Abstract: 

Development of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and the rise of online media brought a plethora of new tools for democracy activists worldwide. At the same time, however, such developments produced phenomena like clickbaits and false information, which have flooded the public spheres in established and emerging democracies alike. The rapidly changing media environment that follows the fast trends of digitalisation is disproportional with the level of media literacy even in the developed world. In transition countries like the Western Balkans, the gap between media development and media literacy is even wider. The high internet penetration in the region, which is at around 75%, represents solid grounds for societies to circumvent censorship and the increasing control of the governments over the media. At the same time, however, this makes the societies of the Western Balkans prone to orchestrated disinformation campaigns and propaganda. This panel will tackle the topic of hybrid threats to democracy by discussing the extent to which such threats are present in the Western Balkans, whilst outlining the efforts made by journalists, activists and professionals in the region to keep the effects of such phenomena under control.

Objectives of the session:

• Explore what EU institutions are doing in regard to disinformation and propaganda in the Western Balkans;
• Explore how disinformation and propaganda can have outmost effects in rigid environments characterised by high inter-ethnic tensions;
• Explore the hybrid threats to democracy from the journalists’ point of view – how disinformation and propaganda functions, from the manipulation of photographs and multimedia to the usage of disinformation for financial gain as well as variety of initiatives that can be taken in order to counter-balance the effect of such disinformation;
• Analyse symbiosis between technology and information.

Moderator: TBC

Panel composition:

Maciej Popowski, European Commission

Mr Maciej Popowski is the Deputy Director-General in the Directorate General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations of the European Commission. Mr. Popowski is a Polish diplomat with 25 years of professional experience. He was director for EU affairs at the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the time of Poland’s accession negotiations. In 2001-2008 he was Deputy Head of the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Poland to the European Union. In 2003- 2008 he was Poland’s first permanent representative in the EU’s Political and Security Committee. He then joined the European Commission as Director in DG Development focusing on policy coherence, aid effectiveness and relations with other donors and public information. In 2009 he was seconded from the European Commission to become head of cabinet of Jerzy Buzek, President of the European Parliament. From 2011 until 2015 he was Deputy Secretary-General of the European External Action Service.

Jovana Radosavljević, New Social Initiative

Ms Jovana Radosavljević is a co-founder and Executive Director of the New Social Initiative, a CSO based in North Mitrovica (Kosovo). She is a member of the Preparatory Team for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Kosovo. Jovana is an alumnus of the USAID’s Transformational Leadership Scholarship and Partnership Program and holds an MA degree in International Studies from Joseph Korbel School of International Studies, University of Denver, with specializations in conflict resolution and international development, as well as a BA degree from the Faculty of Political Science, University of Belgrade.

Đorđe Krivokapić, Share Foundation

Dr Đorđe Krivokapić is the co-founder of SHARE Foundation in Belgrade, where he established an interdisciplinary research and advocacy team fighting for the public interest in every critical battle affecting digital rights, particularly in the areas of privacy, free speech, security and open access to knowledge. He also serves as Assistant Professor at the Business Systems Organization Department of the Faculty of Organizational Sciences, University of Belgrade. After graduating from the Faculty of Law the University of Belgrade, in 2006, Đorđe enrolled to the University of Pittsburgh Law School, graduating as LL.M. in International Commercial Law. During 2010 and 2012, he cooperated with the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University as a visiting researcher. In 2016, he defended doctoral thesis on the topic Reputation, Internet & Conflict of Laws at the Faculty of Law, University of Belgrade.

Roden Hoxha, Albanian Centre for Quality Journalism

Mr Roden Hoxha is the Executive Director of the Albanian Center for Quality Journalism, a national NGO tackling issues of journalism in post legacy media era, training of young professionals and students in innovative journalism methods and striving to advance democratic processes in the country. Prior to his engagement with the ACQJ, Roden was a Legal Officer at the Albanian State Solicitors Office and the Permanent Representative of the Albanian Government Agent to the European Court of Human Rights, in Strasbourg, France. He is a frequent contributor to the works of the Albanian Media Institute and associated media organisations, and a Human Rights, Constitutional and Public Law lecturer at the University of New York Tirana. 

Timeframe and Format:
Each panellist will have a maximum 10-minute presentation. Following the initial presentations, the floor will be open for questions and comments by participants. All such comments should be limited to 2 minutes, and the moderator will collect 3-4 comments and questions from the audience before giving the floor back to the panellists. The panellists should confine their additional response to a maximum of 5 minutes after each round of questions. The panellists will then have additional 5 minutes each to conclude the panel.

Language: English

Where? When? BLUE room, Civil Society Forum, July 4th, 10.00 – 12.00