Sofia Forum Partners
Centre for Liberal Strategies
The Centre for Liberal Strategies was created in 1994 as an independent NGO. The research activities of CLS pursue academic depth while at the same time reacting to the current problems of the political, economic, and social life in Bulgaria and taking into account the context of today’s global world. The analytical work of CLS covers national, regional, and global issues. CLS is actively involved in the structuring and implementation of the public debate in Bulgaria on key issues. The emphasis in CLS’s research and analytical work in the recent years lies on a wide range of issues: democratization of post-communist countries, corruption, populism, anti-Americanism, and the new world order. CLS served as the secretariat of the International Commission on the Balkans and published its analytical report “The Balkans in Europe’s future.”
The Balkan Trust for Democracy (BTD), A Project of the German Marshall Fund
The Balkan Trust for Democracy (BTD) is a 10-year, $36-million grant-making initiative that supports democracy, good governance, and Euro Atlantic integration in Southeastern Europe. This award-winning public-private partnership was created in 2003 by the German Marshall Fund of the United States, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. BTD operates with a small experienced staff that actively seeks out and incorporates expertise from a wide variety of partners. These experts, along with GMF staff, make up the grant-making committee that reviews proposals to ensure that BTD’s programs are effective, responsive to local needs, and complementary to other initiatives supported by the international community. BTD is structured to allow both European and U.S. partners to join the effort to strengthen transatlantic cooperation in the Balkans. Since its founding, additional contributions from the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Belgrade, Compagnia di San Paolo, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Greece, Robert Bosch Foundation, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, and Tipping Point Foundation have made BTD a true transatlantic partnership.
The German Marshall Fund of the United States
The German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) is a non-partisan American public policy and grant-making institution dedicated to promoting better understanding and cooperation between North America and Europe on transatlantic and global issues. GMF does this by supporting individuals and institutions working in the transatlantic sphere, by convening leaders and members of the policy and business communities, by contributing research and analysis on transatlantic topics, and by providing exchange opportunities to foster renewed commitment to the transatlantic relationship. In addition, GMF supports a number of initiatives to strengthen democracies. Founded in 1972 through a gift from Germany as a permanent memorial to Marshall Plan assistance, GMF maintains a strong presence on both sides of the Atlantic. In addition to its headquarters in Washington, DC, GMF has seven offices in Europe: Berlin, Paris, Brussels, Belgrade, Ankara, Bucharest, and Warsaw. GMF also has smaller representations in Bratislava, Turin, and Stockholm.
Robert Bosch Stiftung
The Robert Bosch Stiftung is one of the major German foundations associated with a private company and has managed the philanthropic bequest of company founder Robert Bosch for more than 40 years. Indeed it was his entrepreneurial vision, political farsightedness, moral fortitude, and charitable initiatives that set the standards for the work of the Robert Bosch Stiftung.
The Foundation is divided into four areas to support and operate its aid program. In order to pursue the Foundation’s objectives, it promotes external projects and initiates its own projects for developing and running programs.
Some 100 employees manage an average of about 800 internal and external projects a year. Approximately €68 million was spent on program work in 2011. In total the Robert Bosch Stiftung has provided grants worth €1 billion since its founding.
Representation of the European Commission in Bulgaria
Each European Union Member State hosts a Representation of the European Commission. Since 1 January 2007, the day of Bulgaria’s accession in the EU, the Delegation of the EC was transformed into a Representation of the European Commission in Bulgaria. The key tasks and priorities of the Commission are cooperation with the media, political networking, and general information to the citizen. The Representation also keeps in touch with the partners of EU information network in Bulgaria.
The EC Representation also ensures the Commission’s direct contact not only with politicians but also with citizen and contributes to effective information flows between Commission, other European institutions, national authorities, and the media.
The EC Representation in Bulgaria takes part in the process of informing the public about the EU: by organising and hosting various events, usually with the help of different partners, including the Government and other state institutions, European Parliament Information Bureau in Bulgaria, non-governmental organisations, and academic establishments. The Representation also keeps in touch with the partners of EU information network in Bulgaria
Media Partners
Aljazeera Balkans
Al Jazeera Balkans (AJB) is a 24-hour international news television station headquartered in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The station broadcasts in Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian six hours daily, with Al Jazeera English programmes broadcasting the remainder of the day. Al Jazeera Balkans is a sister channel of the Arabic language Al Jazeera and the English language channel Al Jazeera English. The station broadcasts news analysis and features as well as documentaries, live debates, current affairs, business, technology, and sports.
The Bulgarian National Television or BNT is the public broadcaster of Bulgaria.
The Bulgarian National Television was founded in 1959. Presently Bulgarian National Television is a national public broadcasting station. It has four regional centers situated in the cities of Blagoevgrad, Varna, Plovdiv and Russe. Since July 19, 2001 BNT has been a licensed nationwide communication operator and TV broadcaster. BNT World is a unique television channel which broadcasts 100 % Bulgarian programs and covers the whole territory of Europe, most of Ukraine, the European parts of Russia, Western Asia, Northern Africa and Northern America. BNT is an active member of the European Broadcasting Union. During the past several years BNT programs won prestigious awards at numerous international festivals.