History

The Institute for Social Integration (ISI) was founded in 2002. Among its founders are leading experts – sociologists, political scientists, psychologists, jurists, diplomats, economists, journalists. They are all united by their willingness to address the problems related to integration and disintegration in our society, the social and economic gaps, the alienation and the social vulnerability. Some of them participate even today in the activities of the organization: Zhivko Georgiev, Antonii Todorov, Ivelin Nikolov, Liliana Kaneva, Sonya Langova, Goran Goranov, Tatiana Tomova, Tatiana Burudjieva.

ISI`s main activities are: trainings, educational courses, research and scientific studies, monitoring, organizing discussion forums and publishing. The organization supports the realization of the democratic processes in the Bulgarian societal and political spaces, participates in the policy formation and the debates related to the policy implementation.

In 2003 ISI launched its most sustainable throughout the years project “For professionalism in politics and encouragement of the civic participation”. The aims of the project are through informal education organized in a series of modules:

- to stimulate building up a new political culture of the young generation;

- to raise a generation of politicians who would be able to meet the citizens` expectations for responsibility, integrity and defence of the public interests.

After the successful completion of this pilot project it grew into the project “Academy for Social Policy”/ASP/. ASP project continues to be implemented annually and in 2017, 27 young leaders successfully completed the project. In 2010 an Alumni club of the Academy was created comprising of 9 regional clubs with 400 young politicians trained through this project.

Joint projects have been realized with Jean Jaures Foundation (France), Westminster Foundation (UK), Friedrich Ebert (Germany), Foundation for European Progressive Studies (FEPS), the Council of Europe.

Since 2006 ISI is a member of the European Network of Political Foundations (ENOP), the European Network of Socialdemocratic Foundation (ENSOF) and the Foundation for European Progressive Studies (FEPS).