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 About the Foundation |
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The Free and Democratic Foundation was founded on 14 June 1991 by Yvonne and J. Dimitry Panitza.
It is dedicated to strengthening the democratization of Bulgarian society through:
- political pluralism;
- a free press;
- a market economy;
- public tolerance;
- educated youth;
The Foundation is a private and totally independent organization.
Its means are modest, its accounts are audited annually and its overhead costs are kept at a minimum, under ten percent of the total expenditures.
The programs of FDBF are implemented by a small, committed and efficient staff.
Chairman: Dimitry Panitza
Executive Director: Lenko Lenkov
Program Manager: Zhivka Dabbs
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| Fifteen years Free and Democratic Bulgaria Foundation |
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In 2006 we marked the fifteenth anniversary of the Free and Democratic Bulgaria Foundation, and what has been developed and nurtured over the past years fills us with gratitude to all of you all for your trust and support, and also with pride, for this has been an exciting experience indeed! So let us share with you some of the highlights of those 15 years in the life of the FDBF:
- We are the first and largest Bulgarian foundation that has addressed the plight of street children and homeless youth. We continue our work with them through the Alliance for Children and Youth, established by us in 2002, and through the implementation of long-term projects, about which you can read in the pages that follow.
- In the field of civil society and democracy building, to which we are deeply committed, we have been organizing together with foreign partner seminars and round tables on key issues in the area of national politics and local self-government. Two new civic organizations were either created or sponsored by us -- the Bulgarian School of Politics and the Institute for Studies of the Recent Past, both of which are particularly important to our work in this field.
- From 1994 through 2004, the “Panitza” Excellence in Journalism Prizes gained recognition as the most prestigious journalistic awards in Bulgaria. In all, some 900 authors participated in the annual contests with more than 1,700 submissions. In 2004, we decided to bring this competition to an end and published all winning articles in one volume - the most comprehensive and objective record of our success. We passed on the baton to the journalistic guild and redirected our efforts towards establishing the more embracing “Panitza” Civic Honor Prizes.
- On the 50th anniversary of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we published a compilation, the size of a credit card, on the rights Bulgarian citizens are entitled to according to the Constitution and international conventions. Two million copies were distributed, reaching many more millions throughout Bulgaria.
- Concerned by the need for better understanding and cooperation between South East European countries, in 1995 and 1997, we organized two major and far-reaching international conferences on the Balkans. Numerous exchange programs followed, that included journalists from the region as well as regular high-level meetings between editors-in-chief of all the neighboring countries’ most influential print media.
- Since 2001, we have been working on our highly successful program on drug prevention. Our Guide for parents and teachers “What We Should Know About Drugs”, is considered the most well known and widely used compilation of information on this pressing problem in Bulgaria.
- In 2004, we organized an international conference entitled “Stop the Slaughter on Our Highways”, dedicated to explore the issues of road safety in Bulgaria. The conference opened a wide public discussion and the many proposals made at the conference led to the adoption and implementation of legislative measures to combat this national threat.
- It was with our support that the Bulgarian Outward Bound school started its activities in 1994. So far, Outward Bound Bulgaria has attracted more than 8,000 participants in its various adventure-based courses, structured to inspire self-esteem, self-confidence, initiative, determination and teamwork.
- Equally, Junior Achievement – Bulgaria supported by the FDBF, offers educational programs in economics to high-school students with more than 32,000 youths from over 250 schools all over Bulgaria having so far taken part in JAB programs.
- In the past 15 years, we have helped the publication of more than 50 noteworthy books on economics, history, political science and philosophy that would not otherwise have reached Bulgarian readers, as well as a number of TV documentaries. We have translated, published and distributed two volumes of a highly useful French guide on infectious diseases that were met with keen interest by general medical practitioners. We have also supported over 80 worthy Bulgarian students and scholars studying in universities abroad.
None of this could have been done without your interest and generosity. Your financial support is vital! If your circumstances allow, please consider making a new gift at this time to help us achieve the goals that we mutually share.
Thank you!
Letter from the Chairman
Biographical Information for J. Dimitry Panitza
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