The spread of disinformation is a constant challenge for democratic societies in Europe. It has the potential to undermine democratic processes and enhance societal polarisation. At the same time climate change is arguably one of the most pressing global issues that we face today and tomorrow. It has become a contested sphere of intense political and societal debate, thus an area where disinformation flourishes. For instance, information falsely stating that global warming is not caused by human activity, serves to prevent meaningful climate change measures. The changing digital communication landscapes and social media platforms facilitate the spread of disinformation.
It is therefore important to not only recognise disinformation on climate change in political debates and in everyday life, but also to develop effective policies and other measures to combat disinformation in the European Union (EU).
Have you come across memes, chats or stories which deny man-made climate change, discredit climate activists or take scientific data and facts out of context to confuse and deligitimise climate action? Do you want to discuss policy action and what can be done to dismantle climate change related disinformation?
Get involved: Join our RADAR Youth Lab!
We invite you to join the "RADAR Youth Lab: Dismantle Disinformation on Climate Change". Get engaged in discussing disinformation, how to recognise it, how it affects us and what can be done to lessen its impact. We aim to empower young people to take a leadership role in raising awareness and combating disinformation through peer-learning, expert insights, and practical recommendations.
The Programme
A Public Debate will shed light on different perspectives on disinformation and how it affects policy debates on climate change.
Panelists:
- Lisa Badum, MP, Member of the Committee on Climate Protection and Energy, Chairwoman Subcommittee on International Climate and Energy Policy
- Uschi Jonas, Journalist and Teamleader, CORRECTIV.Faktencheck
- Paula Matlach, Analyst, Institute for Strategic Dialogue
- Alexander Sängerlaub, Founder and Director, futur eins.
A one-day interactive Workshop will give you the opportunity to exchange your experiences and impressions with a group of peers and together formulate your ideas on how to tackle and combat disinformation in the EU. Your policy recommendations will be collected in a briefing report and presented to policy makers at EU level at a conference next year.
Trainer: Alexander Sängerlaub, director and co-founder of futur eins. His work and interests focus on holistic approaches to the digital public sphere and the question of how the utopia of an informed society can be achieved. Between 2017-2021, he helped build the "Strengthening Digital Public Spheres" department at the Berlin-based think tank Stiftung Neue Verantwortung, where he led projects on disinformation ("fake news"), fact-checking and digital news literacy.
Become a Youth Ambassador: Two participants will refine and present policy-relevant recommendations to high-level EU policy-makers and experts at a concluding conference in Brussels (1/2 February 2024).
When and where?
The Radar Youth Lab takes place on Thursday, 15 June 2023 (4-6pm) and Friday, 16 June 2023 (9am-5pm) in Berlin.
Who?
Participants must be residents of an EU country and be between 18 and 30 years old. Please also be aware that the events will be held in English. The selection will be based on motivation and experience and strive to assemble a diverse group of participants in terms of background, country of residence and gender.
Participants of the RADAR Youth Lab that travel from outside Berlin can be reimbursed for their costs. If accepted to the programme, we will get in touch on further planning your travel to and stay in Berlin.
How to apply?
Interested? Deadline for application is 28 May 2023. As the number of participants is limited, we recommend an early application.
Please apply by clicking on the button below to fill out the application form: (Application deadline expired)
Not your jam? Maybe your buddy, your coworker or your brother/sister would be interested? Please do not hesitate to share the Call for participation!
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us via e-mail simone.klee@iep-berlin.de