Photo by Marija Uzunova

"If you believe, you will make a change," founder of New Age Citizens foundation in Bulgaria Alexander Milanov said on the first "Rendezvous" event on Thursday, March 19, in the Red Room. He said the foundation is ready to help AUBG students with their social and community projects. 

The foundation helps and organizes people who have ideas for social projects and want to help the community. Its mission is to inspire people to be active citizens, aware of their rights and responsibilities. Milanov said the advance of the so-called New Age, which is determined by its high technologies, globalization, and scientific progress, calls for a new type of citizenship. Milanov added that being new age citizens means to think above the nation and know how we can affect everyday life and help people.

Now the foundation is working on a course that will introduce students from some Sofia schools to the values of the New Age citizens, Milanov said. If there is interest, the course can also be held at AUBG. Milanov added that if AUBG students want to share ideas for future projects and receive help, they can contact the foundation on its site. "Personal contact and initiative are important," Milanov said. 

One of the points Milanov made is that there are three levels of citizens according to their awareness of social rights and responsibilities. The first level includes inactive people who do not feel linked to society. The second level includes the ones who try to use their power in order to manipulate society and achieve their personal goals. The third level of citizens is composed of those who are aware of their power and know they can use it to better the world. 

Milanov also said that every simple choice we make matters. "If we synchronize, we can achieve a lot." For instance, buying a product means that we support its production, and if we all prefer ecological products, firms will have to produce more of them. No person, NGO, or nation alone can solve the global problems, but the example we set by being active citizens will persuade the others to follow, Milanov said.

Junior Andrey Anastassov, one of organizers of the event, said they decided to invite Milanov because he is not much older than the AUBG students and his example would motivate them. 

"The foundation has many contacts with other organizations and may connect the Better Community Club [BCC] with people willing to help us," sophomore Yavor Kiryakov, vice-president of the BCC, said.

Senior Margarita Dimova said such social changes, however optimistic they may sound, would take a lot of time and are a matter of generations.

"Rendezvous" is meant to be a continuation of the former "Ghastly" Bunch guest-speaker series. "Rendezvous" was the most exact and pleasant name [for the event]," Anastassov said. He said the name was changed because there are new people working on the series now and also because journalism professor Aernout van Lynden, the founder of the so-called "Ghastly" Bunch, is no longer at AUBG. Van Lynden left in 2008 and all members of the "bunch" graduated the same year.