Trakia Journal of Sciences, Vol. 15, Suppl. 1, pp 457-463, 2017 Copyright © 2017 Trakia University Available online at: http://www.uni-sz.bg ISSN 1313-7069 (print) ISSN 1313-3551 (online) doi:10.15547/tjs.2017.s.01.076

THE BULGARIAN “CHITALISHTE” AS A CENTRE IN SUPPORT OF THE LOCAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP

E. Lissichkova*

Knowledge and Reality: Models, Methodology, and Heuristics Department, Institute for the Study of Society and Knowledge, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, ,

ABSTRACT Goal: The report presents current trends for stimulating the local communities’ entrepreneurship, based on the resources and development potential of the traditional Bulgarian community center Chitalishte. Method: The report is based on its own empirical materials, which shows the Chitalishte as a: factor for social capital, channel for building entrepreneurial attitude, and incentive for new economic activities. The systemic and scientific approaches and the theory of self-organization are applied. The natural environment of different communities is studied as well as the external targeted impact on the community processes. The report presents the contemporary Chitalishte as a community center, influencing positively on the entrepreneurial motivation and stimulating the individuals’ autonomy. Results: The main functions of the Chitalishte are described as: Communication – a meeting point and place to share experience; Information - a treasury of the local memory for traditional productions, livelihoods and practices; Openness and accessibility; mediation between the local community and globalization. Thus, it manages to create entrepreneurial attitudes in the field of tourism, craftsmanship, agriculture, social entrepreneurship, tangible and intangible cultural heritage. Conclusions: The Chitalishte today has the potential to fill in niches in the field of communication, information, training, motivation and innovation in support of local business.

Key words: community, Chitalishte, entrepreneurships, partnerships, mediation, resource, development.

INTRODUCTION the approaches, the ever more pressing need The entrepreneurship is a phenomenon of the for new knowledge, which, in the modern social development. It is a complex one and is economic environment, are the main resources the result of many successive and synchronous for enterprising behaviour. These two factors – processes, including personal characteristics of the modern information and communication the individual. In the context of this study, we technologies (ICT) and the knowledge-based will focus on the entrepreneurship as a process economy form the entrepreneurial with multiple impacts on the socio-cultural and environment, bringing new players into the economic development of the community, local development alongside local businesses revealing opportunities for the development and local government structures. Among them, and forming attitudes and motivation to change along with local and regional media, regional the economic activity of individuals in this development agencies, non-governmental community. We consider entrepreneurship as a organizations, informal unions, consultancy process since we distinguish different phases firms, etc., in the recent years the that the individual goes through while realizing contemporary community centre has found its his innovative intentions. The entrepreneurship place and role. Among them is the traditional is also a process impacted by the pressure of for Bulgaria community cultural center called the dynamics of modern information and Chitalishte. From the point of view of the mass communication environment, which culture of the Bulgarian Chitalishte as a necessitates continuous correction and “Cultural institution for the dissemination of reconciliation of source data, modernization of knowledge and culture, especially active ______during the Renaissance” (1), the link with *Correspondence to: Emilia Lissichkova, Street entrepreneurship seems unjustified. In the address: “Krasno selo” Res. Complex, 195 Block, context of this study, we will look at this entr. III, floor 5, flat 73, Postcode, City: 1618 Sofia, organization in terms of its advantages, thanks Bulgaria, Phone: (+359 89) 666 92 01, E-mail: to which the Chitalishte as an institution can [email protected] significantly influence the formation of an Trakia Journal of Sciences, Vol. 15, Suppl. 1, 2017 457

