HOW CAN YOUNG PEOPLE CHANGE DEMOCRACY? INTERNATIONAL DISCUSSION BRINGS BALKAN EXPERTS TO SOFIA

On March 12, 2026, an international discussion titled “Skills for Democratic Civic Participation” will take place at SofiaLab. The event will bring together experts, representatives of civil society organizations, and institutions from the Balkans and across Europe. The event starts at 9:00 a.m. and will be held at 1 Serdika St., 3rd floor, with English as the working language.

The forum is part of the international project CIVICAct, which brings together organizations and experts from Albania, Bulgaria, Montenegro, and Serbia to promote civic participation and the exchange of knowledge and innovations in support of democratic processes. The project explores civic participation from a historical perspective and traces the development of civil society before and after the political changes of 1989 in the Balkans and Europe.

Participants will discuss how local authorities can better support citizens in shaping their communities, as well as what tools and knowledge citizens—especially young people—need in order to participate more actively in public life. The discussion will also draw on research examining the attitudes of young people in Bulgaria toward civic education and their involvement in the development of public policies.

After the discussion, participants will visit the National Assembly of Bulgaria and meet with the Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Youth and Sports.

Those wishing to join the visit should send their full name to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by 10:00 a.m. on March 9, 2026.

The CIVICAct project works in four main areas: developing civic education and intergenerational dialogue, mobilizing civil society through local civic activism forums, establishing Balkan Civic Engagement Awards, and promoting EU values of active citizenship, inclusion, and solidarity. The project is implemented by the Sofia Development Association and funded by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency under the EU programme Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme.

The event is open to everyone interested in the development of democracy, civic participation, and the role of young people in public life.

The project is funded by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA), CERV Programme.    

TURNING URBAN HEAT EXPERIENCES INTO ACTIONS

On February 25, 2026, the Sofia Action Plan to Tackle Urban Heat Islands was officially presented, discussed, and endorsed during a special meeting at SofiaLab.

Developed by the SDA project team with the support of BISI and Sofia Municipality in the framework of Be Ready project, the draft followed the Interreg Danube Region Programme guidelines. It was peer-reviewed by Association Technopol of Galati, Romania, and further refined based on expert feedback.

The meeting brought together members of the local coalition established at the start of the project, alongside the Bulgarian Climate Ambassadors from the European Climate Pact, strengthening the link to the European Green Deal and supporting the wider dissemination of the Be Ready experience.

With strong interest and active participation, stakeholders co-designed and refined actions under the three specific objectives, including timelines and resources. The Action Plan received broad endorsement and marks an important step forward in Sofia’s commitment to climate resilience and sustainable urban development.

  Be Ready е проект по Програма Интеррег „Дунавски регион“, съфинансиранот Европейския съюз.

POLICY WEBINAR “CITY PREPAREDNESS AND CAPACITY TO TACKLE URBAN HEAT ISLAND EFFECT” TO TAKE PLACE ON 10 MARCH 2026

On 10 March 2026 at 09:30 CET, an international webinar titled “City Preparedness and Capacity to Tackle Urban Heat Island” will be held, organised by the Be Ready project under the Interreg Danube Region Programme, co-funded by the European Union.

The event will bring together projects and initiatives working in the fields of climate change adaptation, urban resilience, public health, spatial planning, and environmental policy to develop concrete recommendations for better understanding, preventing, and mitigating the Urban Heat Island effect.

The webinar will convene stakeholders from across the Danube Region and beyond to collaboratively formulate solutions at local, national, regional (Danube Region), and EU levels. Discussions will build on project pilot activities, practical experience, and key EU strategic frameworks such as the EU Strategy on Adaptation to Climate Change and the EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change.

The main objectives of the webinar are:

• To identify policy gaps and implementation barriers;
• To align project results with real needs;
• To co-create practical, evidence-based, and actionable recommendations.

The organisers emphasise that the expertise and experience of participants are essential for developing coordinated, science-based, and effective responses to the growing challenges related to urban heat.

Participation in the webinar requires prior registration: https://forms.gle/wzVk4wC3FTS2NTuRA

The Be Ready project aims to support cities and regions in developing effective strategies to enhance climate resilience and address the Urban Heat Island effect. 

