Shaping Sofia is the annual flagship even that the Global Shapers Sofia Hub has been organizing annually for the past three years. Every year, the Hub selects a different topic that is of utmost importance for the community in the city of Sofia and is also in line with the pillars and activities as outlined in the Global Shapers Community policies.

In 2021 the Hub has decided to explore the topic of citizen activism. One of the main goals of the discussion was to present a more in-depth overview of who citizen activists are, what motivates them to take action and how they pursue change. Citizen activism is considered as any individual action with social consequences, and much of it involves collective activity. This type of activity has grown exponentially in recent years, with the advance of social media, and is driven by several factors: a greater interest of citizens in previously neglected aspects of public life, such as involvement in various community activities, interest in taking part of initiatives of voluntary/charitable character and the spread of new norms regarding rights and justice. Urbanization too has played a role, for cities are vividly political places, dense with social movements demanding decent urban environment, better community areas such as parks, gardens, playgrounds, access to quality care in kindergarten, schools, clinics, hospitals as well as general improvement in infrastructure, transport and other essential public services. Technology is also a factor, most recently through the spread of social media and mobile telephones, which greatly expand the possibilities of networking among large groups.

The discussion took place In the company of accomplished businesspeople, experts, public officials and representatives of the NGO sector. Together participants had the chance to explore what it means to be an activist and a citizen, the motivation and the impact of citizen activists as well as the future of activism in our local communities. The discussion was held as part of the Davos Lab initiative of Global Shapers Community culminating in presenting the first youth-driven recovery plan during the World Economic Forum 2021 Annual Meeting.