LISSICHKOVA E. environment for stimulating local trends for the development based on local entrepreneurship. These advantages include the resource, the availability of local successful or prominent community character, the wide unsuccessful models and practices and the territorial presence in each settlement, the specificities of the local policies and traditions availability of own materials and human is critical. The environment supporting resources, the state's financial support, the entrepreneurship is based on several factors: availability of a library as a traditional administrative reliefs in the municipality and information centre, the legitimacy of the incentives to small and medium-sized Chitalishte, etc. Particularly important is the businesses especially in the agricultural areas, fact that the trust in the Chitalishte has been qualified human resources, good infrastructure preserved, which, recently, stands out more - roads, access to quality internet, good strongly. coverage of mobile operators, availability of recreation areas and educational institutions for METHODOLOGY AND RESEARCH children and students. The environment has a TECHNIQUES decisive negative impact on the more remote The presented results are based on our own and peripheral territories, which are empirical materials. The subject of the study is systematically depopulated and their economy the Chitalishte with its functions related to the is dwindling. Indeed, in the recent years, many formation of the social capital of the municipalities in Bulgaria managed to attract community, its ability to be a channel for significant investments to build local building entrepreneurial attitudes, introduction production capacities. For example, in the of social innovations and an incentive for new municipality of Montana, about 40 SMEs economic activity on local level. In the study, successfully operate today with a different we have applied the systemic, scholarly scope of activity. (2) Thanks to foreign approach and the theory of self-organization. investments, new metalworking industries are The empirical information is collected through being built, with 300 new jobs open. At the sociological techniques, the selected profile of same time, “a major problem for businesses is the participants in the survey aims to involve finding skilled workers. Businesses cannot representatives of all social groups on local meet their workforce needs, which affects their level: the local businesses, people working in development. The policy of most enterprises is Chitalishte, local administration, youth, to deliberately limit production due to lack of unemployed, NGOs, and others. The empirical workforce.” (3) In many of the municipalities study covers more than 10 years of field work in Bulgaria, there are natural and cultural- in different regions of Bulgaria, including historical resources, which are a prerequisite observations in more than 70 communities, the for the development of tourism. There is an access to these being the local Chitalishte. We extraordinary “hidden” tourist potential that, if have studied the natural environment in the faced with entrepreneurial behaviour and local communities and their interactions with innovative approaches, could reveal new various external factors. The change of the role opportunities for local livelihoods and living of the traditional Chitalishte in a created new conditions. environment for functioning through an externally targeted impact on the community Another factor for the formation of an processes was also studied. The results entrepreneurial behaviour is the “health status” obtained are the basis of the presented concept of the local community. In a healthy territorial of the contemporary Chitalishte as a community with well-built horizontal and community centre, positively influencing the vertical links, the attitudes to entrepreneurship creation of motivation for entrepreneurship in are formed spontaneously. Accordingly, in the local population, stimulating the autonomy communities with a disrupted demographic of the individuals and releasing their potential. structure, mixed ethnic communities or The emphasis is on revealing the potential of depopulation, the local entrepreneurship is the modern community centre as an initiator of severely restricted or subject to external social innovation by mobilizing the potential of business interests. The topic of motivation for the population to improve their lifestyle. entrepreneurial behaviour is especially relevant to young people, seeking initial realization in Prerequisites for the formation of the community. On the other hand, in these entrepreneurial behaviour territories and communities, the percentage of The factors, influencing the entrepreneurial young people who are neither educated nor attitudes, are numerous and, depending on the qualified or working is the highest. The jobs specificities of a particular place, can influence that are offered are usually for the low-skilled to varying degrees and in a different way. The people, with low income and are unattractive socio-economic environment that outlines the 458 Trakia Journal of Sciences, Vol. 15, Suppl. 1, 2017

