BlueLink Information Network
Encyclopedia
Non-governmental organization
A non-governmental organization is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any government. The term originated from the United Nations , and is normally used to refer to organizations that do not form part of the government and are...
s (NGOs) based in Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
, Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, which offers a variety of Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
-based services for NGOs and others interested in issues related to the environment, natural resources and sustainable development. It focuses on three areas: access to information, co-operation between NGOs and other sectors, and access to the new technologies of information in order to support sustainable development, democracy and civil society. It is available in Bulgarian and English.
About
BlueLink is the Bulgarian member of the Association for Progressive CommunicationsAssociation for Progressive Communications
The Association for Progressive Communications is an international network of organizations that was founded in 1990 to provide communication infrastructure, including Internet-based applications, to groups and individuals who work for peace, human rights, protection of the environment, and...
, an international network of organizations using the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
and Information and Communication Technologies
Information and communication technologies
Information and communications technology or information and communication technology, usually abbreviated as ICT, is often used as an extended synonym for information technology , but is usually a more general term that stresses the role of unified communications and the integration of...
for social justice and development. According to APC, BlueLink hosted an international conference of APC members in Varna, Bulgaria. BlueLink handled the logistics for the 10 day summit, and organized a debate titled "Open Access for All" on 7 October 2005. About 50 representatives from the APC member organizations from 32 countries were present along with guest technology experts and environmental activists participating online from Bulgaria and the Balkan region.
According to the Regional Environmental Press Centre for South Eastern Europe, BlueLink started in 1998 as a joint project of environmental NGOs from different cities in Bulgaria. These included ECO-CLUB 2000, Centre for Environmental Information and Education of Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
, the environmental club Terra of Blagoevgrad
Blagoevgrad
Blagoevgrad is а city in southwestern Bulgaria, the administrative centre of Blagoevgrad Province, with a population of about 74,302 . It lies on the banks of the Blagoevgradska Bistritsa River....
, Green Balkans of Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
, the geo eco-club Academica
Académica
The Associação Académica de Coimbra – Organismo Autónomo de Futebol , also referred to as Académica de Coimbra or simply Académica, is an autonomous and professional football organization based in Coimbra, Portugal...
of Veliko Tarnovo, Za Zemiata, the Bulgarian Biodiversity Preservation Society of Semperviva
Semperviva
The Bulgarian Biodiversity Preservation Society, Semperviva, is a non-governmental , biodiversity conservation organization. Semperviva was founded in 1997, and works in close partnership with the Balkani Wildlife society...
- Pernik
Pernik
Pernik is a city in western Bulgaria with a population of 81,052 . It is the main city of Pernik Province and lies on both banks of the Struma River in the Pernik Valley between the Viskyar, Vitosha and Golo Bardo mountains.Originally the site of a Thracian fortress founded in the 4th century BC,...
and the Public Environmental Centre for Sustainable Development in Varna
Varna
Varna is the largest city and seaside resort on the Bulgarian Black Sea Coast and third-largest in Bulgaria after Sofia and Plovdiv, with a population of 334,870 inhabitants according to Census 2011...
.
BlueLink has developed Information and Communication Technology projects for civil society in Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
and in the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
. BlueLink’s work has been recognized by the UN project: the Aarhaus Clearinghouse for Environmental Democracy, the Stockholm Challenge awards and by the international network, APC.
In addition to developing ICT tools, BlueLink organizes training workshops for NGOs on the use of ICTs. BlueLink also promotes national, regional and international NGO cooperation by organizing or hosting conferences financed by various grants.
Around February 2005, the APCNews reported that BlueLink had "developed and published a Bulgarian language manual on the strategic use of the internet for civil society organisations (CSOs)." According to this report, the manual teache CSOs "how to work effectively in electronic network, and how to improve and optimize significantly their work using ICTs." Its stated aim was to fill in the "gaps in the knowledge" of the CSOs on the opportunities that the electronic communication offers via internet, and to explore the options of their effective use in organizations' work. APCNews also said that the guide includes tips on how to communicate in mailing lists, how to build a useful and representative website, on-line activism, and more.
This manual is available only in Bulgarian
Bulgarian language
Bulgarian is an Indo-European language, a member of the Slavic linguistic group.Bulgarian, along with the closely related Macedonian language, demonstrates several linguistic characteristics that set it apart from all other Slavic languages such as the elimination of case declension, the...
and is used as a basic training material in BlueLink's trainings. It is based on the group's experience while educating NGO members how to improve their work and efficiency via the internet. It was written almost three years ago (as of 2007) and currently it has undergone some upgrades.
