Responsive and Resilient Institute Bob

The action addresses the increasingly frequent disinformation, hate speech, and attempts to discredit civil society organizations in the digital space. Based on concrete experience of online attacks and the spread of false information about our work, we aim to strengthen the resilience of Zavod BOB and ensure that such pressures do not jeopardize our mission, work with young people, and public trust.
Within the action, we will establish a system for crisis communication and responding to disinformation, strengthen the knowledge of staff and volunteers, and obtain expert support in the fields of communication, law, and digital security. Through a communication campaign, we will present to the public the importance of youth work, the organization’s values, and the contribution of non-governmental organizations to a democratic, inclusive, and solidaristic society. At the same time, we will connect with other civil society organizations in protecting democratic values and responding to hate speech. 
The action is intended primarily for young people who follow and co-create our programmes, the employees and volunteers of Zavod BOB, and the wider public. Through it, we aim to increase the organization’s readiness for communication, legal, and digital challenges, maintain the trust of young
people and the public, and contribute to a more resilient civil society and a safer space for democratic action.

The main purpose of the action is therefore to improve the organisation’s preparedness for crisis situations and to develop a systematic and feasible crisis communication structure. We aim to establish clear response mechanisms, a communication strategy, and supporting processes that will enable us to respond more quickly, consistently, and professionally to digital attacks, disinformation, and hate speech.

This action is based on the recognition that the digital space is increasingly becoming a key arena for public engagement, where civil society organisations often face disinformation, pressure, and attempts to discredit them without having adequate systemic tools to respond. Failure to respond appropriately to such attacks can lead to a loss of trust, reduced reach of activities, and withdrawal from the public sphere.

Through this action, we therefore aim to strengthen the organisation’s resilience, confidence, and internal capacities, reduce its vulnerability in the digital space, and maintain and restore trust among young people and the wider public when it has been undermined. In doing so, we aim to create conditions that will allow us to focus more on our substantive work and the development of programmes for young people, contribute to an inclusive and safe youth sector, strengthen civil society’s resilience to pressure and attempts at discrediting, and protect the space for democratic, inclusive, and safe action by civil society organisations.

The organisation has established a system for effective crisis communication and for responding to disinformation, hate speech, and online attacks, and has improved its preparedness for communication, legal, and digital risks. To this end, at least 1 crisis communication mechanism will be developed, including an internal response protocol with defined security measures and concrete examples in the areas of communication, legal protection, and digital risks.

The competencies of employees and volunteers in advocating for democratic values and responding to disinformation and attacks in the public sphere will be strengthened. A training programme (3) will be implemented, with participation documented through attendance lists. Entry and exit assessment questionnaires will also be conducted to assess the increased competencies of staff, and a mentoring report will be prepared.

Trust in the organisation’s work, as well as its visibility and legitimacy in the public sphere, will be maintained. To this end, an online campaign with at least 12 posts will be implemented. The results will be documented through links to the posts, reach statistics, and analytics on engagement with the posts, including likes, shares, comments, etc.

The organisation will strengthen its cooperation with other civil society actors in protecting democratic values and responding to hate speech and disinformation. 1 report on activities carried out in cooperation with other civil society actors will be prepared, together with links to shared civil society initiatives online and affidavit statements regarding consultations.