The Institute for Development and Social Initiatives "Viitorul" (IDIS) organized a study visit to Belgium and the Netherlands from October 6-10, 2025, for five young people, who made 23 videos, through which they addressed the phenomenon of disinformation in the context of the parliamentary elections that took place on September 28, 2025, in the Republic of Moldova. The goal of the study visit was to learn about good practices in combating disinformation and promoting media literacy, as part of efforts to strengthen the resilience of the information society in the Republic of Moldova.

The activity was conducted within the "Strengthening society's resilience against disinformation during the 2025 parliamentary elections in the Republic of Moldova" project, implemented by IDIS "Viitorul", with the financial support of the European Union (EU) within the regional project "ProElect - Promote accountability in Electoral processes in EaP through increased participation and capacity of civic actors", a regional project run by the Transatlantic Foundation in partnership with IREX Europe (doing business as Equal Rights and Independent Media - ERIM).

Over the five days, the youth team visited Mediawijs (https://www.mediawijs.be/en ), a thriving Brussels-based center for media education. Here, participants learned how digital education and critical thinking are integrated into the school curriculum through interactive materials, games, and workshops for young people and teachers, which could be adapted in the Republic of Moldova by taking over existing materials and developing a national center for media literacy, in partnership with the Ministry of Education, to provide similar training and pedagogical resources.

Also in Brussels, young people visited Lie Detectors (https://www.lie-detectors.org ), a remarkable example of collaboration between professional journalists and teachers, aimed at building fake news recognition skills from school onwards. The practice could be replicated in the Republic of Moldova by creating a network of journalist trainers, who would hold lessons in high schools and universities, with the support of independent media organizations, during optional media education classes.

At the Netherlands Institute for Sound and Image in Hilversum (https://www.beeldengeluid.nl/en/about), the team led by IDIS "Viitorul" became familiar with how audiovisual archives and media heritage are used in educational projects and awareness campaigns on disinformation. In the Republic of Moldova, public institutions and NGOs could capitalize on existing media collections to create visual campaigns and educational exhibitions dedicated to media memory and the role of accurate information in society.

"Following the visits, I reflected on the international and local information space. I understood that to start a change related to "media literacy" in the long term, we must start at a young age, to ensure that future generations will critically consume content from the online environment. Certainly, the dose of inspiration I took from this visit will take root through my continued involvement in civil society," said Radu Soltan, content creator, participant in the study visit.

"This experience was a valuable one. In Belgium and the Netherlands, I better understood how media institutions and civil society collaborate to prevent the spread of false information. I was impressed by the responsibility with which journalists verify sources and by the way the public is educated to think critically. I return home with the desire to apply these good practices in the Republic of Moldova," says Natalia Vacaru-Iasibaș, content creator, participant in the study visit.

"The visit gave us insight into how established democracies manage disinformation during election periods. We had the opportunity to talk to experts, journalists, and activists who showed us how important media education is for an informed electorate. The experience motivated me to contribute to creating a safer and more transparent information space at home," said Mihail Nesteriuc, content creator and participant of the study visit.

"In the West, actors involved in combating disinformation place the main emphasis on education from the earliest ages. This fact reflects both the level of education and culture of those societies and their greater distance from the main sources and promoters of disinformation. For the Republic of Moldova, this experience shows that investing in media education is the safest form of democratic resilience in a long term perspective, said Mihai Țurcanu, coordinator of the study visit from IDIS "Viitorul".

IDIS "Viitorul" broadcast 23 video materials between June and September to combat disinformation on specific topics related to the parliamentary elections held on September 28, 2025, in the Republic of Moldova. The videos have been createdby the young people who went on a study visit to Belgium and the Netherlands. The 23 video materials were published on the IDIS "Viitorul" website, but also disseminated on the social networks managed by IDIS "Viitorul": viitorul.org, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Telegram, Linkedin, TikTok.

The project aimed to contribute, in the context of the parliamentary elections, to reversing the current harmful trend of Russian propaganda and disinformation, which is taking control of the public discourse in the Republic of Moldova with relatively small investments and despite all the tangible advantages that Moldova has, and has had, in its relationship with the EU.

This press release has been produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the project ”Strengthen societal resilience against disinformation during the 2025 parliamentary elections in Moldova”, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

The project entitled ”Strengthen societal resilience against disinformation during the 2025 parliamentary elections in Moldova” is being carried out between June and December 2025 and is implemented by IDIS "Viitorul," with the financial support of the European Union (EU) within the regional project “ProElect - Promote accountability in Electoral processes in EaP through increased participation and capacity of civic actors” is a regional project run by the Transatlantic Foundation in partnership with IREX Europe (doing business as Equal Rights and Independent Media - ERIM).

IDIS “Viitorul” is an independent think tank established in 1993 that combines social, political and economic research with strong advocacy components. The institution conducts applied monitoring research in several areas: economics, social policy, EU policies, regional development, and security and foreign policy risks.

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