Agenda

Day 0
12.11 (Tuesday)

19:00 - 22:00

Meet & Greet

Day 1
13.11 (Wednesday)

8:30-9:00

Welcome Coffee

9:15-9:45

MEGAPHONE 2024 Opening

9:45-10:00

From Survival to Solidarity: Empowering Community Actions and Exchange in Times of Crisis

Katerina Sergatskova (Daily Humanity)

The keynote will explore the power of shared experiences and lessons learned in the face of adversity. Drawing from personal stories of resilience and proactive action in life-threatening situations, Katerina will engage civil society actors in a conversation about addressing unmet needs, overcoming fear, and fostering unity through collective learning.

10:00-12:00

Role of Mobilization Campaigning: Why and How it Worked in Poland?

Paweł Marczewski (Batory Foundation) Wiktoria Jędroszkowiak  (WSCHÓD)

The workshop will provide insights into crucial civic mobilizations in Poland in years 2015-2023. What were key issues and which new types of civic self-organization were created in response to pressure from the government and increasingly hostile environment for spontaneous self-organization? How did new social networks created by civic actors contribute to electoral victory of the opposition and what are the prospects for the future?

Inspired by the "We Have Been Silent Already" campaign, we’ll explore building powerful narratives focused on women, minorities and youth. As a movement led by women, Wschód brings “hope in the darkness,” amplifying voices often unheard. That approach moves beyond typical slogans to address real crises, using new language and strategies to engage voters. Together we'll learn how to create campaigns that mobilize communities, advocating for a fair, green, and inclusive communities.

Getting in the Habit of Listening: Connecting with Your Audiences

Hajrudin Solak

Join us in exploring the first step of any good and impactful activity and the fundamentals of strategic communication – listening. During this session we will learn about examples of how listening to your audiences can immensely improve the quality of your intervention, explore and try information-gathering and listening techniques, and take part in activities emphasizing active listening skills. The session aims to provide ideas, ready-to-use tools, and solutions on how to engage with target groups effectively, as well as how to utilize deeper insights gathered by listening to truly respond to the needs of our audiences through informed actions and initiatives.

Resilience: a New Lifestyle Concept or a Vaccine Against the Crisis?

Marta Puciłowska-Schielmann (Instytut Cyfrowego Obywatelstwa)

Is education (formal and non-formal) capable of supporting young people’s resilience and well-being in times of misinformation, instability, limited attention span and general information noise? What does it really mean to be resilient and does it equal being immune to crisis, difficulties and stress of everyday life, disinformation included?  We will reach out for existing educational methods and frameworks and see how to use them in order to introduce new approaches into our everyday teaching routine to feed the resilience on a daily basis. 

12:00-12:30

Coffee Break

12:30-14:00

From Conflict to Connection: How to Talk About Climate Change

Zuza Fialová (Climate Coalition Slovakia)

We often believe that combating climate disinformation involves presenting facts, persuading, and winning arguments. Yet, this approach rarely works. People don’t fall for misinformation simply due to a lack of facts — deeper reasons are at play. In this interactive session, we will explore ways to address climate disinformation and craft conversations that foster real understanding and open dialogue.

Session description will appear here soon!

Depolarization: Talking With People Who Have ‘Strange’ Views

Lukáš Zorád (Partners for Democratic Change Slovakia)

Groups and communities that have (often seemingly) different values may often struggle to find consensus on the most fundamental issues. What’s more, it is extremely difficult to organize and conduct dialogue in groups that are opposed to each other; both, bringing them together and then overcoming feelings of injustice and misunderstanding. Yet it is a vital step on the road to building  trust on an individual and societal level. In order to take that first step, it is necessary to practice dialogue and be ready to meet and work with people whose values are different from ours. 

In this practical session, we will reflect on our inner resistance that prevents us from engaging with people with opposing values and how to prepare for a dialogue with “them”. 

14:00-15:00

Lunch

15:00-15:30

Self-Care Strategies to Strengthen Emotional Resilience

Ieva Morica (DOTS Foundation for an Open Society)

The session is designed specifically for civil society activists and aims to provide practical tools and ideas to help maintain health and well-being in both personal and professional life. 

Activists often face immense challenges such as work overload, limited resources, and the emotional toll of their mission-driven work. This session will explore diverse self-care strategies, offering the chance to reflect and commit to incorporating these practices into your daily or weekly routine. Join the session to learn how to stay resilient and energized while pursuing your work!

