Project Enhancing the Capacity of Nongovernmental Organizations to Seek Public Information Supported by a grant under the NGO Programme in Bulgaria under the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area 2009 – 2014 www.ngogrants.bg The goal of the project is to increase the capacity of NGOs and AIP coordinators’ network in the country. On the base of its accumulated 18 years of experience, the Access to Information Programme will organize trainings for NGOs in the country with a focus on the Access to Public Information Act (APIA) amendments and will provide legal assistance to NGOs in cases of information seeking and refusals. Training materials will be developed – a movie, programs, updated edition of the handbook “How to Get Access to Information,” disseminated and uploaded online. Target groups are NGOs and journalists from AIP network of coordinators in the 27 regional cities in the country. Main objective of the project: Capacity building for NGOs for advocacy and monitoring Specific goals:
Target groups: NGOs and civil groups; 27 journalists – AIP coordinators in the regional cities of Bulgaria.
Expected results:
Duration of the project: Results: Access to Information – an Instrument for Achieving our Goals On January 29, 2016, the Access to Information Programme (AIP) held the national conference “Access to Information – an Instrument for Achieving Our Goals.” The conference was held in Sofia City Hotel and was dedicated to the amendments to the Access to Public Information Act (promulgated in the State Gazette on December 11, 2015). It also focused on products and campaigns produced by nongovernmental organizations as a result of their use of the Access to Public Information Act (APIA), public registers and open data. More than 50 representatives of NGOs from different regions of Bulgaria attended the event. Officials from the Council of Ministers presented government initiatives for more openness and transparency. The conference was the concluding event of the project “Enhancing the Capacity of Nongovernmental Organizations to Seek Public Information,” supported by a grant under the NGO Programme in Bulgaria under the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area 2009 – 2014 (www.ngogrants.bg). Book „Civil Participation and Access to Information (15 Years APIA, 37 Stroies of NGOs)” The book presents the fights of Bulgarian nongovernmental organizations who have been seeking public information from the authorities. Part of the texts are personal statements, expressed in interviews. Others are written by the lawyers of the NGOs, whose requests for information have been refused and protection of the right to information has been sought in the court. Third part of the stories are written by journalists - AIP coordinators in all regions of the country. Chronologically, these stories give an account of the developments in the access to information scene during the past 10 years.
Handbook "How to Get Access to Information?" - fifth edition The text of the handbook is updated in line with the December 2015 amendments to the Access to Public Information Act. The handbook is published within the project “Enhancing the Capacity of Nongovernmental Organizations to Seek Public Information” implemented by AIP with a grant under the NGO Programme in Bulgaria under the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area 2009 – 2014 (www.ngogrants.bg).?
Movie “I have the right to know” The 18-minutes educational movie illustrates the stages in searching and obtaining information from public bodies under the procedures of the Bulgarian Access to Public Information Act (APIA). It features cases of nongovernmental organizations and journalists who have used the procedures of the APIA, have filed requests to public bodies and have appealed access to information refusals in court. Legal comments are made by the head of AIP legal team Alexander Kashumov. With the participation of AIP Executive Director Gergana Jouleva. The movie was produced by a team of the AGITPROP Ltd. within the project “Enhancing the Capacity of Nongovernmental Organizations to Seek Public Information ,” implemented by AIP with a grant under the NGO Programme in Bulgaria under the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area 2009 – 2014 (www.ngogrants.bg).
Workshops with NGO representatives in 5 regional cities The Access to Information Programme (AIP) held workshops with NGOs in the cities of Montana (4.11.2015), Blagoevgrad (11.11.2015), Varna (26.11.2015), Bourgas (27.11.2015), and Plovdiv (10.12.2015). The purpose of the meetings was to acquaint NGOs with the amendments to the Access to Public Information Act (passed second reding in parliament on Nov. 26, 2015 and promulgated on Dec. 11, 2015). During the workshops, AIP Executive Director Gergana Jouleva presented the amendments related to the proactive publication of information online by public bodies. Head of AIP legal team Alexander Kashumov presented amendments related to the filing of e-requests and obtaining information electronically, as well as amendments related to the re-use of public sector information. The workshop was held within the framework of the project Enhancing the Capacity of Nongovernmental Organizations to Seek Public Information supported by a grant under the NGO Programme in Bulgaria under the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area 2009 - 2014 (http://www.ngogrants.bg).
What New in the APIA - workshop with NGO representatives in Sofia On October 22, 2015, the Access to Information Programme (AIP) held a workshop with representatives of nongovernmental organizations in Sofia. The purpose of the meeting was to acquaint the participants with the amendments provided by a Draft Law on APIA Amendments sponsored introduced in the National Assembly on April 29, 2015 by the Council of Ministers. The National Ombudsman Maya Manolova and the member of parliament Petar Slavov took part in the workshop. More information and pictures from the event are published in AIP monthly FOI newsletter (in Bulgarian). The workshop was held within the framework of the project Enhancing the Capacity of Nongovernmental Organizations to Seek Public Information supported by a grant under the NGO Programme in Bulgaria under the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area 2009 - 2014 (http://www.ngogrants.bg).
AIP Held a Workshop with the Journalists from its Coordinators’ Network The Access to Information Programme (AIP) held a workshop with the journalists from its coordinators’ network on 11-13 September 2015 in the city of Veliko Tarnovo. The workshop was held within the framework of the project Enhancing the Capacity of Nongovernmental Organizations to Seek Public Information supported by a grant under the NGO Programme in Bulgaria under the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area 2009 - 2014 (http://www.ngogrants.bg).
This documents is created with the financial support of the NGO Programme in Bulgaria under the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area. The whole responsibility for the content of the documents shall be taken by the Access to Information Programme Foundaiton and it cannot be assumed under any circumstances that the document reflects the official stance of the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area and the Operator of the Programme for NGO support in Bulgaria.
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