The European Parliament awarded Manol Peykov (’95, EMBA ’08) and his Generators for Ukraine campaign the 2023 European Citizen’s Prize. Started in the fall of 2022, Peykov’s initiative has since raised more than 700,000 EUR and provided close to 500 generators to the war-torn country.
“Thank you to the tens of thousands of donors without whom the project would not have been possible,” Peykov said in a Facebook post.
His project was one of two from Bulgaria recognized by the European Parliament. A European Citizen’s Prize also went to the Dobro Foundation for the Dobro Hub, an adaptation and integration center for Ukrainian and Bulgarian children on the Bulgarian seaside.
The European Citizen’s Prize recognizes initiatives that contribute to European cooperation and the promotion of common values. It is awarded annually by the European Parliament for projects that promote mutual understanding, cross-border cooperation and EU values and fundamental rights. The winners of the award were evaluated and selected by a commission including representatives of the European Parliament and European civil and youth organizations.
Manol Peykov is an award-winning translator, publisher and entrepreneur. In 2021 he was elected to the 45th and 46thBulgarian National Assembly. He received the HRH Princess Maria Luisa Distinguished AUBG Alumni Award at the university’s 29th Commencement Ceremony where he delivered the keynote address.
Along with Generators for Ukraine, his campaign to support victims of the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria in early 2023 raised another 1.3 million BGN from thousands of donors.
