In today's digital age, where there is an abundance of information available online, it can be challenging for the general public to navigate and engage with information in a way that respects the rights of others and combats harmful content. To address this, capacity building is essential for individuals to understand the importance of MIL (Media and Information Literacy) and how it can be used to promote the public good. The recent pandemic has highlighted the need for MIL more than ever, as people rely heavily on online information. The conference aims to ensure that MIL is being used to its fullest potential in order to uphold the vision of information as a public good. Also, conference should be used as a ground for discussion of experiences and best practices in MIL policies and strategies, curricula reforms in schools, as well as in promoting MIL in non-formal education, in South East Europe and Turkey.
In the region, the media environment can be challenging, and resilience against harmful online content needs to be strengthened. However, there is a growing awareness of the importance of MIL in empowering society. The conference will take stock of the recent progress made in the implementation of the UNESCO EU-funded project "Building Trust in Media in South East Europe and Turkey - Phase 2", as well as other initiatives to promote MIL in the region. The conference will provide a multi-stakeholder perspective and promote deeper integration of MIL in the region.
The conference also marks the end of the "Building Trust in Media in South East Europe and Turkey – Phase 2" project, that aimed to increase the resilience of media and citizens to online disinformation and ensure access to reliable information. The project focuses on strengthening MIL skills among citizens in the region, as well as building the media's capacity to curb disinformation through new skills and a commitment to professional journalistic standards. It is expected that these efforts will help to renew trust and understanding between media and citizens, ultimately strengthening freedom of expression.
MIL expert and trainer, Steering Committee Member (Albania)
Dr Blerjana Bino, with a professional background in the intersection between civil society development and research, currently leads the Centre Science and Innovation for Development (SCiDEV), a Tirana-based think tank working closely with academia, media, public and private sector and bringing together a network of outstanding scholars and practitioners on democratic development, youth empowerment, research-to-society collaborations, and digital transformation. She is a member of the Safe Journalists Network in the Western Balkans, conducting research and advocacy for media freedom and the safety of journalists. She collaborates with Thomson Foundation for media development in the Western Balkans and Central Europe. Dr. Bino is experienced in managing research and capacity-building projects at national and regional levels, with expertise in participatory governance, advocacy, networking, outreach, fundraising, and knowledge management.
Director of “Petro Nini Luarasi”, High School (Albania)
Teuta Braçaj is a principal of Petro Nini Luarasi high school, Tiranë, since 2014. She graduated in physics from the Faculty of Natural Sciences in 1988 and have worked as a teacher for over 30 years. She is a trainer of student-centered methods.
Journalist (Albania)
Xhenson Çela was born in August 1992 in Tirane. From 2009 volunteered and was involved in various activities focusing on youth, reproductive rights, and the inclusion of the Roma minority in the public sphere. For two years, from 2012 to 2015 was engaged as an activist in advocacy campaigns nationwide about housing alternatives and banning of forced evictions affecting the Roma and Egyptian national minorities. About his academic background, he has attended the Law University in Tirane and the School of Public Policy at the Central European University in Budapest. During his studies abroad, he gained analytical and research skills, and one of his passions is to transpose academic papers into graphic novels. He is the author of the graphic book Forced Evictions from the Rail station, published in March 2021. He shares a great passion for writing semi-journalistic articles on relevant and tangible topics that affect the community, whether local or ethnic. Also, he has co-curated two art exhibitions in 2019 and 2022.
President of Udruženje Srce na dlanu (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Anastasija Ćorović is from Banja Luka. She is graduate student at the Faculty of Medicine in Foča. She is the president of the Association of Citizens "Srce na dlanu" Banja Luka.