Milieu Kontakt Oost Europa says "Some of the NGO-networks (Ekomrezabih Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
, StrawberryNet
StrawberryNet
StrawberryNet is a Romanian NGO network aimed at promoting "the protection of the environment, sustainable development, democracy and human rights" in Romania, using electronic telecommunication and ICT ....
Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
and BlueLink Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
) are rather active and disseminate environmental information, including information on the Aarhus Convention
Aarhus Convention
The UNECE Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters, usually known as the Aarhus Convention, was signed on June 25, 1998 in the Danish city of Aarhus. It entered into force on 30 October 2001...
.)
In July 2009 BlueLink launched an online platform where citizens can file alerts of illegal logging in Bulgaria's forests, and announced trainings for volunteers, willing to use the system, Actualno.com reported http://ecozone.actualno.com/news_249661.html.
History
BlueLink Information Network was founded in 1997 by social and environmental activists with the aim of improving the capabilities of the BulgariaBulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
n NGO sector through the use of Information and Communication Technologies
Information and communication technologies
Information and communications technology or information and communication technology, usually abbreviated as ICT, is often used as an extended synonym for information technology , but is usually a more general term that stresses the role of unified communications and the integration of...
. The BlueLink Pilot Project was started by ECO-CLUB 2000, a Bulgarian Environmental NGO, with the financial assistance of Milieukontakt Oost-Europa, a Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
NGO which supports environmental sustainability in the countries of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. In April 1999, the Bulgarian NGO recognised BlueLink's as coordinator of the sector for electronic communications. This role was integrated into the “Final Declaration” of the National NGO Meeting.
Management and organization
BlueLink Information Network is a joint project of several Bulgarian environmental NGOs and concerned citizens, referred to as "BlueLink's Founders”. In its grassroots stage, the project was financially supported by the Dutch Foundation Milieukontakt Oost Europa.BlueLink was registered as a foundation under Bulgaria’s Non-Profit Organizations Act in 1999. According to its charter, registered in the Sofia City Court, BlueLink is governed by an Executive Board appointed by the Council of the Founders – the supreme body of BlueLink. To fulfill its mission BlueLink receives grants from sponsor organizations in Bulgaria and abroad. BlueLink also receives donations from organizations, which make use of its services.
BlueLink is operated by an Executive Board. The supreme body of BlueLink is the Council of the Founders made up of the eight NGOs and three individuals responsible for creating BlueLink.
The activities of BlueLink are managed by a team, headed by BlueLink's executive director. Other team members include a project manager, a content manager and a web designer. The team also includes part time and voluntary assistants.
The advisory body of BlueLink has been called the "Advisory Council" since March 2009. It consists of all Founders or their representatives, members of prominent environmental NGOs, as well as individual activists.
BlueLink founders
Founders of this organisation were: Eco-club 2000; Centre for Environmental Information and Education, Sofia; Environmental Youth Club Terra, Blagoevgrad; Academica GeoEcoClub, Veliko TarnovoVeliko Tarnovo
Veliko Tarnovo is a city in north central Bulgaria and the administrative centre of Veliko Tarnovo Province. Often referred to as the "City of the Tsars", Veliko Tarnovo is located on the Yantra River and is famous as the historical capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire, attracting many tourists...
; Balkani Wildlife Society, Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
;
environmental association Za Zemiata (For the Earth), Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
; Bulgarian Biodiversity Preservation Society Semperviva
Semperviva
The Bulgarian Biodiversity Preservation Society, Semperviva, is a non-governmental , biodiversity conservation organization. Semperviva was founded in 1997, and works in close partnership with the Balkani Wildlife society...
, Pernik
Pernik
Pernik is a city in western Bulgaria with a population of 81,052 . It is the main city of Pernik Province and lies on both banks of the Struma River in the Pernik Valley between the Viskyar, Vitosha and Golo Bardo mountains.Originally the site of a Thracian fortress founded in the 4th century BC,...
; Pavel Antonov, Vassil Beyazov and Willem Tjebbe Oostenbrink.
BlueLink Executive Board and Team
It currently (2009) comprises Natalia Dimitrova (Chair) from the Environmental Club Terra - Blagoevgrad; Pavel Antonov; Milena Kovacheva from the Centre for Environmental Information and Education; Elina Racholova; and Ilian Iliev, Public Centre for Sustainable Development, Varna.BlueLink's executive director since April 2009 is Evgenia Tasheva. BlueLink's team members are: Vera Staevska (project manager); Vlado Ivanov (editor/content manager); Kalin Lilovski (web and network manager); and Doroteya Marinova as administrative coordinator.