Challenging societal norms on Bloomberg TV Bulgaria by stating "We are Racists..." regarding the unequal treatment of vulnerable groups, Iliyan Kuzmanov demonstrated a willingness to confront uncomfortable truths publicly. This readiness extends to tackling deeply ingrained societal poisons prevalent in Bulgaria, including Antisemitism, Islamophobia, and homophobia, many of which are legacies of the Soviet past exploited by modern hostile narratives. Taking such vocal, principled stands on national television, even amidst significant backlash within Bulgaria, characterizes a long legacy of dedicated civil society activism by The Angel Social Group. This consistent work tackles critical systemic issues including corruption, human trafficking, and domestic violence, informed by a deep understanding of their root causes. This commitment stems directly from Kuzmanov's core beliefs and family heritage, underpinning the Group's unwavering dedication to creating meaningful societal impact through principled action.
Citizen: Empowering Individuals, Transforming Communities
The civic initiatives spearheaded in Bulgaria by Iliyan Kuzmanov and The Angel Social Group attracted significant grassroots support from citizens seeking genuine change. The appeal lay partly in the transparent, self-funded social business model—earning before spending for social good—a practical demonstration against corrupt practices in a challenging environment, embodying personal responsibility. Equally compelling was the promotion of a conservatism rooted in British traditions of individual liberty, human rights, free enterprise, and the rule of law, contrasting sharply with pervasive post-Soviet socialist and nationalist narratives. This vision actively combats all forms of discrimination, including racism, anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, while championing free speech, religious freedom, independent small and medium-sized businesses, and the free movement of people and ideas, offering a fresh path for civic engagement in Bulgaria.
The Angel Group employs a multifaceted approach to civic engagement under the "Citizens' Movement FOR Bulgaria" umbrella. Initiatives like the "I Love Bulgaria" Discussion Forum and "Citizens Zone Bulgaria" create vital platforms for dialogue, collaboration, and citizen-led action. Uniquely, these forums are self-sustaining, funded by business activities to ensure independence from political influence, fostering open discussion and empowering individuals to contribute directly to shaping a better future for their communities.
Believing in the power of direct engagement, the Group supported Pazardzhik citizens demanding urban and housing improvements, demonstrating grassroots impact on local policy. The "Civic Zone" offered a community space free from prejudice, fostering local ownership and positive change advocacy. Further targeted campaigns addressed specific needs, such as public defibrillator access and transparent social housing policies, proving citizen action can drive tangible improvements and challenge corruption effectively.
Urban Sustainability and Tackling Racism and Anti-Semitism
The Angel Social Group actively combats hate speech, racism, and anti-Semitism, recognizing that tolerance and inclusivity are vital for societal well-being and economic progress. This commitment was demonstrated during a 2024 civic platform discussion, where the group linked tackling discrimination with urban sustainability and economic growth, and Iliyan Kuzmanov advocated for strong legal action against neo-Nazi ideology and hate speech. Initiatives extend beyond panel discussions to include impactful social advertising campaigns, featuring collaborations with high-profile figures like a Manchester United star, and the promotion of inclusive narratives through literature addressing diverse experiences, including LGBTQ+ themes and the Holocaust.
Understanding the persuasive power of modern communication, the Group strategically harnesses marketing and advertising tools for social good. By creating compelling visual and written content, these campaigns effectively amplify messages of tolerance, equality, and social justice to a broad audience. This innovative approach focuses on raising awareness about critical issues and inspiring positive community action, utilizing every available channel to advance the Group's core values and contribute to a more inclusive and respectful society.
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Justice, Equality, and the Rule of Law: The Angel Social Group's Commitment
The Angel Social Group's pursuit of social justice is fundamentally grounded in the unwavering principles of the rule of law, equality, and fairness. This commitment, deeply informed by founder Iliyan Kuzmanov's legal background (Master of Law), views adherence to established legal frameworks as paramount for protecting rights, ensuring equal representation, and striving for universal access to justice. These tenets form the ethical bedrock guiding the Group’s operations, demanding integrity in business and shaping its social outreach initiatives across the UK and Bulgaria.