From Confusion to Clarity: Empowering CSOs with Real Data Insights

Tomáš Kriššák (Gerulata Technologies)

In this presentation, Tomáš Kriššák from Gerulata Technologies, will explore how Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) can leverage data-driven tools to navigate today’s complex information landscape. The session will highlight innovative strategies for transforming raw data into actionable insights, empowering CSOs to make informed decisions and amplify their impact in tackling misinformation and information crises.

Self-Organized Space

During this session we encourage you, MEGAPHONE participants, to organize your time you see fit. Want to use this time to meet with others? Work on your own? Showcase your project or discuss possible cooperation and lack time to do that during breaks? Self-organize!

15:30-17:00

(Dis)engagement of Men from Civil Society

Stipe Nogalo (Status M)

What's up with the men? This session explores the troubling trend of men's disengagement from civic activism and their vulnerability to extremist groups. We will examine the factors contributing to this disenfranchisement, highlighting how these groups exploit feelings of alienation. By analyzing the reasons behind men's participation in right-wing movements instead of engaging in civil society, we aim to identify effective strategies for fostering their involvement in constructive civic activities. Additionally, we will reflect on whether our current efforts are addressing the symptoms of this issue rather than its root causes, fostering a critical discussion aimed at reversing this trend and creating a more inclusive and active civic landscape for all.

Increased Attacks on CSOs: Strategies to Protect Your Organization and Cause

Mariam Kvaratskhelia (Queer Initiative) Saba Brachveli (Civil Society Foundation)

In times of increasing democratic backsliding and rising authoritarianism, civil society faces significant challenges and uncertainties threatening its sustainability and impact. This workshop will equip civil society leaders, activists, and practitioners with the knowledge and tools to build resilience in adversity and protect your organizations and causes. Through practical exercises, theoretical insights, and case studies from Georgia, the session leaders will guide you in developing strategies for organizational resilience, effective advocacy, and long-term sustainability.

From Reactive to Ready: Exploring Partnerships & Pilot Project Ideas

Dr. Maja Nenadovic

This session provides a dedicated space for attendees to connect, explore partnership opportunities, and brainstorm innovative pilot project ideas to address various challenges within the polycrisis landscape. This unique small grant opportunity is exclusively available to MEGAPHONE attendees, and we hope some of you will form international teams eager to launch impactful actions, initiatives, and campaigns—moving from reactive responses to readiness.

17:00-19:00

Free Time

19:00-22:00

Dinner

Day 2
14.11 (Thursday)

9:00-9:30

Morning Coffee

9:30-9:45

Opening Day 2

9:45-10:45

Harnessing AI and Chatbots to Combat Disinformation: Strategies for Engagement and Innovation

Ximena Villagran (Maldita.es Foundation)

In this workshop, you'll learn how to design participation strategies and innovative products to combat disinformation, leveraging the power of Artificial Intelligence and chatbots. We’ll explore how Maldita.es uses semi-automated chatbots and AI on messaging platforms to fight disinformation, streamline fact-checkers' workflows, and enhance services for citizens. Together, we'll develop a quick, actionable strategy tailored to participants’ contexts, discovering AI-driven solutions that can be adapted to their specific needs in the fight against misinformation (even if you’re not a countering disinfo expert!).

During this session we will explore how nonprofits can use AI in communications and marketing. You will get an overview of AI use cases on how to generate engaging content, create high-quality graphics, summarize long documents into key takeaways, plan and create your social media campaign with AI. 

Several tools for generating visual content and video will be presented, showing the pros and cons of using them for content creation. 

We will talk about the ethical challenges of generating visual and video content, including issues of intellectual property and responsibility for the material created.

Leveraging AI for Nonprofit Operations

Maria Makowska (TechSoup)

During this session we’ll learn how to streamline and enhance daily operations in your organization thanks to AI. We will guide you on how to leverage AI tools to analyze datasets, how to improve the grant writing process, boost the report creation process. We will explore AI applications that can handle tasks such as scheduling meetings, email management, data entry, and more, enhancing your nonprofit's operational efficiency.

