At the annual civic forum “Conference on Democracy” Svilena Velcheva presented updates on the development of civic cases and media investigations of the “Public Center for Environment and Sustainable Development”. She shared important topics related to the sustainability of democratic processes and the effect of civic activism on local issues.
One of the highlights was the fight to preserve the Youth House building in Varna. Thanks to a petition supported by 35 youth organisations, plans to move it have been temporarily halted. However, there is still the problem of the lack of sufficient premises for youth organisations.
Another significant case is the pollution of the natural landmark “Pobiti Kamani”. An investigation by the Public Centre for Environment and Sustainable Development revealed the presence of illegal motorbike racing and micro-litter. Despite reports to the institutions, the offenders remain unknown and the penalties for such actions are minimal.
The issue of urban accessibility was also the focus of the investigation. In Varna, many lifts and platforms for people with disabilities are not functioning, despite funds earmarked for their maintenance. A year later, some of the devices are still not working, raising questions about the effectiveness of the local administration.
Research by the Public Centre for Environment and Sustainable Development shows that active citizenship matters, but at the same time institutional mechanisms are often not effective enough. You can watch the full video detailing the case studies on our channel.