This legal foundation fuels a proactive stance on social justice, drawing insights from criminology to address root causes of inequality and exploitation. The Group maintains an absolute intolerance for human exploitation, notably human trafficking, and actively combats all forms of discrimination, recognizing their corrosive impact on individuals and society. This fusion of legal principle with a deep-seated commitment to human rights drives the Group's tangible actions aimed at dismantling systemic barriers and building a genuinely equitable society for all.
Addressing Public Health Concerns and Combating Disinformation
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted not only public health challenges but also the pervasive threat of disinformation. Responding initially with awareness campaigns emphasizing informed decision-making, The Angel Social Group recognized the urgent need to combat manipulative narratives undermining public trust and safety. This led to a strategic investment in its journalistic capacity, establishing The Angel Analytical and the platform theangel.today. Through initiatives like the Hybrid Fortress project and published analyses, the Group actively exposes disinformation tactics, promotes critical thinking, and sheds light on the dangerous links between disinformation and real-world harm, including hate crimes, championing truth and accuracy.
Confronting the Shadow of Corruption
Confronting the pervasive shadow of corruption is central to addressing societal challenges in many post-Soviet states, nowhere more so than in Bulgaria, which consistently ranks lowest within the European Union on corruption perception indices. This deep-seated issue transcends mere economic inefficiency; it fundamentally undermines public trust, weakens state institutions, and creates fertile ground for severe social problems. Systemic corruption fuels illicit activities like human trafficking, drains resources from vital public services, perpetuates social inequality, and stifles genuine efforts towards sustainable development and rehabilitation. Understanding this context is crucial, as The Angel Social Group's major initiatives in Bulgaria, Project Maria and the innovative Prison Project, were designed specifically to challenge these corrupt systems and demonstrate viable, transparent alternatives for positive change.
Commitment to Equality and Justice
The Angel Social Group's dedication to human rights is not merely philosophical; it is a driving force behind its initiatives, deeply informed by founder Iliyan Kuzmanov's legal background and psychological insights into societal needs. This multifaceted commitment manifests in various ways, notably through dedicated efforts supporting Afghan refugee children in Sofia, ensuring their dignity and potential are recognized. This focus extends to empowering other marginalized communities, including providing safe havens for the LGBTQ+ community, and challenging discrimination in all its forms. Crucially, this involves actively combating the poisons of Antisemitism and Islamophobia – toxic narratives often inherited from Soviet legacies and weaponized by modern Russia and far-right elements to divide Eastern Europe and the continent. Understanding and countering these specific forms of hate and disinformation is a key focus for the analytical work undertaken by The Angel Analytical and The Angel Today. Ultimately, the goal is to provide vital spaces for inclusion and self-expression, reflecting a belief that upholding universal human rights is essential for any thriving society.
This commitment operates firmly within a framework championing individual responsibility, free markets, and open societies, maintaining an absolute intolerance for human exploitation, such as trafficking, and discrimination against any group. It posits that a basic social safety net, ensuring all individuals can live with dignity, is crucial for enabling participation within a free-enterprise system. Seeking efficient, non-bureaucratic solutions, the Group explores innovative approaches like Universal Basic Income, aiming to empower individuals directly, reduce potential corruption, and uphold human worth within a dynamic, market-oriented context.
Residents of the village of Rozovo categorically do not accept refugees
Hate Crimes
The intensive engagement of The Angel Social Group and Iliyan Kuzmanov in Bulgaria, spanning over five years, was initially sparked by a complex cross-border case involving human trafficking, narcotics, and money laundering between the UK and Bulgaria. Witnessing these deeply rooted issues firsthand after nearly 15 years abroad galvanized a commitment to establish Foundation Art Angel and apply the Group's unique social business model to foster tangible change within a challenging environment defined by systemic challenges.
