This story is part of a Liberties project called "Strengthening Civic Space Through Persuasive Messaging Across Europe". 

One of the challenges human rights campaigners have faced in recent years is the communication savviness of their opponents. It is a problem Sara Gherardi, Researcher & Project Assistant at the Italian civil society organisation CILD, knows all too well. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s party, Brothers of Italy, has proven adept at using social media to engage the public, all while playing fast and loose with the truth.

Sara tells me, “Opponents, like the ruling majority, have very strong communication. But it's merely based on a populist narrative. And, you know, it's completely politically incorrect, with no consequences.”

Meloni’s ascent to power has resulted in an uptick in smear campaigns against NGOs. CILD’s work defending civil liberties in Italy, and in particular their campaign to make access to citizenship fairer, has drawn the ire of the right-wing government: “They attacked us very harshly, not on our arguments, but on our credibility.”

CILD joined the Access Project to learn more about how to communicate with the public under these contentious circumstances. “It has been really tough, especially in the last three years, to reach people.” Coordinated by Liberties, the Access Project helps human rights defenders defend against authoritarianism by growing support for their causes.

From reactive to reflective: How NGOs can reclaim their voice

In a pattern that is taking hold across Europe, the combination of rising authoritarianism, shrinking civic space and more attacks on government critics means Italian NGOs now find themselves in a vicious circle: “It's not only us as an organisation, but all of civic space is really shrinking. And the more the government erodes the rule of law and civic space, the more we need to be there to denounce situations, but the more we are exposed, and we need to manage the attacks that we get.”

When criticism by opponents sinks to the level of relentless trolling, it can be challenging for NGOs to know how to react without adopting a permanently defensive stance.

During the Access Project, partner organisations learnt how to respond to smear campaigns without getting sucked into their opponent’s baseless claims.

According to Sara, “This project made us realise that maybe we shouldn't focus on reacting at all, but try to build on something little by little. And really work on changing the narrative about us, firstly, to regain the credibility that they're trying to erode from civil society organisations.”

Lessons learnt on language 

Talking to people in a language they understand is the cornerstone of effective communication. But for many advocacy NGOs, whose staff are experts in their fields, this can be one of the biggest barriers to overcome.

The training CILD took part in during the Access Project helped Sara realise that, “We are so used to being in our echo chamber, that we don't realise that the way we communicate is not clear to anyone.”

Referring to a referendum to ease citizenship rules that was held last June, she tells me, “People talked about the referendum, but it was only our bubble. Outside of our bubble, no one knew that a referendum was being held.” The referendum was void as it failed to meet the 50% threshold.

Part of the problem was language, an issue that was highlighted during the data-collection phase of the Access Project. This included focus groups, which allowed CILD to test their messages and see how ‘undecideds’ - people with a mixed opinion towards migrants and citizenship rights - reacted.

During these sessions, it became clear to Sara that there was a disconnect between the language used by CILD and the knowledge of the people they were trying to connect with. “We always refer to different types of citizenship reform by their Latin name. It was super surprising that they never heard of it.”

She tells me that their evident confusion drilled home the idea that they need to approach their communication differently. “We know that we should trigger empathy more than rationality. And numbers don’t work, facts don't work, myth busting doesn't work.”

David vs. Goliath: Why NGOs need more support to combat authoritarianism

The Access Project offered partner organisations a rare opportunity to develop evidence-based communication materials with the support of experts. And while this strategic approach is typical for political actors with right-wing or authoritarian tendencies, it is exceptional for NGOs to have the resources to fund this approach.

This material inequality creates a David and Goliath dichotomy. NGOs often end up neglecting their public-facing communication due to funding cuts, while their opponents harness social media to produce increasingly sophisticated smear campaigns. Sara tells me that “the resources and visibility available to CILD (as well as most civil society organisations) are limited compared to those of the major parties and larger actors”.

With exposure to information shaping how people think, vote and behave, it's clear that NGOs need more support to combat Europe’s rising authoritarianism through effective communication. 

Liberties Civic Space Messaging Lab

Building Support For Civic Space In The EU: A Messaging Guide

Hungary: Back To Basics: Finding Common Ground, Despite Political Differences

Croatia: Bringing Back Hope and Optimism to Human Rights Campaigns

Sweden: Learning To Bring A Human-To-Human Connection Into Human Rights Messaging

Further messaging resources for Italy

A Messaging Guide For Italian Civic Space

A Messaging Guide To Promote Support For Reform Of Citizenship Rules In Italy

Communicazione Strategica Per Promuovere Il Sosteno Alla Riforma Della Legge Sulla Cittadinanza In Italia 

This story is part of a Liberties project called "Strengthening Civic Space Through Persuasive Messaging Across Europe".