A grassroots approach to countering disinformation in Albania’s diverse communities.
The Social Contract Institute (SCI), a Tirana-based civil society organization, implemented the project “Safer Together” in the Albanian municipalities of Elbasan, Librazhd, and Pogradec – regions known for their religious diversity and vulnerability to radical and divisive narratives. Established in 2015, SCI works across Albania and the Western Balkans to promote democratic values, civic participation, and inclusive development.
“Safer Together” centers on strengthening local resilience against disinformation and hate speech by embedding Media and Information Literacy (MIL) into everyday community life. In three municipalities, Community Media Groups were formed, bringing together 60 trusted local citizens – teachers, journalists, youth, and community leaders. Through in-depth training and mentoring, they built knowledge and skills in media literacy, ethical communication, and digital engagement, enabling them to support their communities in navigating today’s complex information environment.
These groups didn’t just absorb information – they became agents of change. After their training, members organized over a dozen small-group dialogues targeting vulnerable segments of their communities, including stay-at-home women and members of different faith backgrounds. They also co-created 15 localized infographic messages, which were widely shared in their communities, promoting critical thinking and offering accessible tools to counter misinformation.
By embedding MIL into the social fabric of these towns, SCI’s project transformed passive media consumers into proactive educators and advocates, building trust where traditional institutions often fail to reach.
“Our greatest success was turning respected local citizens into active media educators. They didn’t just learn-they led. They showed that grassroots action can break the cycle of disinformation and build resilience where it’s needed most,” said Olda Ceta, Executive Director of SCI.
For participants, the shift was deeply personal. “Before this project, I didn’t question what I saw online. Now I teach my students how to think critically, and that’s a change I never thought I could make,” said Haxhi Balliu, a local teacher and member of the Librazhd Community Media Group
Through this community-centered model, “Safer Together” demonstrated the power of local leadership in defending truth and fostering informed, inclusive dialogue in Albania’s public sphere.
The project is funded through the Our Media sub-granting scheme, which has provided support to 21 local projects across the Western Balkans.

The regional program “Our Media: A civil society action to generate media literacy and activism, counter polarisation and promote dialogue” is implemented with the financial support of the European Union by partner organizations SEENPM, Albanian Media Institute, Mediacentar Sarajevo, Press Council of Kosovo, Montenegrin Media Institute, Macedonian Institute for Media, Novi Sad School of Journalism, Peace Institute and Bianet.
This article was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of Macedonian Institute for Media and SEENPM and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.