The Community Forum program is implemented by the Swiss Development and Cooperation Agency (SDC), FLGR and Balkan Assist Association. Funding is provided by SDC and by own contribution of the municipality in which the program is implemented. One of the priorities identified by the Razgrad Community Forum was the need to provide to the young people opportunities for career development, leisure and entertainment.

It was decided that these expectations may be combined by the development of a youth TV show that would announce the needs of the children and the youth and would involve them in the decision-making on issues that concern them.

The Youth bench of the Razgrad Community Forum initiated a meeting of youth representatives. One of the issues brought up at the meeting was the insufficient number of youth organizations and the fact that the issues are rarely discussed with them.

After the fifth session of the Community Forum, the Regional Teaching Center assisted in conducting a survey among the students at 4 primary and 8 secondary schools in the city. 82% of the interviewed declared a need for a regional youth TV show, while 86% of the respondents proposed many and various topics for such a show. The major topics included: friendship and love problems; school and family problems; free time issues. 32% of the students declared their willingness to participate in a TV show.

Activities prior to the pilot show:

A casting for anchors, reporters, script writers, actors and make-up artists resulted in the selection of 26 youth aged 15 to 21.

The youth selected the name of the show, Different. The name reflects young people s aspiration to seek the differences of their uniqueness, to discuss different aspects of an issue, to cover different opinions and topics.

Training was organized for the teams. The show got its logo and headers and the youth team helped develop promotional videos that were broadcasted by the regional cable TV operator, Evrocom ABC, and the local radio station, Oberon MAX.

Five workshops were organized for all project participants. Some of these were facilitated by consultants from Darik Radio and Nova Television.

The first pilot show was broadcasted on January 28, Razgrad Day.

This date was chosen for two reasons: the team was ready to present itself to the audience and wished to state that something new was happening in town thanks to the Razgrad Community Forum. Razgrad Day symbolizes the common will of the local residents to make their city an attractive place for young people to live and work.

What happened next?

Every show is planned jointly by the Citizen Education Advisory Club, the Regional Teaching Center and the Evrocom ABC cable operator.

10 shows were broadcasted, on the following topics: Who are we?, Love, Sex, Career, Life without drugs, The everyday life of the youth, Graduating the 7th grad what now?, Faith and beliefs, Different Live, The Best of Different.

Now the youth TV show has its own audience, mostly comprised of young people aged 12 to 18.

• Two study visits were organized to VARNA TV and the Bulgarian National Television;

The show now has its own website (www.razli4ni.hit.bg) that features the following sections: History; Casting; Gallery; Shows; Coming Up; Sponsors; About Us; Forum;

To mark the completion of the project, a youth happening was organized in the city. The participants included the Children s School of Music, Raina Knyaginya Kindergarten, Center for Work with Children, children homes from Zavet and Isperih. Participants in the Razgrad Community Forum and representatives of funding institutions also attended the happening.

- New skills acquired in the development of TV shows, new talents identified. A product was designed that may be offered to other televisions and disseminated on various information carriers among the target group;

- Personal development of direct beneficiaries the youth teams in the show ( formation of critical thinking, self - analysis and self - identification skills; time management and teamworking skills; a transition from boredom to career development );

- New opportunities for the young people the show team were contacted by other organizations to participate in other public events;

- Existence of a youth team possessing problem identification and problem solving skills by information and covering of different points of view, priority identification and consensus building skills;

- Improved communication skills of the youth as a result from regular meetings with a specialist aimed at improving their speech;

- The youth team acquired self-confidence and experience;

- Experience accumulated by the organizations that partnered in this innovative activity. New opportunities for joint activities created.