From 06^th to 8^th of September, members of PETRI-Sofia, the Youth Coordinator Yuliya Andzhekarska from Bulgaria and the EVS Volunteer Angela Georgieva from North Macedonia participated in the Youth Festival – Bulgaria loves young people! #TOGETHER in Veliko Tarnovo, hosted by A-TEAM Association, with the financial support of the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Bulgaria.

Young people and youth organizations took part in the festival.
The main objective was to identify the needs and challenges of the young generation in Bulgaria, as well as to identify possible solutions, in order to include them as recommendations within the framework of the future National Youth Strategy 2020-2030.
The other aims of this festival were:
– to provide an opportunity for quality youth involvement and participation in the process of the development of youth policy in Bulgaria
– personal development of young people, supporting their active role in the civil society, directly involving them in project activities

One of the eight thematic fields that were discussed by the young people in the frame of the event was Health, Physical activity, Sports and Ecology, with Yuliya as a facilitator, involving the young participants in brainstorming activities and discussions, in order to identify and prioritize the challenges and the solutions in this thematic area. The main outcomes of the discussions were connected to fields of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, Mental Health, the use of alcohol, tobacco and drugs, the lack of physical activity and healthy nutrition among young people, as well as to the lack of information in the field of Ecology and the problems related to young people in Bulgaria not being used to consuming goods in a responsible way, to generating less waste, separating garbage, etc.

All the groups presented the outcomes of their discussions and the summarized information from the presentations will be available for the Ministry of Youth and Sports for the formulation of the new National Youth Strategy. After working hard, the participants had the opportunity to listen to Bulgarian bands during a concert supported by the Ministry in Veliko Tarnovo, under the motto of “Say No to the Aggression!”.

The event was a huge success and was useful both for the participants and the experts developing the new Strategy.
Bulgaria loves young people and they love her! #TOGETHER