The Closing Ceremony of the Digital Activism Accelerator marks the culmination of a year-long journey for 71 civil society organizations (CSOs) from 12 CEE countries in the Visegrad, the Baltics, the Black Sea, and the Western Balkans.

Media literacy experts and activists gathered in Riga for Baltic MIL Day 2024 to discuss media resilience, countering disinformation, and equipping communities with digital skills. This event highlighted innovative strategies for fostering media literacy across the Baltic region.

An important element of a communication strategy that works well in the long term is to reach all your target groups with messages that are as personalized as possible. In this article, we show you a method you can use when planning campaigns and posts. Although it will mainly focus on social media channels, the principle can also be applied to email communication.

Who and how can I engage to retain my regular donor base?

Engaged citizens, communities organized into Civil Society Organizations, and watchdogs are often the first line of defense against autocratic and populist tendencies. Holding politicians accountable, exposing their machinations, protecting vulnerable and under-represented communities, and fighting for justice and equality. Yet instead of public praise, they are increasingly becoming the prime target for propaganda machines fueled by politicians and unscrupulous actors. They are called "foreign agents", "traitors of the nation", "mercenaries", "Soros puppets", etc. Online smear campaigns and name-calling quickly escalate into calls for violence, administrative harassment, or even physical attacks.

As part of VitaFest 2024 and the Fourth Conference of the Network for Diversity in Journalism (Redipe) in Mexico City, the panel “Positive Narratives: Why Disinformation and Violence Can Be Countered with Human and Positive Statements” brought together experts from various countries to discuss the links between disinformation, violence, and narrative tools to combat them.

It is difficult to imagine contemporary right-wing populism–and disinformation campaigns that accompany it–without anti-LGBT narratives. These are truly globalized in scope and come in various localized guises: from the anticolonial homophobia in Central and Western Africa, through Evangelical moral panic focused on healthcare for transgender people in the US, to the Kremlin’s all-time-favorite slogan of failing “gay Europe”. Despite small adjustments made for their diverse targeted audiences, they all seem to share core topics such as falling back to imagined “family values” (i.e. heternormative patriarchy), defending against foreign influence (e.g. secularized Western culture), and finally punishing the hidden enemy within (i.e. demonizing and persecuting LGBT+ communities and their allies).

Join us in Slobodovo, a unique interactive workshop for primary school students. Designed to bring history and civil rights to life, Slobodovo inspires both students and teachers by transforming learning into a dynamic, immersive experience.

As an organization focused on helping children affected by domestic violence, Centrum LOCIKA often faces various forms of disinformation and misinformation about its activities. Both can significantly damage reputation, erode public trust, and have a negative impact on the work of the organization. In this article, we will share specific experiences in refuting misinformation and offer practices that may be useful for other organizations.

When do we talk about regular giving and does regularity mean the same for everyone?

During the last two years more than 240 educators have participated in NPO Tuleviku Meedia training and projects, and thanks to them we had an opportunity to validate, improve, and implement different methods of teaching media and information literacy. We want to share some insights that may help you or your colleagues find a way to teach media and information literacy in your school and community.

In an era where information manipulation is the ultimate tool of influence, how are civil society organizations (CSOs) in Central and Eastern Europe, the Baltics, the Black Sea, and the Western Balkans navigating the treacherous landscape of disinformation?

The "Kira" project is a Slovak educational initiative using a comic book to depict the ongoing Russian aggression in Ukraine. Targeted at students, the comic aims to fill a gap in the Slovak educational system, where discussions about the war are often absent or minimized. By presenting the story of Kira, a Ukrainian girl who witnesses the destruction of her home and family, the comic aims to make students more resilient to disinformation and encourage critical thinking about the conflict. The project also seeks to counteract the widespread influence of Russian propaganda in Slovakia, particularly among the youth.

In today's information society, where digital technologies and the internet are increasingly important, media literacy is becoming an indispensable skill area. This includes the ability to analyze information, understand its sources, and to understand how the media shape our perception of the world.

A crisis communication plan is a pre-prepared strategy for how an organisation will communicate during unexpected or challenging situations that may negatively impact the organization's reputation.

Rapid technological advances affect all areas of society, including NGOs. The tipping point for many nonprofits was the Covid-19 pandemic, when moving online and introducing remote working with clients became necessary.

On June 9th, Romanian citizens witnessed two separate rounds of elections, which were merged into one: both the local elections and the European Parliament elections. Over 500 independent observers from Funky Citizens monitored 1006 polling stations across Romania, dedicating 24 hours and sometimes even more to strengthen the democracy. Election observation plays a pivotal role in safeguarding the integrity of electoral processes, ensuring they are conducted fairly and democratically. Below, two of over 500 accredited independent observers from Funky Citizens talk about their experiences as the first-time observers — one in Brașov and the other in Bucharest.

In a small-scale project – media literacy training seminar “From Consumer to Creator” – 30 Municipal Youth Councils’ representatives* from five different municipalities in Latvia gathered to reflect on their media consumption habits, explore their own cognitive bias, learn about social media algorithms, and exchange their practices creating collaboration ideas for the future.

Video games (VG) have evolved from simple entertainment to a powerful cultural force. As VG become embedded in the fabric of people's daily life, their influence is far-reaching, spanning the entertainment industry, social interactions, economic activities, and educational approaches.

In the heart of the Havířov region in Czechia, a dynamic group of young minds from the Comenius High School would like to shape the future in the region they call home. Havířov, an economically and socially excluded region with a long-lasting poor level of infrastructure and education, with many challenges, is also vulnerable towards disinformation. Led by a TechSoup Master Trainer Aneta Bednářová, supported by an active teacher Jana, this passionate team embarked on a project focused on combating disinformation. Their journey unfolded through creating and piloting of a peer-to-peer workshop, igniting a spark of awareness and empowerment among their peers. “Let`s empower media literacy in Havířov”, we say.

In a world filled with disinformation, building meaningful connections with your audience is more important than ever. This article introduces a series of three short video tutorials by our expert and master trainer, Hubert Sobecki, from the Love Does Not Exclude Association in Poland. Focusing on emotional messages, shared values, and a hopeful future, these videos offer essential communication tips for building a strong and engaged community.

If you're not actively involved in database building, we'll show you how to get started, what to look out for and what tools are available.

For 31 years MU Theatre has been promoting the performing arts culture in Hungary. Through its programmes, it empowers young and old, civic and grassroots initiatives, and empowers active participation through the arts. They work with community groups and educational institutions to give participants the opportunity to develop their creativity, self-awareness and communication, while becoming members of a vibrant cultural community.

What is the aim of the Learning Groups?

We aim to create a safe and inspiring learning space for activists, educators, and local leaders from EU member states, who are working in an environment vulnerable to disinformation.

TechSoup Brasil is a transformative initiative that exclusively serves nonprofit organizations. Through strategic partnerships and software donation programs, we provide access to cutting-edge technology tools and services at discounts of up to 90% below market prices.

In Makaia, we work to strengthen social development capabilities based on technology, cooperation, and innovation. With the Digital Resilience project, which is based on the Hive Mind platform, and is part of TechSoup's Digital Activism Program, we seek to create and share tools, knowledge, and good habits in the digital sphere to counteract disinformation in the Latin American region.

Let’s come together to learn on how to strengthen young people in being more resilient (online and offline) and improve their (as well as our own) wellbeing in the times of widespread disinformation, limited attention span and general information noise.

Comuna 13 in Medellin is surprising for its history of resilience and social transformation through art.