10:45-11:00

Short Coffee Break

11:00-12:00

Harnessing AI and Chatbots to Combat Disinformation: Strategies for Engagement and Innovation (Re-run)

Ximena Villagran (Maldita.es Foundation)

In this workshop, you'll learn how to design participation strategies and innovative products to combat disinformation, leveraging the power of Artificial Intelligence and chatbots. We’ll explore how Maldita.es uses semi-automated chatbots and AI on messaging platforms to fight disinformation, streamline fact-checkers' workflows, and enhance services for citizens. Together, we'll develop a quick, actionable strategy tailored to participants’ contexts, discovering AI-driven solutions that can be adapted to their specific needs in the fight against misinformation (even if you’re not a countering disinfo expert!).

AI in Content Creation (Re-run)

Magdalena Pieńkowska (TechSoup Polska)

During this session we will explore how nonprofits can use AI in communications and marketing. You will get an overview of AI use cases on how to generate engaging content, create high-quality graphics, summarize long documents into key takeaways, plan and create your social media campaign with AI. 

Several tools for generating visual content and video will be presented, showing the pros and cons of using them for content creation. 

We will talk about the ethical challenges of generating visual and video content, including issues of intellectual property and responsibility for the material created.

Leveraging AI for Nonprofit Operations (Re-run)

Maria Makowska (TechSoup)

During this session we’ll learn how to streamline and enhance daily operations in your organization thanks to AI. We will guide you on how to leverage AI tools to analyze datasets, how to improve the grant writing process, boost the report creation process. We will explore AI applications that can handle tasks such as scheduling meetings, email management, data entry, and more, enhancing your nonprofit's operational efficiency.

12:00-13:00

Lunch

13:00-13:40

Our Relationship With Time: Making Space for What Matters in a Truly Busy World

Ieva Morica (DOTS Foundation for an Open Society)

In a world that constantly demands our time, how can we find space for what truly matters? During this session we will explore our perception of time — both as a resource and as a personal choice. We will discuss how reframing time and our relationships with time can help us prioritize self-care, well-being, and meaningful connections, even when schedules seem full. Through a brief presentation, exercise and self-reflection, together we will learn applicable strategies for integrating purposeful breaks, managing energy, and making confident decisions on what to prioritize.

How AI Can Help You Manage Online Comments in the Age of Hate

Tomáš Halász (TrollWall AI)

Learn about the psychological principles, tactical approaches, and innovative tools that can help you navigate the challenges of online comments. 

Tomáš will draw from his work with NGOs and political campaigns to offer strategies for handling comments efficiently, regardless of team size.

See why organizations such as Greenpeace and Amnesty International trust TrollWall AI in our live demo.

Self-Organized Space

During this session we encourage you, MEGAPHONE participants, to organize your time you see fit. Want to use this time to meet with others? Work on your own? Showcase your project or discuss possible cooperation and lack time to do that during breaks? Self-organize!

13:40-15:40

Viral for a Cause: Activism Meets Influence

Vero Melua (ForSet)

These days, social media is like the fast food of our media diets—quick, addictive, but not exactly nutritious.

It’s time to upgrade the menu! In this session, we’ll cover:

- How to inspire content creators to jump off the meme train and onto the activism bandwagon, creating content that actually makes a difference.

- How to wield the power of social media for our causes—and hey, maybe even become the next viral sensation for something meaningful!

Creating Healthy Activism Spaces

Anna Kuliberda (HumansNotRobots)

We often hear about toxic work cultures and the burnout they cause, especially for activists. But conversations tend to stop at condemning issues like stress and abuse without offering much on how to change things. In this workshop, we'll shift the focus inward and explore what we can do to break these harmful patterns and create a space where emotional maturity benefits everyone in the organization. Rather than just pointing out what’s wrong, we’ll dive into what we need to unlearn, practical steps to take, and how both leaders and team members can build an environment that supports the mission without burning people out.

Crisis Comms for the Stormiest of Times

Rowan Kerek Robertson

Are you and your organization prepared for when things go wrong on social media? Are you dealing with online attacks, disinformation targeting your organization, or online comms emergencies?

Have you got a good crisis communications plan?

Has your organization articulated its approach to balancing freedom of speech with the need to prevent online abuse?

Have the people working for your organization been instructed on how best to protect themselves from online abuse? How to do a privacy checkup?

If your answer is “NO” to any of these questions, this will be a vital session for you!

In it, we will go through a self-assessment process to ascertain where weaknesses are for both your organization and the people working for it. You will be guided in ways that you can protect and prepare both your organization and your team from future online harms and social media emergencies.

15:40-16:10

Closing & Good Byes

16:10-18:00

Free Time

18:00-19:00

Guided Tour of the Farewell Evening Venue

19:00-00:00

Farewell Evening

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