Let’s vote training course in Slovenia

Last week, from the 27/02 to the 05/03, was the Erasmus+ training course “Let’s Vote” in Brežice, Slovenia, and it was incredible !

The trainers organised a whirlwind of learning, sharing ideas, and sparking meaningful conversations about the power of civic engagement for participants coming from Spain, France, Portugal and Slovenia. From workshops to debates, we dove deep into understanding the importance of our voices in shaping our communities.

We feel inspired and empowered to make a difference!

Huge thanks to everyone involved for making it such a memorable experience.

Let’s keep the momentum going!

Here is what participants had to say about it:

MARKO:

Initially hesitant about joining the Erasmus+ training course on voting, I’ve found it remarkably eye-opening and invigorating. From the start, it promised to be an exhausting yet rewarding journey into interactive learning, emphasizing civic engagement and voting’s importance. The exceptional team of instructors played a pivotal role, guiding and pushing us to our fullest potential despite the course’s demands. Their infectious passion fuelled our enthusiasm for active citizenship. Heated discussions encouraged diverse perspectives, fostering learning and growth. Amidst the seriousness, the board game “The Choice” stood out as a brilliant simulation of real-life decision-making, illustrating voting’s power and responsibility. Equipped with newfound knowledge and skills, I feel empowered to educate young people about their civic choices, ready to be a catalyst for change in my community and beyond.

TEO

“Let’s vote!”

The place that changed my view on the politics of everyday life, my view on the importance of knowing the systems you’re a part of and the enjoyment of a civil debate with people from different cultures. Loved it!

PAULINE

I participated in Let’s vote workshop and I learned much more that I expected.

I discovered very interesting tools to brainstorm with youngsters, to make them connect with their own civic engagement and start to do actions in their local community.

We played 2 times the game “The Choice” and it made me realized how big can be our impact in society if we are involved.

Ana

I really loved participating in this project. I learned new technics and concepts and met really interesting and lovely people. Congratulations on the organization and facilitating. Can wait to spread the word in Portugal!

Beyond Fake News

Fake news is an umbrella term to define a broader array of information disorders, ranging from:

  • Disinformation (information that is false and created with the intention to harm people and societies),
  • Misinformation (information that is misleading or false, but the people who share it do not realize this and do not mean harm),
  • Honest journalistic mistakes.

Through their effects, fake news and information disorders are a threat to democracy and to efficient governance. Fake news can influence opinions, can alter the organic processes of public opinion formation, and ultimately, can shape behaviours, from voting, to taking a stance on different public issues.

Ultimately, fake news promotes toxic narratives, spreads doubt and confusion, and increases social polarisation, affecting democratic decision-making. Fake news can be a tool for populism, antisemitism, xenophobia and other extreme political views. Nevertheless, one of the response measures is inoculating the audience against this phenomenon, by encouraging critical thinking, fact-checking, and by developing media literacy interventions.

The work needed to effectively filter information in our media-saturated environment takes time and skill. A study showed that the more content we consume, the more our ability to make decisions about its veracity becomes impaired.

With 80% of Europeans now regularly going online, it is vital for the sustainable and effective functioning of democracy for citizens to be able to curate their media diets with a healthy critical eye. The infographic created by ‘Beyond Fake News’ identifies the 10 types of potentially misleading news. It was created to be used in class with real-world examples to spark classroom debate and reflection on the ways that media is constructed.

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