Building Awareness and Critical Knowledge through Training, Reflection, Action, and Community Knowledge

ongoing

The project BACKTRACK - Building Awareness and Critical Knowledge through Training, Reflection, Action, and Community Knowledge - strengthens democratic resilience by countering disinformation and empowering citizens to defend democratic debate. It focuses on geopolitical frontline EU Member States - Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland - bordering Russia, and Ukraine, where citizens face direct exposure to external information manipulation. The project targets mainly citizens aged 45+, a group often shaped by Soviet or communist era experiences and vulnerable to nostalgic narratives exploited by disinformation actors. Youth (18-30 years old) are also engaged through cross-generational activities. This project gives also special attention to countries where AI-based tools for detecting disinformation are less effective due to smaller language markets, increasing the risks of undetected manipulation. Through a mix of civic dialogue events, media literacy workshops, and practical engagement initiatives, the project helps citizens build critical thinking skills, recognise manipulation tactics, and take part confidently in democratic life. It fosters capacity-building at the local level while connecting actors across borders to share good practices in countering disinformation and promoting democratic values. The project also supports Ukraine as an EU candidate country, helping Ukrainian partners gain experience in EU-funded civic engagement projects and strengthen ties with European civil society. At the same time, it draws on Ukraine’s wartime experience in resilience-building to inform and strengthen the democratic resilience strategies of EU Member States. Bringing together think-tanks, NGOs, experts and other civil society actors, the project promotes trust in democratic institutions, reinforces solidarity among societies facing common threats, and contributes to a stronger, more informed, and more resilient Europe.