Hive Mind Community

2024 has been a year of incredible impact and collaboration! 🤝 Through TechSoup’s Digital Activism Program, we’ve been proud to support civil society actors working tirelessly to uphold fundamental values in an ever-changing world. This year, we’ve continued our efforts to build resilience, counter disinformation, connect changemakers, and equip CSOs worldwide with the tools and knowledge to amplify their positive impact. Together, we’ve faced challenges, shared ideas, supported one another, and created meaningful change. ❤️ To all our partners, community members, supporters, and friends: THANK YOU for being part of this journey with us. Here’s to a peaceful and impactful 2025! ✨ #DigitalActivismProgram #TechSoupGlobalNetwork #HiveMind #CounteringDisinformation #DigitalResilience #CSO #NGO

🟣 As we reflect on our #MEGAPHONE2024 experience, we want to take you on this whirlwind journey with us. 🪄 Year after year, MEGAPHONE continues to foster an incredible community of activists, and the sense of togetherness is palpable. As change-makers, we often face challenges: disinformation, intimidation, polarization, lack of resources and tools. But hope can always be found - even in the darkest of places - and MEGAPHONE is here to help light the way. Thank you for being a part of it! 🤗 With 2024 coming to a close, what makes YOU hopeful? Let us know in the comments. 🔗 http://spr.ly/6041Q49pt 📹 Video by Promovie s.r.o. MEGAPHONE is an international event organized annually by TechSoup Europe as part of the Digital Activism Program. It provides a platform for collaborative discussions and peer-to-peer learning among activists, grassroots movements, and CSOs from Central and Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Caucasus. #MEGAPHONE #MEGAPHONE2024 #DigitalActivismProgram #TechSoupGlobalNetwork #HiveMind #event #NGO #CSO #PDCS #Google.org #EU #CERV #EEAD

⁉️ What does it take for Civil Society Organizations to stay resilient in the face of disinformation? From online smear campaigns to legislative challenges, CSOs across Europe are under pressure and in need of support. In his latest article, our Countering Disinformation Expert, Daniel Milo, shares key insights and advice from the #MEGAPHONE2024 panel discussion in which he participated together with Bardhyl Jashari (Metamorphosis Foundation, North Macedonia), Mariam Kvaratskhelia (Queer Initiative, Georgia), Filip Vagac (PDCS Slovakia), and Maja Durlik (TechSoup Europe). 💡 Key strategies for the CSOs to approach this situation include: 🔸 Forming strong alliances and networks, 🔸 Building connections with communities, 🔸 Preparing proactive communication strategies. 📖 Explore more trends, tools, and tips shared in the article to safeguard your organization's work and mission: https://lnkd.in/dDJYugfJ #DigitalActivismProgram #CounteringDisinformation #HiveMind #CivilSociety #Resilience #CSO #NGO #TechSoupGlobalNetwork #MEGAPHONE #GoogleOrg #CERV #EEAD #EU TechSoup European Commission Google

🗳️ How can Gen Z counter disinformation and encourage civic engagement in Romania? 🇷🇴 The “Civic 2.0: Critical Thinking and Responsible Voting” project, part of TechSoup’s #DigitalActivismProgram, brought together 30 students from “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iași to raise awareness about voting and disinformation. Through training sessions and an online awareness campaign, students worked as a communication agency to: ✔️ Encourage responsible voting among first-time voters using a Gen Z-friendly approach. ✔️ Highlight the importance of critical thinking and fact-checking in civic engagement. ✔️ Reach 229,000+ people online and inspire conversations about voting and disinformation. 💡 Lessons Learned: 🔸 Youth want to feel involved and make a difference, but they face challenges like misinformation and a lack of political knowledge. 🔸 Engaging, peer-led initiatives resonate strongly with young audiences, fostering a sense of community and responsibility. 📢 Get Inspired to Act Locally! Explore this and other local actions across Europe on our Hive Mind website: http://spr.ly/6040QSWiG #DigitalActivismProgram #HiveMind #TechSoupGlobalNetwork #LocalActions #EU #EEAD #CERV #CSO #NGO #YouthEngagement #MediaLiteracy #FactChecking TechSoup European Commission Funky Citizens

En nuestro curso virtual de Contrarrestar la desinformación compartiremos contigo conocimiento y herramientas esenciales para abordar la desinformación de manera más efectiva. Nuestro propósito es generar conciencia y fortalecer las capacidades para ser más resilientes y tener una respuesta hacia la desinformación. Inscríbete gratis en el enlace del primer comentario. Hive Mind Community

📣 MEGAPHONE has always drawn strength from its vibrant community of like-minded change-makers, and this year was no exception! ✨ This year, we brought together 113 participants from 27 countries for two unforgettable days in Bratislava, Slovakia, co-hosted by our partner, PDCS and with support from #Google.org and the European Commission (#CERV). 🧙♀️ With the theme Reactive to Ready: Activism in Times of Polycrisis, we explored essential topics, such as mobilization campaigning, tackling disinformation, depolarization, crisis communications, harnessing the power of technology (including AI), and fostering resilience - both personal and organizational. For many activists, the daily struggles are daunting, but the sense of solidarity within #MEGAPHONE provides a much-needed source of strength and connection. You can hear directly from participants in the reflections shared in the pictures. 💜 Please like, share and comment. We will see you all together soon! Want to stay in touch? 🤝 Join us at http://spr.ly/6043QiRfD 📸 Zora Pauliniová #MEGAPHONE2024 #DigitalActivismProgram #TechSoupGlobalNetwork #GoogleOrg #EEAD #EU TechSoup

