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.

Discover how we’re bringing the "KIRA" comic book from concept to reality. Dive into our fundraising journey, the strategies we use to connect with donors, and the obstacles we've faced and overcome along the way.

Anti-homosexuality campaigns are common in post-communist Romania. What could only be portrayed under communism as capitalist decadence or imported immorality, appeared in the mid-1990s at the epicenter of the public sphere. The powerful comeback of the Orthodox Church, after decades of cohabitation with the totalitarian communist regime, explains the vigor and political spread of public campaigns aimed at perpetuating legislation criminalizing homosexuality.

Three different countries, three different economic and political situations, and three different cultures. However, they have something in common – the frequent propaganda from Russia. Each of these countries, in its own way, faces the influence of Russian false narratives. This propaganda operates differently across various countries, reflecting the unique geopolitical contexts of Belarus, Kosovo, and Tanzania.

The biggest manipulators, including, for example, Arthur Finkelstein, who developed the Soros campaign, realized important things about the workings of the public, which we need to understand if we want video campaigns aimed at social change.

In an era where disinformation is a persistent threat to democratic societies, understanding its complex and evolving nature is crucial for the resilience of civil society organizations (CSOs) and the wider society.

The message that the EU is useless for Moldova has been perpetuated for ten years, in all electoral periods: be it the general local, parliamentary or presidential elections, after Chișinău signed the Association Agreement between the Republic of Moldova and the European Union. This autumn, when Moldovans choose their future country president, they will also decide the future of their country’s alliances: with the East or with the West.

One of the disinformation frontlines concerns food and its production. Its aim is to spread fabrications through these topics to support the Kremlin's “traditional” long-term disinformation narratives. These narratives are largely about the decadent West disregarding traditional values, the upcoming catastrophe, which is always around the corner, but never actually happens and caring more about the LGBTQ+ community than about the so-called traditional families.

A character assassin does not walk around with a knife or a gun, nor does he sneak around, but kicks down the door and attacks your honour and reputation, trying to destroy it at all costs. The end justifies the means. In fact, he doesn't work alone, but in a criminal organization. So he has many faces.