LISSICHKOVA E. to young people. This creates attitudes towards role in the self-organization of the community, migration and realization abroad or in the based on its central character. With developed larger city. At the same time, in recent years, community-based capacity, the Chitalishte the opposite trend has been observed - young may have a significant impact on the opening people with education and qualification settle and development of local resources for private in smaller settlements or villages near the entrepreneurship. Its advantage as a towns (e.g. Verinsko village, community institution is that it has no private Municipality, the village of Nikolovo, interest in doing such activities. It works in the Montana Municipality). They form modern public interest and provides access to all communities, based on the new ICT culture. people to the opportunities it provides. This Their main characteristic is the entrepreneurial distinguishes it from the business structures ability to build their lifestyle according to their and, at the same time, makes it a good partner needs - professional realization and in the processes of local development and achievement of a good standard and revitalization of the territory. In the light of the environmentally friendly life. local entrepreneurship, the Chitalishte can be seen from two different angles: on the one Overcoming inertia, the utilitarian attitudes and hand, it is a resource for local development and lack of motivation for entrepreneurship and must build on its functionality as a resource self-employment is an important issue for the centre and on the other hand - as a connecting revitalization of territories and the introduction point for local entrepreneurs and producers to of innovations in local production. The access opportunities and resources and to community-based entrepreneurship incentives, strengthen the horizontal links in the based on a reassessment of local assets and community, creating an entrepreneurial potential, create prerequisites for pooling and environment. complementing the resources of individuals, creating a community-shared vision for local Chitalishte – Resource Centre development, and reducing the risk to the This functionality is based on the traditional individual entrepreneur. This extends his characteristics of the Chitalishte as the choice and decision-making, enriches ideas information and communication centre of the and assists in its realization in the interest of local community. In most cases, the Chitalishte public and private benefit. is the home of the public library, which is the only one in the smaller settlements. Thanks to The community incentives for it, the Chitalishte satisfies the right of the entrepreneurship are linked to the community community to be informed, to have access to leadership. It influences the entrepreneurial knowledge, to be able to make informed attitudes through their characteristics to form choices, to be a part of the information society. attitudes, to set trends for development on a Nowadays, in most reading rooms of the value basis, to find the balance between the Chitalishte libraries, open-access computer interests of the individual and the public rooms have been created and continue to be interest. In this context, the role of the created, and previous readers are already Chitalishte is highlighted. This is the role most Internet users. The availability of information closely linked to the value system of the is a source of opportunities and access to good community, which carries the mark of unifying practices and resources for innovation. In some its individual fragments. places, the Chitalishte has found a niche for its activity, namely to connect the creators of RESULTS science-intensive products with their users on The influence of a Chitalishte on the creation the spot. of an environment, stimulating entrepreneurship is based on its presence as A stimulus for entrepreneurship is its character one of the main institutions of the community. as a centre, a neutral territory for “Its main comparative advantages consist in its communication and socialization among ability to mobilize the existing human enterprising people in the community. Because potential, and its flexibility and capacity to of the competitive environment and the work with limited time and resources in shortage of time, business people find it harder various fields.” … “In the Chitalishte, the to share their interests. “In the conversations community is no longer perceived as a with the entrepreneurs in Ihtiman, the sociological abstraction but is transformed into assessment of the fragmentation of social ties a reality of human experiences. It is a place and the lack of solidarity prevails for the fact, where people exchange their personal that everyone takes care of his own interests knowledge, share their worries and receive and nothing can be done jointly.”(5) This is advice and support.” (4) It has an irreplaceable also evident from the small number of Trakia Journal of Sciences, Vol. 15, Suppl. 1, 2017 459

