bulgarians Abroad” is about to take place. The forum is organized by the Executive Agency for Bulgarians Abroad, with the support of the Bulgarian Embassy in Vienna and the Bulgarian Cultural Institute Haus Wittgenstein in the Austrian capital.

“The co-organizer from the Bulgarian community is currently the oldest existing Bulgarian association - the Cultural and Educational Organization ‘Sts. Cyril and Methodius’ in Vienna, chaired by Boycho Damyanov. It is a very active organization that has much to share, not least how one survives for eight decades,” explained Rayna Mandzhukova, head of the Executive Agency for Bulgarians Abroad, in an interview for Radio Bulgaria.

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Over the course of two days, participants in the seminar will discuss how the Bulgarian spirit is preserved far from the homeland - through schools, cultural organizations, young people, and the memory of our shared roots. The event will bring together people who have worked for decades for Bulgarian communities abroad and are actively seeking new paths for their development.

“The idea for the seminar was born in 2024 during my visit to Bulgarians in Hungary. I was impressed by the way our compatriots there combine the experience of older organizations with the energy of young people. We saw that there are different successful models that deserve to be shared with other Bulgarian organizations. This is not just a conference, but a form of real exchange of working practices and ideas,” Rayna Mandzhukova further explained. She herself will present in detail the activities of the Executive Agency for Bulgarians Abroad and its role in consolidating Bulgarian communities overseas.

Among the highlights of the program are effective organizational management and the active involvement of young people both in the organizations and in community life abroad. Interestingly, the oldest organization of Bulgarians in Austria has much to share precisely in this area.

“In the module ‘Internal Communication and Effective Youth Management,’ the host organization itself - the Bulgarian Cultural and Educational Organization ‘St. Cyril and Methodius’ - will be presented, as it operates in a very interesting way. Within the organization there are various studios - they have a readers’ club, a writers’ club, a photography club, and a youth organization. They will be presented by Hristina Lazarova-Milev and Rami Spasov, members of the leadership team. The youth organization will be represented by its chairwoman Teodora Mileva.”

Among the speakers at the Vienna forum is Veneta Nenkova, chairwoman of the cultural association Parallel 43 from Rome. She will present the work of Bulgarian schools abroad as guardians of historical memory - an area in which the Bulgarian Sunday School Asen and Iliya Peykovi, administered by the cultural association, has been working for years:

“Our activities, besides teaching and following the mandatory curriculum, are also connected with bringing to light parts of Bulgarian history preserved not only in the Vatican archives but also in Italian archives. This year, at the event in Vienna, we will present our newest project - a digital platform dedicated to the art, culture, history, archaeology and education that connect Bulgaria, Italy, the Vatican and Ancient Thrace. Especially valuable on the website will be the ‘Archives’ section, where we have already begun publishing digitized Italian archival materials related to Bulgaria and Thracian heritage. Our goal is for Bulgarian researchers, scholars and students to be able to orient themselves in advance regarding what documents and sources are preserved in various Italian institutions and archives, and thus more easily plan their academic work,” Veneta Nenkova shared in advance with Radio Bulgaria.

The seminar in Vienna will conclude with a trip 70 kilometers southeast of the Austrian capital, where, on the eve of June 2, participants in the forum will lay flowers at the monument to Bulgarian poet and revolutionary Hristo Botev in the town of Gols.

According to Rayna Mandzhukova, interest in the forum is considerable:

“We already have confirmed participation from nearly 20 locations - from the Netherlands, Spain, Germany, Cyprus… These are people who will come to the Austrian capital at their own expense in order to hear our speakers. I am extremely happy about this because it means the Agency has authority and these people know it is worth coming, that there is something to learn and that it will be useful for them.”

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Edited by E. Karkalanova

English: R. Petkova