The Institute for Development and Social Initiatives (IDIS) "Viitorul" concluded on Tuesday, February 18, 2025, the activity of three hackathons, where over 20 young participants in the workshop on methods of identifying and countering disinformation created and presented over 20 infographics and videos aimed at countering Russian disinformation narratives in the Republic of Moldova. The hackathons, which took place on February 6, 11, and 18, 2025, were part of "Calling Out Disinformation and Misinformation in the Republic of Moldova," funded by NATO's Public Diplomacy Division and implemented from December 2024 to March 2025 by IDIS "Viitorul."

Carolina Ungureanu, Deputy Director of IDIS "Viitorul" and project manager, thanked the participants for their involvement and interest in disinformation, which has become increasingly topical lately. "In these three hackathons, we wanted to focus on getting you involved in promoting the right messages regarding vulnerable phenomena in our society. Citizens need to have various perspectives on certain phenomena to avoid being manipulated. The materials you produced will be analyzed by a team of experts from IDIS "Viitorul," and the most outstanding participants will be invited to an informational visit to NATO Headquarters in Brussels, which we plan to organize in March," said Carolina Ungureanu.

"Today, there is a growing need to combat the negative effects of information manipulation and promote a well-informed society. Media literacy and identifying sources that promote fake news are fundamental steps toward strengthening democracy and protecting genuine values. It is my generation's responsibility to contribute to a safer and more informed future," said Snejana Jitari, a participant.

"Lately, I have participated in several activities dedicated to disinformation, but I still feel the need to explore other aspects of this phenomenon. It is a problem affecting the Republic of Moldova, and this is where I see the support of the younger generation—contributing to the fight against disinformation," said participant Ruslan Graur.

"I participated in this project because I wanted to discover more and strengthen my knowledge about the current risks of misinformation in our region. I also plan to involve a group of 20 young people in the process of developing their skills and critical thinking so they can promote social media campaigns to combat misinformation," said Radu Sultan, a participant.

"Through my participation, I wanted to contribute to changing the perception of young Russian-speaking people about Moldova's partnership with NATO, debunking common myths circulating on this topic. I wanted to provide clear and objective information to help the public understand the benefits and realities of these partnerships. To reach the target audience, I produced materials in Russian," said Natalia Iasibas, a participant.

The project's first activity was organizing a practical workshop. Ion Tăbîrță, Executive Director of the NATO Information and Documentation Centre in the Republic of Moldova, spoke about Russia's online disinformation campaigns against Western countries, including the Republic of Moldova. At the same workshop, young people learned from Nina Bolocan how to create infographics and videos to counter Russian disinformation narratives.

The overall objective of the "Calling Out Disinformation and Misinformation in the Republic of Moldova" project is to support the effort to counter the threats of disinformation and manipulation from the Russian Federation targeting the Republic of Moldova. The specific objective of the project is to increase the capacity of young people, students, and opinion leaders in areas such as critical thinking, media literacy, analysis, and resistance to misinformation, as well as reflecting public-interest information in an unbiased way. It also aims to increase the resilience of Moldovan society regarding critical thinking, media literacy, and resistance to disinformation through awareness and visibility actions on social media, specifically tailored to call out Russian and its proxies' disinformation and misinformation campaigns.

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The "Calling out disinformation and misinformation in the Republic of Moldova" project, implemented by IDIS "Viitorul", is financially supported by the NATO's Public Diplomacy Division.

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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