LISSICHKOVA E. producer groups that have applied for the practice has shown that the Chitalishte has all measure 142 "Establishment of the characteristics of a resource centre and a produceres’organizations"of the RDP 2007 - medium for communication and experience 2014. Sharing a common vision for sharing, a local memory storehouse for development and reaching an agreement on traditional productions, livelihoods, and common interests requires several conditions practices as a stimulus for innovation. that the local Chitalishte can provide. These include neutral territory, neutral mediation, Chitalishte and local human resources positive communication environment, logistics This is a characteristic, based on another and regularity of meetings, lack of personal traditional activity of the Bulgarian Chitalishte interest in the discussions. Sharing a common – informal supplementary education for vision for the development of the region children and adults. The relationship between between entrepreneurs, local authorities, civic the degree of qualification and the formation of associations and other stakeholders with the entrepreneurial attitudes is logical. Improving mediation of the Chitalishte leads to a the quality of human resources in the consensus among the parties on the direction, community is related to the acquisition of trends, and participation of everyone, competencies, reliability, and attitudes to supplementing the local resources and long- change. The involvement of some Chitalishte term planning. The power of the Chitalishte is with activities aimed at raising the in the development of horizontal links in the qualification and the skills for employment is community, which is of utmost importance for based on the availability and potential of the the creation of entrepreneurial attitudes based Chitalishte in realizing their new social role as on a shared vision for local development. The a social mediator for development and results of the survey show that these links, validation of new forms of training and building the social capital of the community, employment among the population in the new can not be stimulated either by the municipal economic and social conditions. This administration with its vertical and hierarchical presumably fills the gap between the existing relations or by the local business. It is well available educational and qualification local known that horizontal links within a resources and the development prospects of the community are a resource for development. (6) region, based on the actual resources and the The active association of individuals and specific initiatives of the population for groups of people into a community, based on realization on the labour market and income shared interests, opens up additional space for provision. The grounds of such a commitment personal expression and individual prosperity of the Chitalishte is in its historical and that underpins the entrepreneurial attitudes. organizational development and directly The entrepreneurial approach creates corresponds to the European policies for prerequisites for pooling and supplementing lifelong learning, preparation, and re- the resources of individuals, for developing a qualification for alternative employment, a community-shared vision for the development compulsory prerequisite for inclusion in the of settlement and reducing the risk for the knowledge-based economy. On the other hand, individual entrepreneurs. This extends their due to its specificity of community opportunities of choice and decision-making, organization and trust-based relationships, it enriches the ideas and assists in their can contribute to forming a culture of realization in the public or private interest. partnership and positive competition, “The community development is very similar motivation and entrepreneurial attitudes based to entrepreneurship.” (7) It enables us to see on new knowledge and skills. The potential of the opportunities that the environment finds in the Chitalishte to improve the quality of human a new way, preserving the existing ones and resources in the community is manifested in its turning these into a resource for development. ability to determine the needs of training the This is based on the concept of sustainable population according to its level of education local development. Within 2009-2017, the and professional qualification, according to the Chitalishte in the village of Kurtovo Konare available and potential resources in the region (Stamboliiski municipality), turning into a to start new work activities; to motivate people place for discussion on the problems of the to learn as an element of the continuous community, found the intersection of the vocational training system; to organize and common interest of the local farmers, local conduct training courses; to draw up curricula; authorities, small family farms and the to provide the necessary facilities for institutions in the village, which led to a series conducting the training; to promote courses of innovative steps in supporting the local among the population and employers in the livelihood in vegetable production. The region in order to find work for successful

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LISSICHKOVA E. graduates. For example, the Chitalishte in cultural heritage in the tourist attractions of Novo Selo ( District), Radilovo ( local tour operators, there are successful Municipality), Kurtovo Konare (Stamboliiski practices of tourist centers, established in the Municipality, Brestovitsa village (Rodopi Chitalishte (the villages of Momchilovtsi, Municipality), etc. regularly provide local Municipality, Gara Bov, farmers with short courses on farming Municipality), developing new local tourist practices and presentations of the current packages, providing information and requirements for growing crops, information advertising activities to the local tourism, on funding opportunities and access to attracting foreign tour operators. There are resources, improving the production cases of courses for mountain guides, environment of local producers by investing in organized by the Chitalishte (the village of search, certification, research of qualities and Gara Bov). Some of the Chitalishte, develop popularization of old local varieties that new tourist attractions and sites, based on the expand the sphere of activity of local local tourist potential. One example is the producers and improve their access to developed “Tornal e Todu” eco-trail in the customers. In most cases, the Chitalishte village of Momchilovtsi - one of the most organizes short-term training courses – from 4- visited eco-trails in the region, developed on 5 hours to 150 hours, focusing mainly on the idea of the community and with the acquiring key competences – the new coordination of the local Chitalishte. Another information technologies, as well as new example of activities, organized by Chitalishte information about alternative forms of in support of local entrepreneurs are the employment, training in traditional crafts, culinary festivals. Examples are the “Thrace production of agricultural products, and other Culinary Heritage” Festival in , services and products, for which there is a “Tastes from Banat” Festival in Asenovo, potential market. It is not necessary for the Nikopol Municipality, the “Festival of keşkek” Chitalishte to be a provider of training in the village of Radilovo, Peshtera services, its more important role is to be a Municipality, etc. which have been monitored successful mediator between the population in recent years. The culinary festivals are and the training institutions and experts. In the mostly tourist attractions, helping local presence of a well-functioning connection of hoteliers, restaurateurs, owners of guesthouses, the Chitalishte with the local authorities and producers of agricultural products. Preserving the business, the courses are in conformity and giving market value to local crafts is also a with the potential demand of qualifications for resource with a tourism potential. Chitalishte the labor market and training courses can be such as “” in the town of Elin Pelin, organized in partnership with educational “St. St. Cyril and Methodius”, in the town of institutions and potential employers. The basis , in the last years made workshops for of such a training activity is the formation of making folklore costumes, in the villages of entrepreneurial behaviour, initiative, and Radilovo and Telish there are courses for partnership culture. In this segment of the weaving on horizontal and vertical handloom, activities of the Chitalishte, we have pointed a carpet workshop exists at the “Prosveta” out the targeted work with young people to Chitalishte in . In most cases, form entrepreneurial attitudes. The Chitalishte schools for children and teenagers have been seek different forms of motivation of young created to transfer skills of different traditional people, including meetings-discussions of crafts. In Kurtovo Konare there is a children's young people with successful local people, as school for plastic sculptures made of maize well as joint activities to form motivation for leaves for making dolls, icons and souvenirs, change, innovative thinking and reviving traditional handicraft practices from entrepreneurial behaviour to improve personal plant materials. Thanks to their activity, the development strategies of young people on souvenirs made of maize leaves became spot. extremely popular, including in the UNESCO headquarters in Paris. These souvenirs are Partnership with business made by order and have market value. In many The characteristics of the local Chitalishte settlements, mainly with culinary festivals, make it a reliable partner of the local business. culinary workshops are held to preserve and This is true especially of areas such as tourism. transmit the local culinary traditions between With adequate municipal tourism development generations. Last but not least, the Chitalishte strategies, local traditions and cultural and can be considered as a local resource for the historical heritage, preserved by the local entertainment business. There are cases where Chitalishte are a specific resource. Besides the local folklore or other art formations, more traditional inclusion of the intangible organized by the Chitalishte, are hired by the