Head of Curriculum Development Sector at Agency for Quality Assurance in Pre-University Education in Albania (ASCAP, Albania)
Astrit Dautaj was born on 9th September 1959 in Tirana, Albania. He is employed as the Head of the Curriculum Development Sector at the Agency for Quality Assurance in Pre-university Education (ASCAP) in the sector of Directorate for Curriculum and Teacher qualification. Astrit graduated from Department of Philosophy at University of Tirana, Faculty of Political and Juridical Science in 1983. Astrit graduated from the Faculty of Law in 1999 as well. He has a long-standing professional career in the education sector: In the quality of the person responsible (for more than 25 years) for the curricula of Citizenship Education and Social studies in Pre-university education. Astrit has been contributing in different ways to the education system in Albania. He wrote different school textbooks for high school students and teaching materials for social studies teachers. He also coordinated different projects such as project in the area of social studies, project for setting new standards for citizenship education, project for developing performance criteria for assessment of students in social studies and citizenship education etc. Astrit has been a member of all core groups for policy developing issues in the framework of curriculum reforms and he participated in international projects in particular, projects relating to the Council of Europe.
Project Coordinator of Alfa Centar (Montenegro)
Goran Dedovic started volunteering and civic activism in elementary school. As an activist, he collaborated with a large number of institutions and organizations. He has been at ALFA Center since 2014 and engaged in various projects. He is currently in the position of Project Coordinator at ALFA Center.
Member of Centar za razvoj omladinskog aktivizma (CROA, Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Alma Fejzić is a Legal Advisor and Project Manager of The Center for the Development of Youth Activism CROA with many years of experience working with young people. She is dedicated to project coordination activities related to the areas of prevention and fighting against corruption, media and information literacy, prevention and fighting against cyber violence, and projects aimed at the development of democracy, youth empowerment and fostering volunteer spirit.
Teacher at “Karađozbeg Madrasa” and "Mostar Gymnasium” (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Aldijana Hodžić, is 42 years old, married and a mother of three children. She graduated from the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Sarajevo at the Department of Philosophy and Sociology. She is currently employed in Mostar in two secondary schools, the Karađozbeg Madrasa and the Mostar Gymnasium, where she works as a professor of Philosophy, Sociology and Logic. Through the teaching of her subjects, she tries to direct students to think about themselves and the world around them. She tries to use different approach to teaching methodology and she teaches students to have a critical approach to information and media that are imposed on them.
Project coordinator at the Center for Intercultural Dialogue (CID, North Macedonia)
Jovana Jordanovska, born in Kumanovo, North Macedonia. Completing her studies at the Faculty of Philosophy in Ljubljana, Slovenia. She currently works as a project coordinator of the project Promoting Youth Activism in Multiethnic communities supported by NED, at the Center for Intercultural Dialogue.
Journalist (North Macedonia)
Adrian Kerimi is a journalist from Skopje, North Macedonia. More than 10 years he is working for the biggest Albanian national television in North Macedonia, Alsat M Television. He started journalism in 2013 until he was student for Journalism and public relations in Skopje. In the beginning he covered local events in some of the municipalities in Skopje. After that he started covering judicial events, police and crime. More than 5 years he also is covering political events and Assembly of North Macedonia. Kerimi is one of the first journalist who worked for the Service of facts checking in North Macedonia (2014-2018) supported by USAID and US Embassy in Skopje. He also cooperated with international medias like NHK Broadcast Japanese Television (2018). During the year 2015 he reported for the migrant’s crises in Balkan and other countries by reporting for the daily situation from south part of Northa Macedonia (Macedonian-Greek border) to the north part (Macedonian-Serbian border). Lastly Kerimi have his own political show on Alsat M Television.
Journalist (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Sajra Kustura is 19 years old activist. She is an activist in non-governmental organizations until 2017 in the fields of children's rights, youth rights and protection. From 2019.-2021. she was a member of "Dialogue for the Future" (Regional Program of the United Nations). 2021. she is selected as one of 30 young champions and leaders of the United Nations of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Since 2021. she is part of UNESCO MIL Networks and projects and in 2022. she presented SEE members of Bosnia and Herzegovina on World Press Freedom Day in Uruguay (UNESCO). Now she is one of nine members of the Youth Advisory Body of the United Nations of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Executive Director at Albanian Media Institute (AMI, Albania)
Remzi Lani is the Executive Director of the Albanian Media Institute. He has a long carrier in journalism: "Zeri i Rinise"- Tirana, "El Mundo" - Madrid, "Zeri" - Pristina, Alternative Information Network –AIM etc. Author of articles on Balkan affairs for different local and foreign papers and magazines. Lani has been also an expert for the International Commission on the Balkans (Amato Commission). He is founder of SEENPM (South East Network for Professionalization of the Media), member of the European Council of Foreign Relations, member of the Board of WAN-IFRA etc. He has been working on media projects in Mozambique, Zimbabve, Zambia, Namibia, South Africa, Zwaziland, Bostwana, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina etc.