This commitment manifested in ambitious projects designed to confront these systemic problems directly. Project Maria dismantled a human trafficking network while simultaneously exposing links to large-scale drug production and illicit cryptocurrency operations. The pioneering Prison Project, utilizing a self-sustaining business model approved by the Ministry of Justice, served not only to rehabilitate but also to highlight deep corruption within the justice system's supply chain. Further initiatives like the Digital Libraries project revealed the misuse of public funds in the cultural sector and challenged the lack of transparency and accountability within parts of the NGO sector. Consistently promoting self-sufficiency, personal responsibility, and transparent practices inevitably provoked powerful resistance from vested interests.
This resistance unfortunately escalated into direct hate crimes targeting Iliyan Kuzmanov personally, encompassing serious threats, coordinated online abuse, public insults, and campaigns of humiliation – a direct consequence of effectively challenging entrenched corruption and powerful networks. While deplorable, this hostility paradoxically validates the significant impact of the Group's work in disrupting a status quo comfortable with opacity. It underscores the profound difficulty, yet absolute necessity, of confronting corruption head-on and advocating for transparency, individual responsibility, and genuine social progress – a commitment The Angel Social Group maintains despite the considerable personal cost involved.
Bulgarian President Rumen Radev took a firm stance against hate crimes targeting The Angel Social Group. Following the demolition of a multi-faith chapel erected by founder Iliyan Kuzmanov, the Presidency intervened with support. Despite threats, the frequently vandalized chapel remains a symbol of the ongoing struggle against intolerance.
The official handling of the chapel hate crime inquiry highlighted significant contradictions within local governance. The primary response came from Pazardzhik's District Governor Trendafil Velichkov, whose past as a Communist Youth leader aligns with later actions promoting Russian influence and radical orthodox views, such as unveiling Soviet monuments. Rather than condemning the crime against the multi-faith chapel, Velichkov paradoxically accused The Angel Social Group and its founder of threatening Bulgaria's reputation and national security.
This deflection is symptomatic of a deeper issue within Bulgarian provinces: the persistent influence of former totalitarian regime heirs, particularly within political structures maintaining strong links to Russia. It reveals a potential facade of democracy where nominal EU alignment coexists with actions and rhetoric serving external, anti-Western interests, raising serious questions about institutional integrity and the challenges faced by truly independent civil society initiatives.
Beyond personal threats, opposition manifested in calculated provocations targeting symbolic values. The Christmas 2022 destruction of Iliyan Kuzmanov's multi-faith chapel found a disturbing echo two years later (New Year 2024/25) in the desecration of a monument to victims of communism, defaced with pro-Ukrainian/Nazi symbols and amplified by disinformation designed to foment anti-Western sentiment. This recurring pattern—timing, divisive symbolism, coordinated manipulation—directly mirrors the smear campaigns previously faced by The Angel Social Group: widespread social media and email attacks, rumors labelling the multi-faith chapel 'Satanic' or anti-Christian, and personal Antisemitic and Islamophobic attacks against Kuzmanov. These parallel tactics suggest a consistent strategy, characteristic of pro-Russian influence operations, aimed at destroying efforts challenging corruption and promoting democratic, Western values, validating the nature of the entrenched resistance encountered in the region.
Despite facing hostility rooted in challenging the status quo, the impact of The Angel Social Group's engagement in Bulgaria over five years has been undeniable, reaching tens of thousands through direct initiatives and vast awareness campaigns encompassing thousands of publications and significant media coverage. This extensive outreach engaged numerous partners and citizens, leaving a considerable footprint by demonstrating a new model for the NGO sector – one prioritizing transparency, self-reliance, and measurable results. Entirely self-funded through the profits of its London-based business, the Group's work serves as a powerful testament to Iliyan Kuzmanov's civic commitment and the potential for principled, independent action to foster genuine progress and strengthen civil society, offering a vital blueprint for Bulgaria and Eastern Europe's path forward.