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Diana Nedeva – fellow from Bulgaria

PictureDiana Nedeva is projects coordinator, volunteer, trainer. She is working on different projects with focus on empowerment, anti-discrimination, life-long learning, human rights, global education.

She works with several NGOs in Bulgaria and her main occupation is as a coordinator at Caritas Sofia where she is coordinating projects for refugees, asylum seekers and immigrants. The life of these minority groups is very challenging. That’s why they need to be supported in order to find their own way to start a better life and learn to be independent.

Ms. Nedeva also works with C.E.G.A. Foundation where she is part of a team organizing Global education trainings for youth leaders, teachers and students.

She started volunteering only 6 years ago, but since then she is actively promoting volunteering. For her this is one of the best ways to discover what is interesting for you, find inspiration, learn how to achieve your goals and find out how you could help the others.

Sofia_04Diana was an EVS (European voluntary service) volunteer in Germany in 2012 and her main tasks were connected with preparing, implementing and reporting training courses and youth exchanges with main topics like anti-discrimination, racism, xenophobia; inclusion and equality.  One of the methods she used is Forum theatre, very powerful tool for social change in her opinion. That is why at the moment she is part of a group which is planning to work with different minority groups in Bulgaria using this method as main.

Ms. Nedeva graduated from Public administration in Sofia. Since 2011 she is participating in different trainings and she is currently one of the participants in Training of trainers (10 months) organized by SALTO and working on developing her skills as a trainer. Her training practice project (which she organises together with 3 other participants within TOT) is for youth and social workers who want to develop their competences in empowering young people with fewer opportunities to become aware of, and act on, their dreams and visions of their own futures.

Chicago BeanThis will be her first opportunity to visit the U.S. She is very excited about the project and eager to know more about creating and supporting the leadership in the different minority communities, how to facilitate coalitions in the community organizing processes and improve her knowledge about organizing campaigns with them.

In her free time she loves to dance tango, play board games, participate in theatre courses, do yoga. Diana will have her internship at Illinois Coalition of Immigrants and Refugees Rights (Chicago)

Profile of the first delegation visiting U.S. -19 fellows from Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia

The first delegation with a total of 19 fellows from Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia visit the U.S. from April 1 – May 11, 2013 to participate in group seminars, round-table discussions, site visits, and will have interactions with United States leaders. A tailored 3-week internship with mentoring, multicultural events, and participation in volunteer activities as well as in the Professional Fellows Congress in Washington, D.C. will be also included in the 6-week professional fellows program.

Participants will prepare a 6-9 month individual and group Action Plan for follow on activities. They have various opportunities to experience the American family life and the diversity in the U.S. through staying with American host families during their internship in Little Rock (Arkansas), Chicago (Illinois), Boston (Massachusetts), St. Louis (Missouri), Manchester (New Hampshire), Raleigh (North Carolina), Philadelphia (Pennsylvania), Charlottesville (Virginia), Seattle (Washington).

A second European delegation is expected in the U.S. from September 30 – November 9, 2013.

The Out-Bound component will include at least two American mentors’ teams to travel to Europe (between June 2013 and March 2014) for up to 21 days to provide joint workshops with the alumni and on-site consultation and fieldwork, and conduct wider outreach programs.

U.S. and foreign participants will be involved in alumni activities through an alumni social network in each country. We will also establish an online network for continued learning. This program is a collaboration between GLC and its overseas partners: CEGA in Bulgaria, Civil College Foundation in Hungary, CeRe in Romania and Center for Community Organizing in Slovakia as well as the European Community Organizing Network (ECON) and many U.S. partner organizations involved in the joint program and the tailored internship, and follow up mentoring activities.

Building Grassroots Democracy in Minority Communities is a project of Great Lakes Consortium – through WSOS Community Action Commission, Inc. – as Contract Agent and Manager – granted for a two-way exchange between September 2012 and August 2014 from the U.S.
Department of State.