Assistant professor at the Journalism and Communication Department of the Faculty of Political Sciences, University of Belgrade (Serbia)
Ana Milojevic is Assistant Professor at the University of Belgrade, Faculty of Political Science, Department of Journalism and Communication Studies, and former MSCA fellow at the University of Bergen, Department of Information Science and Media studies. She teaches Comparative Media Systems, Communication Science, Media and Society while her main research interests include media and information literacy, media and democracy, and media transformations in the post-communist context. She was one of the leaders of the regional project “Media and Information Literacy in function of Development of Critical Thinking and Public Advocacy of the Youth” realized within the “Dialogue for the Future” (UNESCO, UNICEF and UNDP) by the Faculties of Political Science from Sarajevo, Podgorica and Belgrade. Her work was published by many scientific journals, including Vjesnik biblotekara Hrvatske, International Journal of Communication, European Journal of Communication.
Minister for Upbringing and Education of Canton Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Naida Hota-Muminović was born 1981. in Sarajevo. She graduated on Faculty of Philosophy in Sarajevo, department of English language, and earned a title of Professor of English language and literature. In parallel, she finished Faculty of Law University of Sarajevo, and earned a tittle a law graduate. After studies, she worked as professor of English language in First Bosniak Gymnasium in Sarajevo. She was appointed of director of First Bosniak Gymnasium in Sarajevo in 2015. She stands out for her social engagement and activities through work in the non-governmental sector. Political party People and justice nominated her for Minister of education of Kanton Sarajevo. She assumed the position of minister in January 2021.
Acting Director of the Montenegro Media Institute (MMI, Montenegro)
Olivera Nikolić is currently working as director of Montenegro Media Institute-MMI (2017-to date) and freelance journalist. During her professional career, which lasted more than two decades, she worked for numerous domestic and foreign media (Radio Deutsche Welle, BBC, Radio Free Europe, WDR, Agence Franc Presse, Beta news agency). Her work in the MMI focuses on media education, freedom of expression, ethics in journalism and media literacy. She graduated from the Faculty of Political Sciences in the Diplomacy and International relations department in Podgorica.
Member of Foreign Relations Department at Turkey Youth Foundation (Turkey)
Studied Economics at Yıldız Technical University in Istanbul between 2012-2016. Since 2013, Mr. Ozturk have taken an active role in many non-governmental organizations, especially for university students and youth in general, and he continue to do so. Between 2017-2019, he completed a double master's program in Asian - European Affairs at King's College London and Renmin University. After the graduation, Mr. Ozturk has been working in the public sector in Ankara since 2019.
Curriculum Development and Teacher Qualification Specialist at the Quality Assurance Agency in Pre-University Education (ASCAP, Albania)
Elisabeta Paja is a Curriculum Development and Teacher Qualification Specialist at the Quality Assurance Agency in Pre-University Education, part of the Ministry of Education and Sports. Elisabeta has completed her Master of Science studies in Higher Secondary Education in the "Chemistry" branch at the Faculty of Natural Sciences of the University of Tirana (UT). Elisabets' expertise is research in the field of education, curriculum design and development in general and chemistry curriculum in particular. She has been and is responsible for the process of developing standards and programs for the subject of chemistry, as well as the national coordinator for the network of professional development of chemistry teachers in the pre-university system. She has been selected as an expert in the implementation of the pilot project for "Education for media and information".
