Strategic Communication

EDDE Advanced Training on Digital Strategic Messaging Concludes in Slovenia

9. 9. 2024 | Development (ODA), European Digital Diplomacy Exchange, PR, Regional cooperation, Strategic Communication

The European Digital Diplomacy Exchange (EDDE) successfully concluded its three-day advanced training from September 4 to September 6, 2024, at the historic Jable Castle in Mengeš, Slovenia. The training brought together 40 diplomats and communication professionals from across Europe and beyond to enhance their digital communication and strategic public diplomacy skills in an increasingly digital world.

The training, organized by the U.S. Department of State and the Centre for European Perspective (CEP), featured leading experts in digital diplomacy, technology, and communication strategy. Attendees were welcomed by Stephanie Sutton, Chief of Staff at the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Public Diplomacy, followed by lectures from thought leaders, covering topics ranging from “Understanding One’s Digital Selfie in the Digital Society” to “Using AI to Strengthen Strategic Communications.” The interactive training included practical exercises such as podcast creation and crisis communication simulations, providing attendees with hands-on experience in leveraging digital tools to tackle modern diplomacy challenges.

The EDDE training, supported by the U.S. Department of State and the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs through development aid funds, reflects the continued commitment to equip diplomats with the skills necessary to navigate the rapidly evolving digital landscape, counter disinformation, promote democracy, and engage citizens globally.

Advanced Training on Digital Strategic Messaging in Mengeš, Slovenia

28. 8. 2024 | European Digital Diplomacy Exchange, PR, Regional cooperation, Strategic Communication

Mengeš, Slovenia – 4–6 September 2024

In an era where digital communication is both a powerful tool and a formidable challenge, government communicators must adapt to a rapidly changing landscape. To support these efforts, the U.S. Department of State and Centre for European Perspective (CEP) are hosting a specialized three-day training on the topic of “Advanced Digital Strategic Messaging.”

This event, which will take place in Mengeš, will bring together government communicators from 19 different countries to enhance their skills in digital strategic messaging. The training is designed to equip participants with cutting-edge tools and techniques needed to navigate today’s complex communication environment.

Participants will engage in intensive sessions led by esteemed international experts from different fields. The training will cover various topics, including digital presence in the digital society, support for the connection through engaging dialogue, focusing on opportunities for podcast creation, possibilities of cooperation with influencers, and theoretical and practical knowledge on integrating advanced visuals and multimedia elements into messaging. In addition to technical skills, the program will address critical areas such as crisis communications and strategies to counteract disinformation—key components for maintaining credibility and trust in governmental messaging.

The project is the result of cooperation between the U.S. Department of State and the Centre for European Perspective, in partnership with the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia, in the scope of the programme of Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid.

Further information:
Ingrid Omahna

Head of Programme, Strategic Communication

Centre for European Perspective

Napredno usposabljanje o digitalnem strateškem komuniciranju v Mengšu, Slovenija

Mengeš, Slovenija – 4. do 6. september 2024

Živimo v času hitrih sprememb, kjer digitalna komunikacija igra ključno volgo in lahko predstavlja tako prednost kot tudi izziv. Vladni komunikatorji se morajo konstantno prilagajati in izobraževati, da sledijo hitro se spremnjajočim trendom. V ta namen Ministrstvo za zunanje zadeve Združenih držav Amerike (U. S. Department of State) in Center za evropsko prihodnost (CEP) organizirata tridnevno usposabljanje z naslovom »Napredno digitalno strateško komuniciranje«.

Dogodek, ki bo potekal v Mengšu med 4. septembrom 2024 in 6. septembrom 2024, bo povezal vladne komunikatorje iz 19 različnih držav z namenom izboljšanja veščin digitalnega strateškega komuniciranja. Usposabljanje je zasnovano z ciljem, da udeležencem zagotovi orodja in tehnike, potrebne za uspešno delovanje v kompleksnem komunikacijskem okolju.

Udeleženci bodo sodelovali na več predavanjih in aktivnostih, ki jih bodo vodili priznani mednarodni strokovnjaki z različnih področij. Program usposabljanja bo zajemal ključne teme, kot so vzpostavljanje digitalne prisotnosti v digitalni družbi, izgradnje vključujočega dialoga, vloga umetne inteligence pri krepitvi strateških komunikacij, uporabo podkastov in možnosti sodelovanja z digitalnimi vplivneži ter vključevanje naprednih vizualnih in multimedijskih elementov v komuniciranje. Poleg pridobivanja tehničnih veščin, bodo udeleženci sodelovali v krepitvi institucionalnega znanja o pomembnih področjih, kot so krizno komuniciranje in strategije za boj proti dezinformacijam, ki sta ključni za ohranjanje verodostojnosti in zaupanja v vladno komuniciranje.