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LISSICHKOVA E. local business to present entertainment and community communication, and to provide programs to tourists and guests. access to topical knowledge, gives it a All this makes the Chitalishte an information characteristic of a required factor for the bank and an archive of local practices - craft, formation of local entrepreneurial attitudes and agricultural, storing the history of local the creation of an environment stimulating the productions, restoring old varieties, solving local business. problems, searching for and affirming enterprising local people and their contribution For most Chitalishte, this is still an to local development. The pragmatic unattainable task. Along with the limitations of interpretation of this regional study function cultural policies, the Chitalishte suffers from for exploring, collecting, archiving and conservatism and self-censorship that prevent promoting the local traditions and culture, and them from fully developing their providing free access to this information is an entrepreneurial potential and building incentive for entrepreneurial behaviour. autonomous behaviour towards community needs. Nevertheless, the observed practices The Chitalishte is a territory for social and the analysis of the above-described innovations. There are cases of community- characteristics give enough reason to present based demonstration practices based on the Bulgarian Chitalishte as a local resource in community innovations, forming attitudes to support of local entrepreneurship. In this role, experimentation, individual activity and the following main functions are distinguished: creating successful entrepreneurial models, Community moderator: In this function, it provoking activity among certain community creates the conditions for intensive exchanges environments. between active local players, creates an environment for contacts between local The New Chitalishte of Challenges authorities and businesses, between business In the public space, the Chitalishte is mainly representatives themselves, between employers seen as the local cultural institution, called and potential workers. It creates a positive upon to preserve and develop the traditional environment for dialogue between partners to culture and information resources of the engage in economic activities based on shared community. Due to one of the main features of values. It supports but also shapes the Chitalishte as sustainable local structures entrepreneurship as a value in their with a long history, they represent a projection community. Chitalishte cannot be experts in of the past, present and future of their business and entrepreneurship, they lack the community. For this reason, the preservation of necessary qualifications and human resources local tradition and traditional culture is only of specialists but have the resource to be the one of the aspects of the contemporary moderator of the dialogue among the main community center, which is a retrospective of factors for building a stimulating the past of the community. The dynamics of entrepreneurship environment. the present and the challenges of the future inevitably require a change in the traditional Mediator: There is already enough experience understanding of the Chitalishte. The modern in the Chitalishtes, confirming the role of the community moves from processes, based on Chitalishte as a mediator. Unlike the role of the modern ICT and the knowledge economy, moderator, that achieves consensus and which leads to rethinking the role of the complementarity of interests in the community, modern community centre and its functionality. its role as a mediator is to facilitate the The closure of a public resource such as the linkages and relationships. This role places the Chitalishte with its assets, traditions, and Chitalishte in the position of a link between experience only in the sphere of preservation of two active points, of a channel through which the traditional culture and memory gives it a they connect, a transmission system for museum value, which would greatly limit its information, services and resources. Part of the benefits to the community. The targeted impact new functions that the Chitalishte develops in of the environment on activating new functions this role are providing up-to-date information of the Chitalishte has shown that this institution with modern information tools, providing a has hidden potential to become an active actor local access channel to the global space. The for local economic and social development. mediation as a community center role is Without losing its traditional functions, it can observed in different formats. For the efficiently upgrade its functionality in the light Chitalishte in the villages, this is the function of changing needs and following the of an information mediator, providing access community agenda. Investing in the communal of the local population to the institutions in the nature of the Chitalishte, in its ability to create municipal or district centers as a transmission an effective environment for communication system of services and information from the 462 Trakia Journal of Sciences, Vol. 15, Suppl. 1, 2017

