Trayan Trayanov

Trayan Trayanov is the chief executive officer of Teach for Bulgaria. He has been part of the organization’s team since its founding in 2010. Trayan holds a BA from Harvard University and an MPhil in sociology from the University of Cambridge. He serves on the board of trustees of the American College of Sofia.

Gergana Doychinova

A chemical engineer by profession, a volunteer by vocation. Founder of the Ela I Ti Foundation. He tries to combine his long-standing commitment as a correspondent for Vatican Radio, and also a collaborator at Ave Maria Radio for two years, with his favourite applied art and his commitment to the Ela I Ti Foundation.

Toma Belev

Toma Belev is a forester and conservationist, a specialist in the creation and management of protected areas and zones in Bulgaria. He participated in the creation of a large number of protected areas and zones, regulatory and strategic documents, management plans and  action plans concerning the protection of forests and nature. Director of Vitosha Nature Park in the period 1999-2012. Deputy Minister of Environment and Water in 2022. Lecturer at several universities in the first decade of the 21st century. Civic activist.

Diana Kitova

Diana Kitova is a psychologist, psychotherapist and is managing the National Anti-Trafficking Helpline (0800 20 100). In 2014, she was confronted with the problem of human trafficking for the first time, after which she could not remain indifferent and devoted her career to actively fighting this crime and helping its victims in every possible way. In her presentation she will answer what human trafficking is and how to protect ourselves from it, as well as explain what the anti-trafficking hotline is, how it works and why it is important not to remain silent when we see a person being abused.

Kalina Ivanova

Kalina Ivanova has a degree in psychology and clinical social work. She has worked for 17 years for the Global Initiative on Psychiatry - Sofia, and over the years has gained considerable experience in both direct support of people with mental disorders and in the management and provision of social services aimed at their recovery. Over the years Kalina has participated in numerous projects and trainings focused on the rights of people with mental health difficulties. She will present the idea that recovery from a mental disorder is possible if several factors are present, among which the leading one is the guarantee of respect for the rights of people affected by a mental disorder.

Dr Teodor Slavev

Dr Teodor Slavev is a Senior Researcher at the Bulgarian Institute for Legal Initiatives. He is engaged in quantitative and qualitative research and analysis in the field of political system and processes, judiciary and the Rule of Law. He has conducted a number of studies on impact assessment of legislation. Dr Slavev has extensive project management experience. He is responsible for civic monitoring parliamentary appointments. He has specialized in Poland and the United States. He has been involved in the preparation and implementation of advocacy campaigns and civil society coalition building on various issues. Before joining BILI, he was an expert at the Ministry of Justice (2011-2012), where he worked on the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism. Dr Slavev is a respected media commentator. He is also a university lecturer.

​

The talk will examine the dynamics of democracy in the international and Bulgarian context. Why are more and more citizens frustrated with the current system of liberal democracy, is this a temporary crisis of confidence or a systematic error? Answers will be sought to the questions of why societies are radicalising and what are the new forms of structural violence. Specific examples will be given of how civic space in Bulgaria is being narrowed through political instruments and how institutions are being instrumentalized to erode the rule of law.

Lora Georgieva-Mateeva

Lora Georgieva - Mateeva is an attorney-at-law experienced in litigation and consultation in civil, corporate, and administrative law. She is a member of the Sofia Bar Association and a certified mediator. She holds a master’s degree in law from the Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski. In 2014, she was awarded a scholarship by the America for Bulgaria Foundation within the Young Leaders Program – Junior Justice Professionals Training. From 2017 to 2018, she won a scholarship from the Academy of European Law (ERA) in Trier, Germany, focusing on human rights protection and the development of democratic institutions. Since 2018, Lora Georgieva has been a legal expert at the Anti-Corruption Fund and the ACF’s legal program coordinator.

Sofia Zheleva

Sofia Zheleva holds a masters degree in law from the University of St. Cyril and Methodius. As part of the team of several law firms she has practiced in civil, commercial, labour and property law. Since 2017, she has been part of the Anti-Corruption Fund team, where she focuses on analysis and monitoring of potential abuses in public procurement. She has worked on ACF's key investigations such as "The Impossible Mask" and "Lords of the Dust". Together with Lora Georgieva, she is the author of the first legal analysis in Bulgaria of the SLAPP cases against journalists and civil activists in Bulgaria.

Alexander Kashumov

Alexander Kashumov is an attorney at law and an executive director of the NGO Access to Information Programme. In 2001 he successfully led the first two anti-discrimination cases in Bulgaria, before the adoption of the Law on Protection against Discrimination, and later led cases against segregation, education refusal, eviction from housing and police violence. Over the past 24 years he has represented numerous journalists and media in lawsuits. International expert on open government and access to information, anti-corruption, freedom of expression and personal data protection.

​

What are the SLAPP cases (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation)? How come influential people, companies or institutions sue journalists, activists, NGOs or citizens with the purpose to intimidate, silence or financially drain them? How many and what kind of SLAPP cases are there in Bulgaria and do they affect the attempts for objective journalism and social change?