Projekt je rezultat sodelovanja Ministrstva za zunanje zadeve Združenih držav Amerike (U. S. Department of State) in Centra za evropsko prihodnost v partnerstvu z Ministrstvom za zunanje in evropske zadeve Republike Slovenije v okviru programa Razvojnega sodelovanja in humanitarne pomoči.

EDDE Capacity Building training in Chișinău (Moldova) Successfully Implemented

27. 6. 2024 | Development (ODA), European Digital Diplomacy Exchange, PR, Strategic Communication

Governmental communicators, digital diplomats, and other institutional representatives engaged in public outreach from the Republic of Moldova joined capacity-building activities of the EDDE training organised on the 24th and 25th of June 2024 in Chisinau (Moldova). The event supported the exchanges of good practices among participating government departments and ministries stakeholders and organised discussions with expert speakers in the field. The activities contributed to developing joint capacities for increased digital engagement and supporting societal resilience against the challenges of foreign-perpetrated disinformation.

With the advancement of technical opportunities such as social media and digital communication networks that support citizens to actively participate in the public sphere with equal opportunities, creating effective and engaging societal dialogue in policy-making is increasingly important within our societies. Governments are responsible for establishing successful communication networks with their citizens and, through active interaction, establish foundations for transparent information sharing, all contributing to inclusive and efficient policy development based on the needs of citizens. Interactive cooperation among the stakeholders also contributes to a higher degree of trust building in institutions, a foundation for democratic resilience and societal health that is essential in times of crisis (such as natural disasters and challenges) and everyday democratic processes. The expansion of opportunities for access to information has furthermore expanded the space for the proliferation of misinformation and disinformation narratives, a societal challenge that needs to be addressed through the cooperation of stakeholders from all spheres.

The implemented activities are supported and funded by the U.S. Department of State’s grant and implemented by the Centre for European Perspective, in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia, within the scope of Slovenia’s Development Cooperation.

The Mirage of Truth: Complexities and Challenges of Disinformation in the Western Balkans

27. 6. 2024 | PR, Regional cooperation, Strategic Communication, Strengthening Societal Resilience and Countering Foreign Perpetrated Disinformation in 6 Western Balkans Countries

Today, the Centre for European Perspective is launching a new publication, »The Mirage of Truth: Complexities and Challenges of Disinformation in the Western Balkans«, in the scope of the Strengthening Societal Resilience and Countering Foreign-Perpetrated Disinformation in 6 Western Balkan Countries project.

The publication is the last activity upon the conclusion of this project as of June 30th, 2024. It touches upon the following topics: governments’ capacities to tackle disinformation, legislative venues for counter-disinformation tactics, regulation of the digital space, adaptations to education curricula, and possibilities and limits to whole-of-society cooperation mechanisms.

Disinformation is about intent. More specifically, intent to manipulate. Information is not accidentally skewed; the context is not taken out of the equation by chance. The source of disinformation carefully tailors the product following its aims and targets. It is a long-term, coordinated action seeking to undermine another society’s values, cohesion and institutions. In other words, disinformation is not a phenomenon – it is a threat, and even more, a security threat. It is a direct manifestation of foreign interference in domestic affairs, and it should be treated as such. The easiest and most vulnerable targets of disinformation are countries still developing their democratic and economic capacities with a recent history of conflict, like the Western Balkans. Disinformation that targets this region is a threat to the idea of Europe and we must, and we will resist – together.

The publication does not pretend to offer answers or an overview of all the challenges each Western Balkan country is struggling with. However, it does encourage future researchers and practitioners to think about the issue more comprehensively and to consider how disinformation affects the entire societal ecosystem, from security and foreign policy to governance, media, and education. Moreover, it also urges calls for an expansion of the comparative perspectives for which, at this time, we lacked sufficient space.

We would like to thank the following authors for their contribution to the publication: Kristina Voko (BIRN Albania), Vuk Vučetić (University of East Sarajevo), Kreshnik Gashi (Kallxo.com and Birn Kosovo), Marko Banović (Digital Forensic Centre / Digitalni forenzički centar – DFC), Bardhyl Jashari (Metamorphosis Foundation) & Tijana Femić (Novi Sad School of Journalism).

As the project concludes, our commitment to this cause remains unwavering. We will continue our efforts in this area, recognizing that change is only possible with consistency. It would be a disservice to the four years of hard work not to carry it forward in other ways.

