19 participants from Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna, Burgas, and Bratislava
On 15 May 2026, the Bridges Association served as host and partner of a one-day interfaith capacity-building training, held at SOHO Space in Sofia. The event was delivered within the framework of the EU-funded project PARTESS-COM, in which Bridges participates as a partner organisation from Bulgaria.
The training was led by experts from Enhancing Faith Institutions (EFI) — a British organisation with extensive experience in the field of security and the protection of religious institutions. The programme was delivered by Shaukat Warraich, Director at EFI, and Kaashif Awan, Senior Consultant at the organisation. They were joined by Yoana Barakova from the Center for the Study of Democracy — a long-standing partner and ally of Bridges — who brought the Balkan perspective and served as the Bulgarian voice among the trainers.
The training brought together 19 participants from Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna, Burgas, and Bratislava – representatives of religious communities, public institutions, and civil society organisations. Among them were representatives of the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church, EPC «St. John», the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sofia-Plovdiv, the United Church of God «Blagovestie», Protestant churches, and the Chief Mufti’s Office.
Also present were representatives of the Sofia Directorate of Internal Affairs, the Academy of the Ministry of Interior, independent activists and human rights experts, as well as academic representatives from Trnava University, Faculty of Theology (Slovakia). The composition of participants reflected precisely the kind of diversity that Bridges consistently seeks and encourages – different faiths, different institutions, united around a common purpose.
Content and Objectives
The training offered practical tools and good European practices applicable to institutional work and inter-institutional cooperation. Its primary focus was on prevention and response to security risks facing religious communities and places of worship a topic of growing relevance across Europe.
Throughout the day, participants were introduced to concepts of preventive security and extremism management, approaches to crisis communication, and methods for conducting basic vulnerability assessments of religious sites. Special attention was given to the role of communities and citizens in reporting security-related incidents, as well as to the practical application of available resources.
The training also created space for open exchange of experience and proven solutions among participants – something that is, in itself, a form of dialogue.
Additional emphasis was placed on strengthening cooperation between public institutions, religious communities, and civil society – particularly in the areas of extremism prevention and the protection of places of worship.
This triangular relationship between the state, religion, and civil society is key to sustainable prevention and to building trust within diverse communities.