Journalist (Montenegro)
Spec. Political scientist in the field of EU integration, currently on master studies at the Faculty of Political Sciences in Podgorica. Member and journalist of the UNESCO SeeYouthNewsroom network, founder and lecturer at the first school of debating and public speaking in the north of Montenegro. Participant of numerous seminars, panel discussions, seminars and conferences, among which I single out participation in the World Press Freedom Day held in Uruguay in 2022. Hobbies – music- a drummer since high school, film, collecting...
"Vice-Dean for Scientific work and International Relations Faculty of Political Sciences University of Banja Luka Republika Srpska (Bosnia and Herzegovina)"
Dalibor Savić is Assistant Professor of the Social Research Methods at the Faculty of Political Sciences, University of Banja Luka. He currently holds the position of the Vice-Dean for Science and Research at the Faculty of Political Sciences University of Banja Luka. He is also a member of the Gender Equality Advisory Board at the University of Banja Luka.
Head of UNESCO Antenna Office in Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Project Manager at Centar za razvoj omladinskog aktivizma (CROA, Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Amela Sirovina is the President of The Center for the Development of Youth Activism CROA. Through 15 years of experience in the non-governmental sector, she is dedicated to projects that improve education, empower young people, develop media and information literacy and fight corruption in the public sector. She has significant experience of managing projects in partnership with local and international organizations.
Project coordinator at Act For Society Center (Albania)
Eliot Sulçaj is currently studying General Medicine at the University of Medicine in Tirana. He has several years of experience in civil society as an activist and volunteer in different youth organizations. Eliot works as a project coordinator at Act for Society Center where he is also the 'Team Leader' of the Be a Man Club, whose philosophy is: boys and men should not be seen as an obstacle to peace and gender equality, but as key allies in the promotion of communities and non-violent and healthy relationships. He is also part of the staff of the Artivist Stafetë project, responsible for conducting monitoring field visits on sub-grantees, either organizations or mini-grantees
Journalist (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Armin Tufo, 23, BA in International relations and European studies. Co-author of “China - The Rise of the Titan” and author of political commentary. Content creator and a young social activist.
Associate Professor and Head of Institute for Social Science Research, Faculty of Political Sciences, University of Sarajevo (FPN UNSA, Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Emir Vajzović is Associate Professor at Faculty of Political Sciences, University of Sarajevo. He graduated B.A. in Communications and B.A. in Criminal Justice, M.A. in Human Rights and Democracy (University of Bologne and University of Sarajevo) and PhD in Political Sciences from Faculty of Political Sciences Sarajevo. Vajzović is researching and teaching Media and Information Literacy; Political Communications; Democracy, Civil Society and Human Rights; Information Security. In research and academic work, he applies an interdisciplinary approach in understanding the complexities of the digital transformation of society, education, media, politics, human rights, security. He is Head of the Institute for Social Sciences Research of the Faculty of Political Sciences, University of Sarajevo. Under his leadership feasible and sustainable model for MIL integration was developed, MOOC in MIL as University of Sarajevo Certified Course was established, new MIL Curriculum was written and tested, four books published (MIP: Research and Development; MIP: Learning Design for Digital Age; MIP: Regional Aspects; SCR: Growing up with Learning) along with two Background papers and 4 policy papers in MIL. Vajzović is Chair of Working group for drafting Strategy of MIL for Canton Sarajevo.
Head of Section “European Integration, Political, Press and Information”, European Union Delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina
Aurelie Valtat is a seasoned communications specialist and EU diplomat who has served in Southern Africa before joining the EU Delegation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where she heads the section in charge of European integration, political and economic affairs. Before that she was in charge of digital communications for the European Commission and the Council of the EU. She started her career at UNESCO and at Eurocontrol, Europe’s air traffic control body. Valtat studied political science at Sciences Po Paris, anthropology at the Sorbonne University and sustainable development at SOAS in London. She is also a trained aromatherapist and botanist and writes books about medicinal and edible wild plants. She is married with two children.
