The title is a paraphrase of a popular ad, but a bunch of young enthusiasts throw the glove. They do not believe in super heroes, who will come and solve their problems, but are convinced that it all starts with little things around us and within us, in order for the big change to happen. The young people have created their Ideas Factory, which is a place for creativity and innovations. Their latest cause is named a Challenge for Social Change, aimed at all those, who are ready, willing and can go deep into a problem, changing whatever they do not like. Why right now and what has provoked these actions?

“It was born on its own, it was needed. We see people every night in front of the parliament, protesting against something and a really unhappy nation”, says young Nikoleta. “Obviously things are going in the wrong direction and are not happening the way they should. It is clear that the current systems are not functioning and have to be changed. We cannot rely on those above us, so we should start with ourselves. That is why we decided to urge young people to do something, to be active and to understand that a lot is up to them. If they succeed in seeing and putting the existing resources in a new way, which is a social innovation, this will change their environment. Then Terminal 2 won’t be the only exit out of the situation here.”

Mainly young people have already registered themselves at changeis.bg, ready to take part in the adventure, using their potential to change the environment they live in. Sofia, Plovdiv, Stara Zagora, Varna and Burgas are the five regions that they will be sent to a mission. Each team will receive its task at midnight on April 11.

“The idea is it all to be a sort of a game”, Nikoleta says on the mystical shade in the mission. “The teams will have precisely three days for research on the problem at the spot in an unfamiliar environment. We will give them a guide with different methods of Ideas Factory and will train them on how people make decisions for other people. We want to avoid the Supermen syndrome, when someone goes and solves the problems, without even asking locals. The good thing is that most municipalities have responded and sent the major problems they fail to solve. They are ready to accept the support of the young people. If their solutions suggested are better, financial resource will be allocated for the implementation of the new ideas.”

Nikoleta gives only some of the details, in order for the element of surprise to be kept: we are talking about issues in the areas of unemployment, poverty, city environment, ecology etc. On April 15 each team will present its ideas in front of the local community, ready to support their implementation. The Factory on the other hand will select three teams to help to by providing a scholarship for participation in the second edition of the Social Change Academy, thus giving them access to mentors and experienced professionals in the sphere of social innovations across the globe.

English version: Zhivko Stanchev