We strengthen media literacy and emotional intelligence, helping young people recognize and resist emotionally charged disinformation
Milena Mićović-Trajković and Nevena Novaković, representatives of the Center for Democracy Foundation (FCD), participated on April 22, 2026, in Wroclaw, Poland, in the international partner meeting of the European project DEEP (Unveiling deep stories and boosting emotional intelligence to empower citizens against disinformation).
The meeting brought together experts and civil society representatives from six European countries (Poland, Bulgaria, Germany, Lithuania, Romania, and Serbia) to define the next steps in developing a methodology that links media literacy and emotional intelligence to combat disinformation.
The event focused on analyzing research findings on so-called “deep stories” that frequently manipulate citizens’ emotions, with a particular emphasis on young people aged 18 to 25. The FCD representatives actively contributed to the co-creation sessions for upcoming workshops, sharing specific experiences and challenges faced by youth in Serbia and the Western Balkans region.
In addition to mapping key narratives, the meeting addressed the design of future educational tools aimed at helping youth workers and citizens recognize when feelings like fear or insecurity are being instrumentalized to spread fake news.
Through its participation in this event, the Center for Democracy Foundation continues to actively contribute to building a more resilient democratic society, empowering critical thinking among youth, and strengthening regional and European cooperation in countering modern media manipulation.
The DEEP project is implemented by a consortium of seven partner organizations and one associate partner from six European countries: ASM Research Solutions Strategy DOO, Poland (Project Coordinator); Partners: Center for Democracy Foundation (CDF), Serbia; University of Wroclaw, Poland; Center for the Study of Democracy, Bulgaria; Group of the European Youth for Change (Asociatia GEYC), Romania; Mano Europa Association, Lithuania; and Berghof Foundation Operations gGmbH, Germany. The Associate Partner is the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Bulgaria.
The project is funded by the European Union under the “Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values” Programme (CERV).
Center for Democracy Foundation
