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xBulgaria’s National Strategy for the Child 2019-2030 withdrawn following disinformation campaigns
Date: 15th July 2019
Category:
Awareness-raising
National Network for Children in Bulgaria has been the forefront of tackling a backlash against children’s rights and has raised concerns around the impact of disinformation, speculation and fake news.
The organisation reports:
“The (draft) strategy was attacked with false and provocative claims that it is diminishing the rights of the parents and that the state and the social services will be able to take away children from their families "based on the Norwegian model of child protection".
Narratives began to dominate the public discourse, arguing that Bulgarian children would be taken away from families for banal reasons, such as a refusal to buy a toy or ice-cream to the child and will be given instead to Norwegian gay couples for adoption. Subsequently, the attacks were not only focused on the Strategy but also targeted the whole child protection system, including foster care and home visits, the national (Europe-wide) telephone helpline for children 116 111, the activities of non-governmental organisations working with children, health and sexual education at school, and many other topics.”