Kaloyan Damyanov is the Chair of the National Association of Resource Teachers, Director of the Regional Center for Support of the Inclusive Education Process – Sofia, and National Coordinator for the European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education. He is also Chair of the Supervisory Board of the National Network for Children.
What does the National Network for Children mean to you?
For me, the Network is a living community of like-minded people working in various fields related to child welfare. This community is constantly expanding, changing, and building upon itself, with new directions for development emerging, which gives more and more organizations the perspective to join.
How did you join NMD?
We are a teachers’ organization, and teachers are a rather specific group that is not always open to the civil sector. For me, it was a challenge to bring this community into the Network, and we have now been a member of NMD for 10 years.
How has the Network developed over 15 years?
Like any dynamic structure, it goes through its ups and downs, difficulties, and joys. The very fact that we have so many members is positive, but it is also a challenge, as a balance must be sought among all organizations. The Network has developed on an extremely broad base and has managed to unite people who even have different views.
What is our greatest collective achievement?
The fact that over the years, the Network has become a factor in the public life of the country, one that political leaders take into account. With its positions, it has always advocated for children’s rights and has managed to establish these rights as a standard for public policy-making in general. This is the greatest achievement – that as a community, we are recognized far beyond our professional circle.
What are the challenges facing the Network?
They do not differ from the challenges facing our society and are even greater in the context of the pandemic. It is precisely at such difficult and critical moments that one realizes how important it is to be part of a network of organizations and like-minded people – that’s when you feel you are not alone. The first challenge before us is to support the children and the organizations working on the ground. Because, in fact, the activity of NMD is not an abstract concept; it happens within the organizations themselves, with specific cases that are handled locally.
Source: https://nmd.bg/
