17 Avksenti Veleshki str.
4000 Plovdiv
Bulgaria
- Democracy and community development
The non-profit association "Pen and Feather" Plovdiv was registered in February 2014 by a group of enthusiastic librarians from the Regional People's Library "Ivan Vazov", Plovdiv. It has about 20 members, active members - librarians. The Association's resources are from membership fees and from winning projects and programs. Main directions in the activities of the Association: Improving the quality of library and information activities and expanding the range of library services for citizens; Encouraging and free exchange of information and ideas with organizations with related activities to realize the objectives of the Association; Development and implementation of projects and programs. Promotion of the country's cultural and historical heritage by organizing and conducting conferences, workshops, discussions, round tables, publishing activities, etc.; Dissemination of information and promotion of good practices through advertising activity; Active participation in cultural life and creation of favorable conditions for the implementation of cultural initiatives; Improving public awareness and attracting public interest.
Mission of the Association: To support the development of libraries and cultural organizations to ensure equal and free access of citizens to traditional and electronic resources, information and knowledge. To assist the Regional National Library "Ivan Vazov" Plovdiv and other cultural institutions to preserve, digitize and promote the most valuable of the written cultural heritage: cultural values, bearers of historical memory and national identity. The main goals of the Association are: modernization of libraries; assisting state and public bodies to promote best practices in the field of humanitarian initiatives; humanitarian, educational and cultural activity and promotion of the unique Bulgarian cultural and historical heritage;
NGO "Pen and and Feather" has implemented many projects aimed at promoting reading: for the "Open Arts" Foundation - for Night of the Museums, a project for the National Alliance for Work with Volunteers and the "Charles Stewart Mott" Foundation - "Plovdiv chooses a favorite contemporary Bulgarian author'; project before the National Commission for UNESCO with the Union of People's Community Centers: "The new cultural policies in Bulgaria - opportunities for implementation and participation". Participates in the Program of Plovdiv "European Capital of Culture" with a three-year project "Literary Renaissance in Plovdiv". Competitions were held for translations from German and Italian languages, literature exhibitions in Bulgaria and Macedonia, a round table "The Art of Translation", a virtual competition "European Capitals of Culture" for students, etc. In 2018, the association got involved with a project before the Civic Initiatives Foundation Workshop, financed by SAP: "A fun week of programming with the robot Finch", and in 2020 with two projects for training seminars for fun programming. In 2021 - 2022, the project "Together in diversity - traditions and literature of the ethnic groups in Plovdiv" was implemented, financed by Of "Plovdiv 2019". In 2023, four training seminars were held - "Fun Programming" and "Digitalization in Action", again financed through FRGI.
"Pen and Feather", through its implemented projects - "Literary Renaissance in Plovdiv" and "Together in diversity - traditions and literature of the ethnic groups in Plovdiv", fulfilled its main goal to introduce all citizens to cultural and literary values, to encourage reading, the dialogue between cultures and to promote the European literary heritage. Art and literature are unifying components of cooperation between different peoples and ethnicities, despite linguistic and religious differences. Therefore, the continuation of the work with an emphasis on the ethnic cultural and literary heritage of Plovdiv, will ensure long-term sustainability in the time.
NGO " Pen and Feather" recognizes the goals of the "Anna Lind Foundation" to unite and inspire civil societies to build a culture based on dialogue and exchange and to fight the lack of trust and intolerance