From 6 to 8 December, the EYF visited the International Activity “Media and Information Literacy: Challenge for 21st Century Youth”, organised by the European Minority Youth Network - EMYN, supported by the European Youth Foundation as part of their 2022 Annual Work Plan.

The focus of the one-year project is to develop media and information literacy of minority youth workers and young journalists through the creation or improvement of fact-checking and information verification groups. The final aim is to develop participants’ work on combating intolerance and stereotyping and on promotion tolerance. Three regional seminars took place earlier in the year (in Lithuania, Belarus and Poland), in which participants acquired skills and competences in the field of media literacy and information verification, and created informal fact-checking groups in their countries whose work was carried out throughout 2022.

The activity visited in Tallinn (Estonia) is the final phase of the work plan: a 5-day meeting of the representatives of these fact-checking groups to exchange experience, acquire advanced skills, and create a network of fact-checking groups.

The European Minority Youth Network was initiated during the first long-term training course “Participation and Citizenship” on empowerment of minority youth leaders in Europe, organised by the Council of Europe’s Youth Directorate in Budapest and Strasbourg in 1997. The members of EMYN are organisations working on minorities issues: mainly integration and participation in society, recognition and acceptance of cultural and social identity, equal opportunities and access to education, employment and other social rights, combating discrimination and racism, gender equality and women participation.

Participants shared with us their thoughts on this activity:

“I am a journalist from Belarus. It was important to come here: we have a very difficult situation in Belarus, with propaganda from the State and no freedom of speech. So it is important for me to know how to recognize fake information, learn new tools and to listen of experience of other people in this field. And it also allows me to explain propaganda to my co-citizens and fight it, in order to promote democracy in my country”. (participant from Belarus)

“In the Republic of Moldova these subjects are very relevant now, especially due to the ongoing war in Ukraine. Right now it looks like there are two different parties: one believing in what it is happening and one believing the Russian propaganda. I am a social activist for young people and it is important for young people in the Republic of Moldova to know how to recognize and deal with fake news. Coming to Estonia was also an opportunity to learn good examples and practices.” (participant from the Republic of Moldova)