The Project Strengthening Societal Resilience and Countering Disinformation in the Western Balkans is funded by the National Endowment for Democracy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia through development cooperation funds.

Read the publication HERE.

Uspodabljanje Evropske izmenjava aktivnosti digitalne diplomacije v Moldaviji: Krepitev kompetenc vladnih komunikatorjev za nove izzive v digitalnem okolju

13. 6. 2024 | Development (ODA), European Digital Diplomacy Exchange, PR, Strategic Communication

V dobi hitrih tehnoloških sprememb in vseprisotnih globalnih dezinformacij so zanesljive in učinkovite komunikacijske strategije pomembnejše kot kadarkoli prej. Digitalne platforme imajo ključno vlogo pri širjenju informacij in oblikovanju percepcije, vladni komunikatorji pa se soočajo z izzivom, kako zagotoviti, da bodo njihova sporočila avtentična in zaupanja vredna v morju dezinformacij.

Da bi okrepili te veščine, Ameriško zunanje ministrstvo (U. S. State Departement) in Center za evropsko prihodnost (CEP) organizirata dvodnevni trening v Moldaviji, ki bo potekal 24. in 25. junija 2024 v Kišnjevu. Dogodek bo združil vladne komunikatorje iz različnih institucij z namenom izboljšanja veščin na področju digitalnih strateških komunikacij.

Tema treninga je »Izboljšanje digitalnih strateških komunikacij«, s poudarkom na opolnomočenju udeležencev z znanji kako se spopasti s kompleksnostmi digitalnega okolja. Vodilni strokovnjaki bodo predavali o analizi občinstva, in kako tehnike komunikacij prilagoditi različnim demografskim skupinam. Udeleženci bodo pridobili vpogled v integracijo vizualnih elementov, ki povečujejo učinkovitost sporočil, ob tem pa bodo sodelovali tudi v praktičnih aktivnostih, ki jim bodo omogočile implementacijo pridobljenih veščin v lastnih institucijah.

Projekt je rezultat sodelovanja med Ministrstvom za zunanje zadeve ZDA in Centrom za evropsko prihodnost v partnerstvu z Ministrstvom za zunanje in evropske zadeve Republike Slovenije v okviru programa Razvojnega sodelovanja in humanitarne pomoči.

Conclusion of the ‘Strengthening Societal Resilience and Countering Foreign Perpetrated Disinformation in the Western Balkans’ project

12. 4. 2024 | Development (ODA), PR, Regional cooperation, Strategic Communication, Strengthening Societal Resilience and Countering Foreign Perpetrated Disinformation in 6 Western Balkans Countries

The final act of the ‘Strengthening Societal Resilience and Countering Foreign Perpetrated Disinformation in the Western Balkans’ project unfolded as a comprehensive three-day regional training held online from April 9 to April 11, 2024. This event served as a platform for civil society, media, and government representatives from the six Western Balkan countries to collaborate on addressing and combating the extensive issue of disinformation in the region.

The conference began with an address by Ingrid Omahna (CEP), setting the stage for subsequent discussions. After that, on the first day, we had experts from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Global Engagement Centre (GEC) and European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO) with us. Craig Matasick (OECD) emphasised the importance of robust governance measures and institutional frameworks in safeguarding the information space’s integrity; Iva Nenadić (EDMO) talked about actionable insights for combating disinformation, and experts from GEC presented a Framework to Counter Foreign State Information Manipulation, new tool addressing the challenge of disinformation.

On the second day, the focus was on best practices to counter disinformation. The Elves, a Lithuanian civil society initiative, joined us, presenting the perspective of non-governmental organisations on disinformation. The governmental viewpoint was discussed by the Czech Centre against Hybrid Threats. The media’s perspective was discussed with Joscha Weber from Deutsche Welle. He highlighted the media’s role and the importance of responsible journalism in countering disinformation effectively. The program offered a comprehensive understanding of disinformation from diverse stakeholder perspectives. On the final day, they showcased case studies from Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia, addressing different aspects of disinformation. They revealed distinct challenges and strategies.

The group work sessions were a pivotal aspect of the training, providing attendees with the opportunity to engage in collaborative discussions and exchange ideas. These interactive sessions were not just about preparing national proposals to counter external disinformation but also about recognising the crucial role of each participant in this process.

Overall, the regional training was not just a platform for collaboration and knowledge sharing but also a source of empowerment. Led by leading experts in the field, it equipped participants with practical tools, methodologies, and best practices to address the multifaceted challenge of disinformation effectively.

The Project Strengthening Societal Resilience and Countering Disinformation in the Western Balkans is funded by the National Endowment for Democracy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia through development cooperation funds.