On 21st of June, 2018, Liberal Integration Foundation, together with “Friedrich Naumann”, Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) and “Liberal Institute for Political Analysis” (LIPA) held a conference on topic “Fighting Xenophobia: implementing successful multicultural and multilingual models”.
The “Liberal Integration Foundation” has a long-term strategy for disseminating and validating liberal values in a society that respects the differences. Our motivation for organizing this discussion was our belief, that today we need more than ever effective communication between European citizens. This is the reason why we have invited politicians and experts from our liberal partners in Switzerland, so they can present their multicultural model, as an effective tool against nationalism and extremism.
On the other hand, our desire to organize a conference on this topic in Sofia was not just because Bulgaria has a unique ethnical model, which can serve as an example for many European Countries. The mission of “Liberal Integrational Foundation” is to disseminate and promote the core values of modern liberalism.
The task of the conference was to analyze the crisis of nationalism and extremism in Europe.
The discussion was opened by Mr. Mustafa Karadayi, Chairman of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, Member of the Board of “Liberal Integration Foundation”:
“We see a phased placement of xenophobia in Bulgaria. The language of hatred has passed into the field of xenophobia. Moreover – there are obvious symptoms of fascism. The problem with the fascist management in our country is getting more and more relevant. We have a common duty – not to allow the return of fascism. Tolerance is the pledge to preserve peace and future of all mankind”.
Mr. Ilhan Kyuchyuk, member of the Board of “Liberal Integration Foundation”, made a summary:
“It is very sad, all data shows that fighting against xenophobia takes less part of the public and political life of Bulgaria. In the context of the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU, we talked a lot about the Western Balkans, but we did not offer an integration model. This is more than serious, unallowable gaps”.
Participants in the conference were Ilhan Kyuchyuk, Member European Parliament, Vice President of ALDE party, Roger Koelbener, President, FDP.Die Liberalen International, Switzerland, Krassimir Kanev – founder and longtime Chairman of the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee and Erol Mehmed, Deputy, Vice President of the Committee on Education and Science at the Bulgarian Parliament.