Co-founder of Minds Europe and associate professor at Faculty of Science, University of Novi Sad (Serbia)
Đorđije Vasiljević is co-founder of NGO “Minds Europe” and associate professor at the Department of Geography, Tourism and Hotel Management, Faculty of Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Serbia. He has 12 years long experience in educating students of both geosciences and tourism and hospitality. Besides lecturing, he has vast experience in project management, with several ongoing projects ranging from H2020, Erasmus+, Visegrad Funds and Western Balkans Fund. His main research focus is on visitor behaviour, monitoring and management, heritage interpretation, geoheritage and geotourism, in which he published 34 papers with impact factor and has more than 900 citations according to Scopus (Author h-index 15). Đorđije is also member of Editorial boards of three international journals (De Gruyter Open Geosciences, Geoconservation Research, Frontiers in Sustainable Tourism). Regarding event management, he was member of organisation boards of more than 10 international scientific conferences. Besides organising, he also attended international conferences in USA, South Africa, UK, Switzerland, Estonia, etc. In 2017 he was appointed by WWF Adria as National Evaluator of Protected Areas, and in his early career he was member of Faculty’s Marketing team and Department coordinator for international relations. He speaks English fluently and basics of Italian language.
Secretary of State of the Ministry of Education (Serbia)
MIL Consultant of the UNESCO Antenna Office Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Mr Borislav Vukojević is national consultant and media and information literacy expert in UNESCO Sarajevo Office and Senior teaching assistant at Faculty of political science University of Banja Luka. He is included in MIL issues in Bosnia and Herzegovina for 10 years, with special interests in how Digital technoligies are shaping education process. In UNESCO, he is included in the project „Building trust in media in SEE and Turkey“ an a project Officer.
Journalist (Turkey)
Born in 1998 in Istanbul, Rabia Gül Yazar. She graduated from the Department of Culture and Communication Sciences at the Turkish-German University. Yazar, studied at the University of Bayreuth in Germany for a while. She has worked as a reporter and content production specialist and is currently working on her Master's degree in International Communication and Media Studies at the Turkish-German University. She works on algorithmic communication and communication technologies.
Professor at the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Banja Luka (UNILB, Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Prof. Dr. Ivana Zečević is a university professor at the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Banja Luka, Department of Psychology. For many years, she has focused her interests in research related to the habits of children and young people on the Internet and violence against and among children. She is especially engaged in the development of preventive programs in this area. She participated in working groups that dealt with the development of guidelines for dealing with cases of violence against and among children, as well as the development of educational content on the topic of protecting children and young people on the Internet.
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TUESDAY, 31 JANUARY 2023
09.30 – 10.00 Registration 10.00 – 10.30 OPENING SESSION |
Welcoming remarks
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HIGH LEVEL MINISTERIAL PANEL: STATE OF PLAY OF MIL POLICIES AND STRATEGIES IN SOUTH EAST EUROPE
10.30 – 11.15 |
The High Level Ministerial Panel on the state of play of media and information literacy policies and strategies in South East Europe is a gathering of top government officials from the region to discuss the current state of media and information literacy and address the main challenges in their respective countries. The panel aims to promote the development of a free and independent media landscape, as well as to address challenges such as disinformation and media literacy. The panel will also provide an opportunity for sharing best practices and discussing potential cooperation on MIL issues in the region. With the participation of ministers and other high level representatives, this panel is a significant step towards ensuring in the expanding of media and information literacy in South East Europe.
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Refreshment Break
11.15 – 11.45 |
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STATE OF PLAY OF MIL POLICIES AND STRATEGIES IN SOUTH EAST EUROPE: A CIVIL SOCIETY PERSPECTIVE
11.45 – 13.00 |
This panel brings together representatives of civil society organizations and academics to discuss the current state of play of media and information literacy in the South East Europe region, from a civil society perspective. The outcome of the panel will be a set of good and effective practices for media and information literacy adapted policies and strategies in the countries’ region.
