On 11 December 2024, the Bulgarian Diversity Charter celebrated the successful conclusion of its training and mentoring programme on inclusive communication during an event attended by Charter members, project partners, officials, and key stakeholders. This initiative was conducted under the NICE project, dedicated to fostering workplace diversity and equality across Diversity Charters in Cyprus, Greece, Lithuania, Bulgaria, and Romania.
The event brought together representatives from 16 companies that participated in the pilot training, alongside Diversity Charter members, the international NICE project team, and senior officials. The initiative received substantial support from the golden partner Lidl Bulgaria and the silver partner Shell Bulgaria.
Prominent speakers included Rumyana Petkova, Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Policy, Prof. Dr. Ana Dzhumalieva, Chairperson of the Commission for Protection against Discrimination, Dimitar Markov, Director of the Law Programme at the Center for the Study of Democracy (CSD), and Levon Hampartzoumian, Chairperson of the Bulgarian Business Leaders Forum (BBLF).
Kamelia Slaveykova, member of the BBLF Board, Chairperson of the Board of Directors of Shell Bulgaria, and member of the Advisory Board of the Bulgarian Diversity Charter, moderated the event. In her opening remarks, she highlighted the critical role businesses play in fostering inclusive and equitable work environments that drive innovation, enhance productivity, and unlock employees’ full potential. “The Diversity Charter unites companies that recognise diversity as a source of strength and a foundation for long-term success, collaborating across sectors to foster a better social climate,” she stated.
Maria Stoyanova, Analyst at CID and Project Manager of the Charter, presented the stages of the NICE journey, which lasted two years in total (presentation). “In addition to the in-depth research, discussions with experts, development of the training materials and the training itself, what remains most important for us is that we have built a community of NICE supporters,” she highlighted.
The event featured presentations from representatives of Diversity Charters across participating countries, including Stavros Milionis (Greece), Eleni Ploutarchou (Cyprus), Aiste Brazdžiūnaitė (Lithuania), Dana Oancea (Romania), and Ani Ivanova (Bulgaria). They provided insights into the programme’s implementation and achievements. In the subsequent panel discussion, Valeria Doycheva, Head of Lidl Bulgaria’s Diversity and Inclusion Programme Lidl Paletter, and Iva Monova, Human Resources Advisor at Shell Bulgaria, shared their organisations’ best practices and experiences in fostering inclusive communication.
The NICE programme attracted participants from diverse professional domains, including human resources, corporate social responsibility, sustainability, communications, and DEI management. Its final phase featured customised practical training consisting of three training sessions and a month-long mentoring scheme aimed at enhancing participants’ competencies in inclusive communication within their workplaces.
Representatives from the 16 companies that successfully completed the NICE training programme received official certificates affirming their commitment to and expertise in inclusive communication. Congratulations were extended to Alorica, Vivacom, Ecotoy Service, Inditex, Catro Bulgaria, Lidl Bulgaria, National Electric Company, Ruepoint, Sanex, Sensata Technologies Bulgaria, SoftServe, the Faculty of Economics at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, BCause Foundation, Holding KCM 2000, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, and Shell Bulgaria.
Thank you to all participants, facilitators, and stakeholders who contributed to the programme’s success, with the shared aspiration that this collective journey toward fostering inclusive workplaces will continue.
The programme will be promoted in January 2025 at the next meeting of the European Platform of Diversity Charters so as to be implemented by other European charters.
Stay tuned to the Diversity Charter website and social media channels for upcoming initiatives and programmes to support diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
About NICE: The Neutral and Inclusive Communication in Corporate Environments (NICE) programme is a collaborative initiative of the Diversity Charters of Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Lithuania, and Romania. Its objective is to promote inclusive and tolerant workplaces through innovative training and capacity-building programmes. The project is co-funded by the European Union’s Citizens, Equality, Rights, and Values (CERV) programme.
About the Bulgarian Diversity Charter: Jointly led by the Center for the Study of Democracy and the Bulgarian Business Leaders Forum, the Bulgarian Diversity Charter aims to advance diversity management in Bulgaria. The Charter encourages organisations to adopt policies for diversity management, anti-discrimination, and equal treatment. As part of the European network of Diversity Charters across the 27 EU member states, its members benefit from shared resources, discussions, and best practices. Since its establishment in 2020 with 12 founding companies, the Bulgarian Diversity Charter has grown to include over 100 signatories.
