A day before the official opening of ITF 43rd Congress in Sofia, on Lovers’ Bridge near the National Palace of Culture the photo exhibit ‘This is my oath’ was opened.

The exposition is part of the joint activities of FTTUB’s Youth and Women’s Committees, supported by European Future Foundation, to eliminate violence against women at home, at work and in the society as a whole. By agreeing to become faces of the exhibition, FTTUB’s men, women and youth expressed their determination to turn into ambassadors of harmonious relations between genders.

In the days of ITF Congress, Lovers’ Bridge was transformed into a bridge between Bulgaria and Australia, and a cross-point of two initiatives: with this exhibition, FTTUB joined Australian trade union MUA’s “White Ribbon” campaign and made the campaign global by incorporating all ITF Congress delegates.

 “We, FTTUB Youth believe in a World without fear where we are all equal and where we all have equal opportunities.We address violence against women at the work place as well as domestic violence which we consider interdependent!”,  explained FTTUB Youth committee co-chair Alina Milusheva.

Every man who took the oath not to commit or tolerate violence against women, received a white ribbon.

At the end of the official opening, 30 white doves took flight carrying the message of the liberated woman’s soul and the hope for a better world where men and women work and live in harmony.

The opening was attended by all members of ITF Executive Board, headed by Paddy Crumlin – president of ITF; Stephen Cotton – general secretary of ITF, Alicia Castro – Argentina’s ambassador to UK and member of ITF Executive Board, as well as the president of FTTUB – Ekaterina Yordanova.

Paddy Crumlin – president of ITF
Stephen Cotton – general secretary of ITF

Alicia Castro – Argentina’s ambassador to UK and member of ITF Executive Board

Ekaterina Yordanova – president of FTTUB

Veneta Seraphimova, councilor at Sofia Municipality, was also among the official guests at the opening.

Elitza Todorova – Bulgaria’s two-times representative at Eurovision also gave her support for the cause and participated in the exhibition together with her ensemble for traditional Bulgarian music ‘Chinari’.

 On the final day of ITF 43rd Congress, the empty panels at the exhibition were filled in by photos of men leaders from ITF and ITF’s Youth committee, who hours before have officially taken the oath never to exercise, tolerate or cover up violence against women.