Discussion with the audience |
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Lunch Break
13.00 - 14.00 |
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PRESENTATION OF MIL ACHIEVEMENTS IN FORMAL AND NON-FORMAL EDUCATION WITHIN THE PROJECT “BUILDING TRUST IN MEDIA IN SOUTH EAST EUROPE – PHASE 2”
14.00 – 14.30 |
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FROM POLICY TO SCHOOLS: TEACHERS ON THE FRONTLINE TO INTRODUCING MIL IN FORMAL EDUCATION
14.30 – 15.45 |
“From Policy to Schools: Teachers on the Frontline to Introducing Media and Information in Formal Education” is a panel that gathers experts and representatives of the education sector to share views and experience on MIL piloting in formal education within the project “Building Trust in Media in South East Europe and Turkey – Phase 2”. The panel will focus on the importance to empower teachers with the knowledge and skills needed to integrate media and information literacy (MIL) into their curriculum. Panel is designed to help teachers understand the importance of MIL in today's digital age and equip them with the tools they need to effectively teach MIL to their students.
Discussion with the audience |
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Presentation of the MIL MOOC for Young People in South East Europe and Turkey
15.45 – 16.00 |
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WEDNESDAY, 1 FEBRUARY 2023
Opening of the Day 10:00 |
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YOUTH ORGANIZATIONS AND MIL
10.00 – 11.30 |
This panel brings together representatives from youth organizations from South East Europe (SEE) to discuss their experiences in implementing media and information literacy (MIL) programs. The conference aims to provide a platform for sharing best practices, challenges, and successes in MIL education among youth organizations in the region. Participants will have the opportunity to hear from youth organizations that have implemented MIL programs in their communities and learn about the methods and strategies they used to educate young people about media literacy. The panel will include discussions on topics such as the role of youth organizations in promoting MIL, the challenges of implementing MIL programs, and the impact of MIL education on young people.
Discussion with the audience |
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Refreshment Break
11.30 – 11.45 |
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CASE STUDY: YOUTH NEWSROOM TO TACKLE DISINFORMATION
11.45– 13.15 |
“The Case Study: Youth Newsroom to Tackle Disinformation in the SEE Region” is an examination of a specific activity implemented during the project “Building Trust in Media in South East Europe and Turkey – Phase 2”, that is aimed at educating young people in the South East Europe (SEE) region about disinformation and how to critically evaluate the information they consume. The case study will provide an in-depth look at the activity, including its goals, methods, and results. The case study will examine the impact of the activity on the participants, and the effectiveness of the program in educating young people about disinformation and media literacy. It will also explore the challenges faced by the activity and the strategies used to overcome them.
Discussion with the audience |
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Lunch Break
13.15 – 14.15 |
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MIL IN FORMAL EDUCATION: WHAT NEXT?
14.15 – 15.30 |
This panel aims to provide exchange of views to strengthen the implementation of media and information literacy (MIL) in formal education in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, and Serbia. Based on the experience of the project “Building Trust in Media in South East Europe and Turkey – Phase 2”, the panel will examine the challenges and opportunities for improvement, taking into account the advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its implications on MIL education. The panel will also analyze the existing MIL curriculum and resources in these countries, as well as the capacity of teachers to deliver MIL education. It will also take into account the current socio-economic and political context, as well as the level of media freedom and disinformation in the region.
Discussion with the audience |
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MIL IN NON-FORMAL EDUCATION: WHAT NEXT?
15.30– 16.30 |
This panel aims to provide discussion for the implementation of media and information literacy (MIL) in non-formal settings in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, and Serbia. Based on the results achieved on the project “Building Trust in Media in South East Europe and Turkey – Phase 2”, the panel will gather young journalists and representatives of youth organizations to exchange views on the ways to strengthen MIL in non-formal education in their countries, as well as youth engagement in fighting disinformation.
Discussion with the audience |
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CLOSING SESSION
16.30-16.45 |
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The conference will be moderated by Ms. Hana SOKOLOVIĆ
Language: Bosnian/Serbian/Croatian/Macedonian/Albanian/Turkish/ English – Simultaneous translation will be provided
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