What does it take to make a difference in your community? Way less than you might think. Most of the time, the key is knowing where to find information, how to tell facts from misinformation, and what tools can help ensure your voice is truly heard.
That’s exactly what our three online webinars were about — they’ve already brought together more than 60 young people from all over Ukraine. Within a few weeks, participants not only listened to lectures — they also broke down real-life scenarios, asked dozens of questions, analyzed information, and uncovered tools they can use right now.
The first webinar was focused on digital democracy. It might seem that e-petitions, open data, and civic engagement platforms are topics that sound a bit “government-like.” But within just a few minutes, it became clear that all of this concerns each of us.
Together with Tetiana Romanova, an expert on civic engagement and executive director of the NGO “Agency City Initiatives”, we explored how young people can engage with their communities today. Participants were introduced to the tools of digital democracy and learned how to work with e-petitions, open data, and civic engagement platforms. Rather than complex theory, the workshop featured real-life examples, practical case studies, and answers to a frequently asked question — “Can I really make a difference?”
Key takeaway? Making a difference in your community is much easier than it seems. You just need to know where to start.
Our second webinar was a logical follow-up to the topic of civic participation. Just knowing your rights isn’t enough — it’s important to understand how to make use of them. Together with Tetiana Romanova, we discussed how transparency in local government works and why open data isn’t just a bunch of boring spreadsheets, but a real tool for oversight. Participants explored where to find information about local government decisions, how to analyze open data, and what tools help citizens monitor government activities and get involved in decision-making.
Every day, we read dozens of news stories. And not all of them are true.
That’s why we dedicated our third webinar to media literacy and disinformation.
Together with Viktoriia Naumenko, participants explored how information manipulation works, why fake news spreads so quickly, and how to fact-check a news story or information source in just a few minutes. It turned out that most forms of manipulation are much easier to spot once you know what to look for.
Best of all, participants didn’t just listen to the theory — they immediately tried their hand at analyzing examples and identifying signs of fake news.
We can always talk about how great our events were. But it’s much more valuable to hear directly from those who were there with us.
Dariia:
“Live communication and plenty of hands-on practice — that’s exactly what’s missing from most webinars.”
Iryna:
“Now I understand much better how e-petitions work — it used to be confusing, but now everything has become much simpler.”
Nataliia:
“Now I know better how to spot fake news and fact-check information.”
Oksana:
“I was particularly interested in the information about digital participation tools, open data, and ways to monitor local government activities. It motivates me to be more active and engaged in my community.”
For us, these three webinars were further confirmation that young people are ready to take responsibility for change if they have access to quality knowledge, practical tools, and a space for communication.
Over the course of a few weeks, more than 60 participants did more than just attend lectures. They learned to think critically, work with information, and use digital tools for civic engagement — and they realized that anyone can make a difference in their community.
This is just the beginning.
beYOUnd — It starts with you! It goes beyond!
«Voices of Democracy in the Digital Era» is supported through the Digital Spark granting scheme, as part of the Regional Support Mechanism EECA project, implemented by Metamorphosis Foundation and TechSoup in partnership with CIVICUS and under the Digital Democracy Initiative (DDI), that covers the Global South.