LISSICHKOVA E. institutions to the local person and vice versa. as well as NGOs” – the secretary of “Hadji This includes filling in applications, Nencho Palaveev” Chitalishte, town of administrative documents, farmers' said. However, we have to say applications for state aid, and, on the other that the preferred partner is the Chitalishte, hand, finding, structuring and providing which has a long-term vision for its information on funding, aids, changes in the development, actively interacts with different requirements of one or another institution in community groups, enjoys the trust of local relation to administrative services or people, has its own materials and human requirements. Another form of mediation is resources, has experience in project providing information and access to new management and works with volunteers. products and services on the local market, providing consultations and meetings with CONCLUSIONS experts or companies in support of local In conclusion, we can summarize that the producers. The role of a social mediator – to Chitalishte now has the potential to fill in attract and involve the population in the niches in the communication, information, development and implementation of regional training, motivation, and innovation of local strategies and policies and their realization is businesses, with sufficient supporting local and particularly important nowadays. The national policies for building its capacity in Chitalishte has the capacity to integrate this direction. It is a factor in building an specific social groups in society, motivating environment that stimulates local them for professional and social realization, entrepreneurship and is a resource for the which makes the Chitalishte an effective revitalization of the territory. The Chitalishte mediator of local and state authorities and contains the undeveloped potential for business, in solving community problems. developing local communities to improve the lifestyle of the population. Partner: Chitalishte begins to evaluate its own capabilities and resources, comparable to those REFERENCES of other local actors, and to enter into 1. A Dictionary of the partnerships from the point of view of their 2. Municipal Plan for development of the specific competencies and skills. Social municipality of Montana, 2014 – 2020 Innovation provides good conditions for the 3. Staykova, R., Analysis and assessment of majority of the Chitalishte involved in the the municipality potential for development study to share the good ideas and initiatives of of activities, related to the alternative other local organizations and to become tourism, social entrepreneurship, arts and partners. The partnership role of the Chitalishte culture as well as the cultural and historical is preferred in the implementation of large- heritage, Municipality of Montana, 2016 - scale local development projects, or simply Own information because of the importance of the idea. This 4. Gavrilova, R., Daskalova, K., Alexandrov, partnership-building process is already being H., Kirilov, I., Chichek, R., Emilia implemented by some community centers, co- Lissichkova, The Bulgarian Chitalishte – operating with local policies and participating past, present and future, Sofia, 2000 in various local “development coalitions” (the 5. Tilkidzhie,v N., Kelyan. M., Kolev,a G., Chitalishte in , , Stoilova, R., The peripheral municipality: , are members of the Local local development resources, Sofia 2000 Action Groups, working and consulting 6. Alexandrov, H., Kirilov, I., Chichek, R., Groups to committees of municipal councils, Community development, Sofia, 2003 actively participate in municipal forums, large- 7. Alexandrov, H., Kirilov, I., Chichek, R., scale municipal projects). “The Chitalishte has Community development, Sofia, 2003 become a preferred partner for municipalities

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