FUJO Ireland is part of a new European initiative, ChangingTIDE, aimed at strengthening societal resilience to disinformation by training young adults in media literacy and policy engagement. The project officially launches on 6 March under the leadership of the Trans European Policy Studies Association (TEPSA). Other partners include the Austrian Society for European Politics (ÖGFE), the Austrian Institute for International Affairs (OIIP), the Institute for Development and International Relations (IRMO), the Portuguese Institute of International Relations (IPRI-NOVA), and the International Centre for Defence and Security (ICDS).
ChangingTIDE aims to strengthen citizens’ resilience in the face of disinformation, information manipulation, and foreign interference by promoting media literacy and empowering young people to engage in democratic processes. Placing youth at the centre of its approach, the project combines participatory learning, peer exchange and the co-creation awareness-raising campaigns with expert-driven capacity building, and structured dialogue with policy-makers at the local, national and EU levels.
Implemented across 6 EU Member States, ChangingTIDE will bring together diverse stakeholders through a series of national and transnational activities, such as workshops, trainings, Town Halls, and a Changemakers programme, designed to give young citizens a platform to express their opinions and raise awareness about disinformation. These activities will foster cross-border exchange and support the development of a Media Literacy Toolkit addressing contemporary disinformation challenges.
TEPSA’s Executive Director, Mariam Khotenashvili, commented: “ChangingTIDE seeks to equip citizens, especially young people, with the skills, confidence and spaces needed to critically navigate today’s complex media environment, combat disinformation and foreign interference, and act as multipliers within their communities, strengthening European democratic resilience at a time of growing geopolitical uncertainties."
DCU FuJo's participation is led by Dr Eileen Culloty who said "this will be an exciting opportunity to engage young adults (18-30) from different sectors with the knowledge and skills in media literacy, campaigning, and policy. We will work closely with Media Literacy Ireland to roll it out in Ireland following the model of training community leaders to deliver media literacy to their own sectors and communities"