Time for a testimonial from the #DigitalActivsimAccelerator participant, Pavel Fleisher 🇪🇪 🗝️ What was the key to succes? 💫 Support, connection with tech experts, mentoring. 💫Congratulations and best of luck for your future endeavours! 🩵 And kudos to our partner, Baltic Centre for Media Excellence who organised the event and coordinated the process with support from Google .org and TechSoup Europe. #DigitalActivismProgram #GoogleOrg #HiveMind #CSO #NGO #CounteringDisinformation

🦟“ Doing More Harm Than Good?” Sustainable Mosquito Control Campaign at Lake Balaton In Hungary’s Lake Balaton region, the Balatonalmádi Together for Our Town Association (Városunkért Közösen Egyesület) and Lovas Harbour Community (Lovas Kikötő) joined forces to raise awareness about nature-conscious mosquito control and debunk misinformation about traditional methods. From May to October 2024, the campaign combined scientific insights with educational outreach to foster understanding of mosquito control’s environmental impact and provide sustainable alternatives. 💡 Key Achievements: ✔️ A professional conference and online workshop with experts and NGOs, sparking professional and public discussions. ✔️ A social media and offline campaign reaching over 30,000 people, promoting regional awareness. ✔️ School seminars encouraging younger generations to embrace environmental responsibility. ✔️ Collaborative efforts with NGOs around Lake Balaton to expand the knowledge base and advocate for biological control methods. ℹ️ This initiative is part of the Empowering Europeans Against Disinformation (CERV EEAD) project under TechSoup’s #DigitalActivismProgram, funded by the European Union. It showcases how local action plans can address environmental and disinformation challenges while uniting communities. 📢 Get Inspired to Act Locally! Discover this and other inspiring initiatives across Europe on our Hive Mind website: http://spr.ly/6049QdFeT #DigitalActivismProgram #HiveMind #TechSoupGlobalNetwork #LocalActionPlans #EU #EEAD #CERV #CSO #NGO #Sustainability #Environment #CommunityImpact European Commission NIOK Foundation

🌍 Tackling Disinformation Through Education: A Success Story from Czechia 🇨🇿 In the heart of Europe, the IQLANDIA, o. p. s. science center in Liberec is taking bold steps to empower young people with media literacy and critical thinking skills. Through innovative initiatives like the Disinformation Hunters program and an engaging AI exhibition, students learn to identify fake news, analyze media messages, and explore the role of artificial intelligence in shaping the information they consume. 💡 Key takeaways from the initiative: ✔️ Interactive workshops for students, using tools like Google Lens to practice fact-checking. ✔️ A creative, team-based investigative game that engages 8th graders in exposing misinformation. ✔️ Hands-on AI experiences that demonstrate its opportunities and risks in the modern world. This impactful work is part of the Empowering Europeans Against Disinformation (#CERV #EEAD) project under TechSoup’s #DigitalActivismProgram, funded by the European Union. 📢 Get Inspired to act locally! Explore this and other local action plans on #CounteringDisinformation across Europe on our Hive Mind website: http://spr.ly/6045QkrJH Nonprofits, educators, and changemakers—this is your call to action! Together, we can build a Europe that is informed, resilient, and critically aware. 🌱 #DigitalActivism #MediaLiteracy #EmpoweringCommunities #NonprofitsEurope #ArtificialIntelligence #AI #EU #NGO #CSO #LocalActionPlans #CzechRepublic European Commission Sdružení VIA Julia Losekoot Szymańska -LION

📹 Defending Democracy: European Civil Society’s Response to Disinformation video is here! 🔥The full recording of TechSoup’s expert panel discussion is now available on our YouTube channel! Our distinguished panelists, Edit Zgut-Przybylska Ph.D. (Polska Akademia Nauk), Daniel Milo (TechSoup Europe), Marijana Jancheska (Metamorphosis Foundation ), Tudor Matei Vrabie (Funky Citizens), and Urtė Andriukaitytė (Civic Resilience Initiative), shared valuable insights into the disinformation challenges facing civil society in the Visegrad, Baltic, Black Sea, and Western Balkans regions. 💡 Key Takeaways: ✔️ How disinformation impacts elections, governance, and social cohesion ✔️ Lessons learned from CSO experiences ✔️ Practical recommendations for strengthening resilience 🎥 Watch the full discussion and download the Regional Mapping Reports for more insights (🔗 reports link in the comments): http://spr.ly/6040QuhZq #DigitalActivismProgram #HiveMind #CounteringDisinformation #CSO #NGO #RegionalReports #TechSoupGlobalNetwork #ExpertPanel #video