As a part of the workshop series within the scope of the project “Utilizing Digital Technology for Social Cohesion, Positive Messaging and Peace by Boosting Collaboration, Exchange and Solidarity”, the seventh workshop “Digital Activism for Civil Society Organizations” took place on Thursday, April 4th, 2024. The workshop facilitated by Sally Hammoud was held at the Hrant Dink Foundation with 17 participants from various civil society organizations.

The workshop aimed at employees of civil society organizations began with a discussion on the concept of social responsibility. Sally Hammoud emphasized that activism emerges from a sense of social responsibility, highlighting that awareness, understanding, interest, and mobilization are steps towards fulfilling this responsibility. She mentioned that with digital transformation, one of the opportunities digital activism presents is the ability to reach more people and facilitate participation. Hammoud also noted other advantages of digital activism, such as achieving quick results, measuring its impact, and facilitating receiving feedback. Then, Hammoud emphasized the connection between mobilization and effective storytelling, citing examples such as the 'Me Too' and 'Black Lives Matter' movements to illustrate how effective digital storytelling can reach broader audiences.

In the second part of the workshop, Hammoud discussed features of social media platforms and artificial intelligence tools that can be utilized to create personalized corporate communication goals. She emphasized that different platforms and tools can serve various purposes. She touched upon how AI tools can be used for data categorization, how TikTok's advanced algorithm can reach a broader and more diverse audience, and how Chatbots can be functional for data collection purposes. Hammoud highlighted that employees of civil society organizations can prepare digital action plans with the help of digital tools, sharing these methods with the participants. She concluded the workshop by emphasizing the importance of targeting the right audience, effective storytelling, and setting clear goals in planning digital activism strategies, stressing the inclusion of various digital tools in this planning process.

This project is financed by the European Union.