In the context of a regional meeting of social services that took place in Ruse on 18th July, Georgi Georgiev – chairman of the National Alliance for Social Responsibility – drew attention to the fact that virtually all of the services in Ruse district were managed by NGOs. This makes Ruse distinctive in the European context.
Equilibrium is prominent among those service providers and has been for over two decades. Our contribution to the protection of the rights of Bulgarian children was publicly acknowledged on the 35th anniversary of the creation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child when executive director, Galina Bisset accepted a government award.
However, Equilibrium’s influence extends beyond Bulgaria, and, during the year, we were represented at two international conferences that took place in Bucharest and Sofia. The Bucharest event (April, 2024) brought together participants from 22 different countries to review the means by which the participation of service users can be enhanced and rendered more impactful.
David Bisset showcased EQ’s recent work that represents the culmination of 15 years of experimentation and adaptation aimed at achieving two things –
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The elimination of all the paraphernalia and professional behaviours that signify a power differential between service providers and their clientele
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“Softening” of the working environment to render it less formal, clinical and bureaucratic
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It is difficult to become personally motivated without sensing you are free to do things of your own volition (autonomy), without feeling that you actually have the capacity to do the things you are being asked to do (competence) and without feeling a sense of rewarding relationships (relatedness). |
In the context of the 2024 international conference of the International Step by Step Association (ISSA), we shared lessons learned from our work in support of family activism. Additionally, we were represented in a panel discussion on challenges in the sphere of Roma activism and self-representation.
EQ continues to innovate. The impact of teenage addiction to social media is well documented as are the cognitive benefits of reading from the pages of a physical book and writing with a pen or pencil.
During 2024, EQ took steps toward the formation of a book club for youngsters and things look promising in terms of the buzz this creates for participants.
At the start of 2025, EQ sees itself as an organization that knows what its good at and this gives us an unwavering faith in our mission within the community.