Enhancing Capacities for Religious Leaders and Communities
On 15 May 2026, the Bridges Association hosted an interfaith capacity-building training at SOHO Space in Sofia. The event was part of the EU-funded project PARTESS-COM, where Bridges is a Bulgarian partner.
The training was conducted by experts from Enhancing Faith Institutions (EFI), a UK-based organization specializing in security for religious institutions. The program was led by Shaukat Warraich, EFI Director, and Kaashif Awan, Senior Consultant. Yoana Barakova from the Center for the Study of Democracy contributed the Balkan perspective.
The event gathered 19 participants from Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna, Burgas, and Bratislava, including representatives from the Armenian Apostolic Holy Church, EPC “St. John”, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sofia-Plovdiv, Protestant churches, the Chief Mufti’s Office, public institutions, and civil society organizations. The diverse group underscored Bridges’ commitment to fostering unity among various faiths and institutions.
Content and Objectives
The training provided practical tools and European best practices for institutional work and cooperation, focusing on security risk prevention and response for religious communities. Participants learned about preventive security, extremism management, crisis communication, and vulnerability assessments. Emphasis was placed on community roles in security incident reporting and inter-institutional cooperation.
Strengthening collaboration between public institutions, religious communities, and civil society— especially in extremism prevention and protection of worship sites — was a key theme, promoting trust within diverse communities.
Context
This Sofia event is part of a series across 12 European cities, led by OIIP & SCENOR, reinforcing Bridges’ role in fostering a secure and connected religious ecosystem in Bulgaria and Europe.
More information is available on our website: BRIDGES
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram:
Bridges_facebook
Bridges_Instagram
Further project details can be found at:
https://www.partess-com.eu
Leave a Reply