Disinformation Radar for the Balkans selected for prestigious Paris Peace Forum Scale-Up Program

Metamorphosis Foundation’s project Disinformation Radar for the Balkans, a pioneering regional initiative addressing disinformation as a cyber threat to peace, democracy, and EU values, has been selected as one of ten global projects for the Paris Peace Forum’s esteemed Scale-up Program (SCUP) in 2025-2026.

Announced during the Forum’s eight edition, this recognition highlights Metamorphosis’ vital role in building resilience to harmful effects of antidemocratic effects of disinformation and other forms of information threats – a foundation for addressing the global challenges of building peace, democracy and prosperity, as part of the priority theme “New Coalitions for Peace, People and the Planet.”

The Metamorphosis project was one of ten awarded with participation in the Scale-Up Program (SCUP), which were selected among the 30 innovative projects selected as finalists from the 2025 Call for Solutions. Chosen among 328 applications from over 80 countries, these initiatives reflect the creativity and determination of global changemakers working to tackle today’s most pressing challenges.

The 2025 Paris Peace Forum took place at the Palais de Chaillot on 29-30 October 2025 gathering leaders from government, international organizations, business, civil society, and academia, representing both the Global North and the Global South. They took the stage to debate and advance solutions to today’s most pressing challenges.

“Disinfo Radar” is an early warning system (pre-bunk) that anticipates sensitive moments which may trigger harmful narratives that create ethnic tensions and polarization in society, and then shares them with the media, civil society, educators, and institutions through applicable analyses and short key talking points, with the aim of informing in advance — before manipulative information content is created and spreads. The solution combines human expertise and local knowledge with AI-supported analysis and monitoring, based on a regional database of narratives and actors published in the monthly brief “ Desinfo Radar: Watch and Warn.”

“The Disinfo Radar” emerged from the work of the regional project Western Balkans Anti-Disinformation Hub (Facebook, X), supported by the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

Presentation within the Space for Solutions

The Paris Peace Forum lasted two days, hosting over 4,000 participants, including 15 heads of state and government, and inspiring voices from around the world. On October 29, within the Space for Solutions of the Paris Peace Forum, Metamorphosis Foundation was visited by President of the Republic of North Macedonia, Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, together with the Ambassador of the Republic of North Macedonia to the Republic of France, Igor Nikolov.

During the visit by Secretary General of INTERPOL, Valdecy Urquiza, he noted that the issue of disinformation is a growing problem for all INTERPOL member states, as it hinders the work of law enforcement agencies, which makes the work of the Foundation even more relevant in the digital sphere.

The French Minister Delegate for European Affairs, Benjamin Haddad, also visited the Metamorphosis Foundation on 29 October. He stressed that countering disinformation is of crucial importance for the region of Western Balkans and the processes of integration into the European Union (EU). He also noted that the crucial importance of the work of Metamorphosis and other civic organizations which build resilience to disinformation, as the goal of disinformation narratives is to undermine the development of democracy and the European integration of the countries in the region. He reiterated the commitment of France and the EU to the integration of the whole region, which is reflected through the ongoing activities of the Berlin Process.

Inclusion in the Scale-Up Program (SCUP)

Тhe presentation at the Paris Peace Forum 2025 confirms the Foundation’s regional impact and opens new opportunities for cooperation with global partners and for mentorship through the Scale-Up Program (SCUP).

“We are thrilled that our initiative has been selected for the Paris Peace Forum’s Scale-up Program,” said Bardhyl Jashari, Executive Director of Metamorphosis Foundation. “This selection represents strong international recognition of Metamorphosis’ long-term leadership in addressing disinformation in the Western Balkans. It aligns perfectly with our vision of a society where engaged and aware citizens actively use innovative tools to exercise their civic rights and responsibilities, in line with the whole-of-society approach to build societal resilience. We look forward to working closely with the Paris Peace Forum community to further amplify our reach and impact.”

Launched in 2018, SCUP is designed to elevate initiatives showcased at the Paris Peace Forum, offering selected projects year-long support from the Paris Peace Forum Secretariat. Through this programme, Disinformation Radar for the Balkans will receive a year of support from senior figures in industry and international agencies to scale its impact, strengthen partnerships and advance its mission.

At the session of the Forum dedicated to presenting the new SCUP projects selected in 2025, Strategic Communication Specialist Svetlana Siljanovska emphasized “we do this because disinformation is deeply rooted and is a main threat to democracy and peace in todays digital era.” She noted that that the project’s work relies on the accumulated knowledge of a network of fact-checkers and other stakeholders across the region. Combining human and artificial intelligence for forecasting and pre-bunking results in deterrence, discouraging creation of disinformation, while giving “enough time to democratic actors to act and counter disinformation.”

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