This project is supported by the Interreg Danube Region Programme co-funded by the European Union.

ADDRESSING BARRIERS TO SOCIAL JUSTICE IN THE LABOUR MARKET FOR VULNERABLE GROUPS

On the occasion of the Wolrd Day for Social Justice, Sofia Development Association (SDA) hosted a meeting dedicated to overcoming the obstacles to social justice in the labor market. The meeting is the final activating event within the framework of the Synclusive project, which aims to introduce innovative mechanisms for inclusion in the labor market of vulnerable groups, with a focus on women and men over 55 years old.

The aim of the event was to present the main results of the project, which to a large extent underscore the interdependence between social justice, access to the labor market and economic growth. While Sofia has made significant progress in ensuring that everyone has equal access to decent work, large groups of people – especially older people over 55 – continue to face challenges related to their gender, age or economic background in finding employment or retaining their work positions within a rapidly changing digital environment.

Ekaterina Yordanova, Chairperson of the Governing Board of SDA, emphasized the importance of focusing on people over 50 years, and women in particular. "I am glad that today we are putting this important topic on the agenda. In order to achieve real results for better inclusion of more people from vulnerable groups in the labour market, we need sustained collaboration between jobseekers, the business and public institutions."

The representatives of ARC Fund, also a partner in the project, presented key conclusions from the ongoing research on the attitudes, barriers, and factors for successful employment among the participants in the trainings organized by SDA within Synclusive.

The discussion was attended by representatives of Sofia Municipality, Sofia Investment Agency, businesses, trade unions and non-governmental organizations working on the topic and also members of the regional coalition built to support the local project activities.

You can read more about the Synclusive project on the project website.

COOLING CITIES: SMALL IDEAS THAT MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE

Cities face growing pressure to respond to extreme heat, but choosing the right solutions is not always straightforward. Urban environments are complex, and measures that work well in one location may not perform the same way in another. This makes testing and validation a crucial first step before investing in long-term interventions.

That is why the Be Ready project focused not on quick fixes, but on testing and validating solutions before scaling them up.

A Test-First Approach to Urban Cooling

Rather than making large, expensive changes right away, Be Ready followed a simple idea: test small interventions, measure their impact, and learn from real results. This approach allowed cities to understand what works best in their own local conditions.

The project tested urban acupuncture measures—small, targeted actions placed in the hottest areas of the city. These included:
• Green solutions, such as trees and plants, to provide shade and natural cooling
• Blue solutions, using water to cool the surrounding air
• White solutions, including light or reflective surfaces that reduce heat absorption

Each measure was tested alone or in combination, depending on the characteristics and needs of the site.

Why Validation Is Essential?

The pilot was carried out in ten partner cities, each with different climates, urban forms, and user needs. Testing on a small scale made it possible to:
• Verify whether the solutions actually reduced temperatures
• Compare different types of measures and combinations
• Improve designs based on real performance, not assumptions
• Identify limitations or risks before making larger investments
• Collect feedback from residents and city stakeholders who used the spaces

This validation process helped cities avoid costly mistakes and ensured that decisions were based on evidence.

What Did We Learn?

The pilot showed that small, well-placed actions can make a real difference. Using temperature data, observations, and feedback from users and city stakeholders, the project gathered clear evidence about what works and what can be improved.

Key Recommendations

Building on the results of the pilot phase, the Be Ready project highlights several key recommendations for future action.
• Align cooling pilots with local and national climate strategies.
• Use shared indicators (temperature, humidity, biodiversity, user satisfaction).
• Replicate validated urban acupuncture measures in similar hot spots.
• Increase visibility through clear communication and digital storytelling.
• Engage communities and schools for long-term care.
• Combine cooling measures with public art to boost public support.

Looking Ahead

By testing first and scaling up later, cities can make smarter choices. The Be Ready pilot helps cities move forward with confidence—creating cooler, healthier, and more comfortable urban spaces for everyone.

Read the full document “Pilot Actions for UHI Mitigation Acupuncture Measures. Tested and Validated” HERE.

This conference is supported as part of Be Ready, an Interreg Danube Region Programme project co-funded by the European Union.