12 Sep The First Global Cooperation and Training Framework Workshop in Lithuania
Civic Resilience Initiative hosted Lithuania’s first Global Cooperation and Training Framework (GCTF) workshop. The workshop brought together experts, scholars, and civil society groups from the United States, Taiwan, Lithuania, and other EU countries to share their experiences in countering foreign information manipulation and interference in electoral processes, with the aim of jointly strengthening democratic resilience. The event was held in collaboration with the Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania, the U.S. Embassy in Vilnius, and the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The event gathered Lithuanian government officials from various ministries, parliament, think tanks, NGOs, media, and members of the diplomatic corps in Lithuania.
In her speech, U.S. Ambassador Kara McDonald emphasized the critical need to counter disinformation to protect our democratic institutions. She praised the resilience of Lithuania and Taiwan and their dedication to democratic values. Highlighting the importance of international cooperation, she called for strong partnerships to safeguard democracy and counter malign actors as we build a future where truth and democracy prevail.
Lithuanian Vice Foreign Minister Egidijus Meilūnas underlined that “the contrary to popular misconceptions, disinformation has nothing to do with freedom of speech. In fact, blatant lies undermine freedom of speech and harm our societies. The democratic world must take decisive action at both national and international levels.”
Taiwan’s Representative to Lithuania Constance Wang highlighted the significance of 2024, when over 60 countries will hold elections. She underscored Taiwan’s position at the forefront of countering authoritarianism and disinformation, stressed the importance of collaboration between Taiwan’s public and private sectors in building resilience against such challenges. She also expressed her hope that the workshop would serve as a platform for democratic partners to exchange expertise and collectively strengthen their societies.
“When Russia invaded Ukraine, Civic Resilience Initiative recognized the challenges disinformation posed for democracies worldwide and started focusing on media literacy and ways to identify and counter fake news. Our team strongly believes that only knowledge, digital resilience and ability to expose disinformation will help societies remain democratic in the long term. Therefore, the first GCTF Workshop in Lithuania on Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference in Electoral Processes is a very timely event – parliamentary elections in Lithuania are just around the corner,” said Tomas Kazulėnas, the co-founder of Civic Resilience Initiative.
The first discussion of the workshop “The threat of FIMI: differences and similarities across different countries” addressed the question of the similarities and differences between foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI) in various countries. At present, China is exerting its influence by establishing media centers and purchasing local news outlets, facilitating the disinformation. Currently, one of the most significant risks is the collaboration between China and Russia, which allows both regimes to spread messages that resonate with a broader audience. It was observed that assaults on democratic systems exhibit many similarities, emphasizing the importance of democratic nations working together to effectively counter these threats. The most crucial actions for defending against FIMI are government transparency, improvement of public trust in democratic institutions, and the promotion of media literacy. Additionally, it is important to adopt strategies that engages non-governmental organizations, civil societies in the fight against FIMI and to take a proactive approach – prebunking sensitive news and information.
The discussion “The Age of AI in Disinformation: The Poison or the Remedy?” focused on the potential applications of AI in the context of disinformation. It was stated that AI can be used to spread disinformation and that it is challenging to counteract it effectively without AI. For example, TikTok promotes videos with anti-Israel, anti-Ukraine, anti-USA, and anti-Japan content. During election season, the number of such videos increases significantly. However, AI can assist in the detection and monitoring of social media, enabling the debunking of generated narratives and fake accounts. The primary challenge is that AI platforms based in China are aligned with Chinese strategic objectives and that major corporations, such as Google and Meta, may leave false information on their platforms if it increases their profits. It is important for the European Union to continue to work with countries like Taiwan that are trying to mitigate the negative impacts of AI. By sharing different knowledge, it can be more effective in combating FIMI and could put more pressure on major platforms, including Google, Twitter, and Facebook, to cooperate with democratic governments.
The final discussion “From Analysis to Action: Addressing FIMI Targeting The Electoral Processes” suggested that FIMI should be viewed in a broader sense, not only as disinformation, but as a form of cognitive warfare. To counter this type of warfare, governments should be proactive and enact harsh sanctions against those who use FIMI and fight for independence from the resources of autocrats. At the same time, it should be remembered that FIMI only works when autocrats can exploit weaknesses in democracies. Therefore, it is crucial for democracies and their influential media figures to define their own vocabulary, construct their narratives, and ensure that democratic concepts are not used against them by autocrats.
Launched in 2015 as a joint (U.S.-Taiwan) initiative, with Japan, Australia, and Canada later becoming full partners, GCTF has held nearly 80 workshops on topics including cybersecurity, public health, humanitarian assistance, and media literacy. Since 2021, GCTF franchise capacity-building workshops have been organized in likeminded countries around the world, covering topics such as economic and societal resilience and combating disinformation.