On Thursday, October 30, 2025, the doors of the Sea Casino Cultural Center, the "Petya Dubarova" hall in Burgas, will open for a special event that promises to shed light on the cultural diversity of the region. The Center for Jewish-Bulgarian Cooperation "Alef" will present its new edition, the magazine "Get to Know Me", which aims to become a symbol of dialogue and understanding.

The event is expected to begin at exactly 6:00 PM. The atmosphere in front of the hall is already lively, and those present are visibly eager to peek into the pages of the edition. The theme promises an engaging journey through the culture and traditions of the different ethnic groups that live in the Burgas region.

The magazine, inspired by the idea that knowledge is the best medicine against the language of hate, covers 12 issues, each of which is dedicated to a specific ethnic group. It traces the history, way of life, and economic ties of the different groups inhabiting the region. Readers will have the opportunity to get acquainted with prominent personalities, examples of successful integration and good practices that show how knowing the "other" builds bridges of understanding.

The richly illustrated edition presents the ethnic groups both historically and through their modern life in local society. Readers will get a glimpse of their life, humor, and worldview. The magazine offers over 380 pages of information about the life of the traditional ethnic groups that inhabited the region – Greeks, Armenians, Turks, Jews, Roma, as well as the "new" Burgas citizens – Russians, Ukrainians and others.

Among the expected guests of the event are representatives of the different ethnic groups and their associations presented in the edition. The presentation of the magazine will be led by the famous journalist and writer Maria Kasimova-Moase.

Created within the framework of the project "Tolerance against hatred – applying EU values in the multicultural society of the Burgas region", financed by the European Union and the "Workshop for Civic Initiatives" Foundation, the magazine "Get to Know Me" is the result of the long-term experience of the Center "Alef" in the study and counteraction of hate speech. The edition aims to raise public awareness and mobilize civic energy to combat this problem.

In preparing the magazine, a survey was conducted of the ethnic groups in the region who are most often the object of hostile speech and discrimination. The trends, the main targets of intolerance, the scope and channels for the dissemination of hate speech, as well as its consequences, have been analyzed.

The magazine "Get to Know Me" aims to contribute to the public debate by emphasizing that the diverse European society is an opportunity for new economic, social, cultural, religious and political perspectives. With the presentation of this edition, the Center "Alef" once again affirms its key role in promoting tolerance and building bridges between the different communities in the region.