Dimitar Vasilev distinguished for his entire work

Dimitar Vassilev–Velin is one of the doyens of the nature protection movement in Bulgaria. His active campaign work starts in 1988 with a campaign against poisoning of Arvicolinae rodents. Since then Velin has been a part of all major initiatives for protection of wild nature. Velin has participated in his capacity of an expert who has ecological and encyclopedic expert knowledge and exceptionally sharp and determined action in strategic planning and tactical conduction of active nature protection actions. Velin gave the start to a number of established today ogranisations, among which are Green Balkans, For the Earth, and is an active partaker in the work of many coalitions for protection of nature and biodiversity, and also against polluting technologies.
Maybe his greatest contribution to the nature protection movement is on account of his unique capability to inspire and infect old and young with the ideas of supremacy of wild nature, the all-encompassing harmony among biological species and people, the need for founding of human existence on renewable energy from nature. These ideas of his, expressed in a charismatic and fascinating way stir lots of people towards action for protection of wild nature, many of them entirely unknown to them, they having various unrelated professional orientations.
The conceptual innovation with which Velin successfully disseminates environmental thinking and way of life is remarkable. He uses his experience in yachting and systematically justifies the interrelation between the human spirit and nature and the unyielding force of the sea and nature.

In 1994 he founds ECO-Club 2000 as an organization of ecologists and yachtsmen from all layers of society and professions. The club is quick to establish itself, and Velin personally gets the trust of tens of experts, state officials, journalists and others, who, with his help, realize and support species protection. Velin conducts a number of operative actions and campaigns against the growing economic pressure on nature – from the campaign against the German-Skakavitsa site in 1994, to the defense of Pirin and Vitosha against indiscriminate construction of ski facilities. Velin’s work is characteristic of an analytical approach to the nature protection movement in the wider context of democracy and social-political dynamics. He stands out at the barricades for reforms and European future of Bulgaria in 1990 and 1997, but does not hesitate to oppose firmly the actions of any administration regardless of its political colour. Based on this vision of his, Velin gives the start to the working to this day civic structures like the network for encouragement and signing up of volunteers among young people and students, CVS, and the civic information network BlueLink.net, which is a platform of journalists and IT specialists. In his emblematic role as a leader of a democratic and active nature protection civil society, he is arrested in 2006 at his attempt to use his legitimately obtained right to participate in the Higher Expert Environmental Committee to the Ministry of Environment and Waters.

The principal and solidly motivated position of Vassilev on all issues, decided by the committee, becomes the reason for his practical not admission to its work to this day. Being aware that for the effective protection of nature, an effective democratic and open to the citizens government is necessary, in 2009 Velin becomes the conceptual cofounder of the Greens – a young political party, which has made nature protection its major mission. In the last few years Dimitar Vassilev-Velin has devoted himself to the eco-center in the village of Vlahi, which has turned into a home of thinking and unity for many of the leaders in biodiversity protection. There, in what used to be the village school, they meet, ponder, and mule on their actions, draw experience and inspiration from Dimitar Vassilev-Velin.