Vision of Society and Safety Foundation

Society and Safety Foundation seeks to change the meaning and content of the concept of “security” and to raise the awareness of security as a basic need, which if not satisfied prevents personal development. Through our activities we want to encourage the citizens of the Republic of Bulgaria to participate actively in the process of reforming the Ministry of Interior and the definition of the security service and to identify institutions which are its suppliers.

The security is not only a basic human need, but also one of the deepest aspirations enshrined in us. Ambition and desire for safety when we are at work, in public or when we are at home. Security can be viewed a much broader: striving for financial security, security in terms of our life and health, the health of our relatives, our work, our social position.

THE “CIVIL SECURITY” SERVICE 

At present, there is no clear definition of the scope of the “Security”, the formation of the main components and mechanism of interaction between the institutions which are responsible for the quality of this service. Common understanding of ‘security’ to prevent external aggression and maintain public order in the country, thus ensuring its usually identified with some of the functions of the state. In other words, the creation and maintenance of security can be defined as a common public good,  service that is used by all and for it is characteristic absence of competition in consumption, which is why its implementation is financed with part of the taxes of the population (budget of the Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Defence). Moreover, her negatives of all the non-market sector – inability to accurately measure received and paid, the absence of competition, hence comparability and choice, and presumably low efficiency. Meanwhile, the “National Security Strategy” of the Republic of Bulgaria refers to “adapt to the changing security environment” which “imposes new prioritization of security policy, the inclusion of overall institutional potential of society, applying new forms of interaction between the state, business and NGOs, such as public-private partnership. ”

“Extending of the social scope of the security policy poses new challenges for institutional coordination horizontal and vertical hierarchical relations management. Planned pooling of resources of the security sector and change the definition of the “security” requires taking concrete action not only by individual institutions and structures of civil society, but also of every citizen, which is one of the largest chalenges- citizens to realize that the quality of the “security” is defined by their action or inaction.

To be the “security” adequate to the needs and expectations of citizens is first necessary to identify their expectations and understanding of what constitutes the “security” – something which, although developed strategies and other program documents in this field is not made. Lack of clarity about the expectations of citizens, creating the basic prerequisite for overall dissatisfaction with the “security” as:

1. Their expectations are at variance with the vision and actions of individual institutions.

2. The institutions expect active participation of citizens and civil monitoring on quality of service, expect proposals for improving the quality and, while the citizens themselves do not find your place as a country, as it does not understand the scope of the “security”.

3. Subject to the general dissatisfaction of citizens with the quality of service “security” are employees of the Interior Ministry, because the definition of the “security” is not promoted and they are the only recognizable as a party in this process and bear all the negatives and civil frustration – both professional and political leadership and citizens, which poses a risk to public order and security.

Security as defined in the National Security Strategy is a broad and public order and security are only one of it’s components.

The main priorities of the National Security Strategy and defined as vital interests are: • ensuring the rights, freedoms, security and welfare of the citizens, society and the state;

• protection of the constitutional order and democratic values;
• preservation and development of national identity, building on the basis of a united nationality;
• ensuring the integrity of the Bulgarian civil society;
• overcoming the negative demographic processes, the significant disparities in regional development and construction of socio-economic environment, providing conditions for the development of generations of Bulgarian citizens, able to ensure the Republic of Bulgaria deserved place in the EU and global political, economic, financial and social processes.
• favorable and predictable security environment;
• ensuring energy security by diversifying the types of energy sources and routes of supply of energy and other strategic raw materials;
• development of education, training, science and applied research activities in the spirit of national and common European values;
• ensuring economic, financial and social stability and economic prosperity;
• preventing and combating corruption and organized crime;
• limitation of offenses against person and property;
• maintaining high quality of the environment and natural resources.

So formulated priorities cover all socio-economic sectors and require coordinated and common efforts of all countries to promote the “security”, quality and possibilities for its optimization and implementation of subsequent monitoring and control by its users.

It is essential that the institutions and their structural units, the civil society and citizens to begin to act as integrated components of the national security system. To begin this process is necessary before this dialogue to take place and create a partnership between civil society organizations, the private sector, state and local institutions  what suggests the “security” and how it can improve its quality.