Metamorphosis Foundation implemented the Digital Activism Accelerator in Serbia, where five civil society organizations were supported through small-scale grants, collaborative grants, capacity-building trainings, and a tailored mentoring program. These activities took place in 2024 and 2025, as part of TechSoup’s broader Digital Activism Program.
Partners Serbia, Europolis, IJAS, Catalyst Balkans and SINHRO were supported with small action grants. Catalyst Balkans, Partners Serbia, Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (IJAS) and Center for Democratic Development Europolis, were awarded with collaborative grant.
Partners Serbia were awarded with two small action grants.
Tittle: Choose Privacy – Role of Personal Data in the Global Election Year
Implementing period: 23/01/2024 – 31/03/2024
Description:
The goal of this action was to raise awareness and create space for dialogue and networking opportunities for activists, NGOs, journalists, public institutions, experts in the field of personal data protection, and others. Discussions were held around the protection of personal data in election processes, the protection of the right to fair elections, freedom of choice, and tools for fighting disinformation.
Citizens are now more equipped to proactively protect their data. This local action brought to Serbia discussions about the issues of the use- and misuse- of data in specific political contexts and key human rights concerns around data-driven technologies and political campaigns.
Tittle: Privacy Week – Privacy for All
Implementing period: 15/11/2024 – 28/02/2025
Description:
This year’s Privacy Week brought together over 250 participants, many of whom were engaging with privacy and data protection issues in depth for the first time. The event provided a unique opportunity to learn from leading experts, blending academic insights with real-world examples of privacy breaches and violations of personal data protection rights. Beyond the event itself, Privacy Week drew significant media attention. Press coverage amplified the discussions, and representatives of Partners Serbia appeared as guests on several major television programs, further extending the reach of the initiative. For many attendees, the topics explored were unfamiliar and eye-opening. Some of the revelations were particularly concerning, prompting greater public awareness of the tangible consequences of privacy violations. Partners Serbia played a central role as a bridge between the public and subject-matter experts, helping to demystify complex issues and empower citizens to understand and defend their digital rights.
Center for Democratic Development Europolis
Tittle: Youth Combating Climate Change Disinformation
Implementing period: 01/04/2024 – 30/09/2024
Description:
A key result of this small action grant was bringing attention to the harmful impact of fake news and false claims on local ecology activists. These attacks affect not only their security, but also their mental health and financial stability. Through this initiative, activists became more aware of their vulnerable position and were empowered to use social media more effectively.
Europolis played a central role in destigmatizing activists by conducting public perception research and launching a targeted online campaign. The findings were used to develop policy recommendations and build activists’ communication capacities. Local environmental and urban activists actively participated in the campaign and training sessions, helping strengthen both their voices and public support for their work.
Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia
Tittle: Informing and educating: Online campaign to popularize responsible journalism
Implementing period: 01/03/2024 – 30/09/2024
Description:
With the surge of disinformation globally and insufficient media literacy among the general Serbian population, tabloids and sensationalism have been gaining momentum and it has been difficult for ordinary citizens to distinguish between credible, professional journalism and plethora of dubious sources, with diminishing trust in the media in general in the country (as well as globally). IJAS opted thus for a positive narrative, i.e. IJAS chose to popularize professional, credible and responsible journalism and media.
The focus was on conveying the concepts (grounded in the new Law on Public Information and Media) defining the responsibility of journalists and media towards the public and their professional ethics, in order to for the citizens to grasp the notion of sound information in the public interest as opposed to disinformation served by tabloid and sensationalistic media and other unprofessional sources.
IJAS informed and educated the general public in Serbia about the key media-related concepts pertaining to professional, responsible and credible media operation fostering their trust in such media in order to contribute to their media literacy against disinformation dissemination. The aim was for the citizens to grasp the notion of sound information in the public interest as opposed to disinformation served by tabloid and sensationalistic media and other unprofessional sources.
Catalyst Balkans
Tittle: Unveiling Narratives in Serbian Philanthropy Reporting
Implementing period: 16/02/2024 – 30/06/2024
Description:
Catalyst Balkans’ Local Action revealed biased media portrayals, with some foreign companies presented more favorably than others. This highlights the media’s role in shaping public perception and the urgent need for balanced, fact-based reporting. The analysis raised awareness among media professionals and stakeholders about the spread of disinformation and provided evidence to support advocacy efforts for objective journalism.
The findings were shared with over 100 organizations through targeted outreach, including events, newsletters, and direct campaigns. In total, the media analysis reached more than 2,400 individuals, laying the groundwork for lasting impact on media practices and public discourse.
SINHRO
Tittle: Synchronized Response: Pančevo’s network against disinformation
Implementing period: 01/03/2024 – 31/08/2024
Description:
The Local Action Plan brought together 16 activists from over 10 initiatives to collaborate on disinformation and crisis response for the first time. It sparked the formation of an informal support network and resulted in a co-created open crisis response protocol, based on real experiences from participating groups.
A social media campaign helped boost the visibility and credibility of the involved organizations, while updates to SINHRO’s website improved transparency. The project strengthened solidarity among activists and CSOs, building their capacity to respond to attacks and disinformation more effectively and collaboratively.
Catalyst Balkans, Partners Serbia, Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (IJAS) and Center for Democratic Development Europolis implemented collaborative grant.
Tittle: Combating Disinformation with Digital Transformation: Leveraging CRM for Enhanced Community Outreach
Implementing period: 16/02/2024 – 16/08/2024
Description:
Through this initiative, NUNS and Europolis significantly strengthened community engagement and built more responsive, active networks. The introduction of direct communication channels and the implementation of CiviCRM systems improved their ability to share timely, accurate information and mobilize supporters effectively. These digital tools enhanced their capacity to counter disinformation, enabling better community management, engagement tracking, and targeted outreach. The initiative emphasized privacy and data protection, ensuring ethical and lawful use of digital platforms. With support from Partners Serbia and Catalyst Balkans, the organizations combined legal expertise, digital tools, and strategic communication to build a resilient, community-driven response to disinformation.
The above work in CEE is supported by Google.org and led by TechSoup in close collaboration with TechSoup Network’s partners.
