International Council for Cultural Centers (I3C)

I3C is now grantee of Charles Stewart Mott Foundation with the program "Strengthening the Bread Houses Network in Bulgaria". The goal is to strengthen the participation of marginalized groups and individuals in their communities throughout Bulgaria. To this end, the International Council for Cultural Centers will expand and strengthen its network of bread houses in Bulgaria, increase the capacity of the local bread house coordinators to implement projects and engage marginalized groups, and explore the possibilities of turning bread houses into successful social enterprises. Bread houses are community centers that host bread baking and various other activities for groups of people of very diverse backgrounds, thus encouraging relationships across ethnic and religious origins and social status. The model has been successful in increasing the social capital in communities and strengthening civic spirit as well as increasing the skills, self-esteem, and employability of the participating individuals. Since its establishment in 2008, I3C has developed into a global network of active and committed volunteers who share the same vision of empowering people at the grassroots level using a combination of traditional and modern community development approaches. The I3C has been developing bread houses around the world since 2009, and now they exist in 12 countries.