INCLUDE ME+ Training – “Online Stories and Campaigns”

On 1 October 2025, as part of the INCLUDE ME+ Training hosted by Åbo Akademi University in Finland, EUCEN delivered the workshop “Online Stories and Campaigns.” The session explored how digital storytelling, social media activism, and online campaigns can raise awareness of global and local issues, challenge inequalities, and foster social change.

Participants began by analysing well-known examples such as the #MeToo and #BlackLivesMatter movements, the #IamHere initiative, and the Kony 2012 campaign. These cases illustrated how online platforms can amplify voices, mobilise communities, and influence public discourse.

Building on these examples, participants worked in groups to identify and discuss similar campaigns from their own contexts. The results were inspiring and diverse:

• Another highlighted AONTAS’s campaign on the value of adult learning (aontas.com/advocacy/campaigns), promoting adequate funding for adult and community education in Ireland.
  
  
• A third group shared the interactive platform Queering the Map (queeringthemap.com), where LGBTQ+ individuals anonymously share their stories, creating a global sense of connection and visibility.
  
  
• Other participants discussed the protests in Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini, showcasing acts of solidarity such as Coldplay’s tribute performance (YouTube) and the moment when a Swedish MEP cut her hair during a speech in the European Parliament (YouTube).
• One group presented the Turkish website Boykot Dedektifi (boykotdedektifi.org), which maps companies with Israeli financial links, inviting users to make informed ethical choices.
  
  
• Finally, one group reflected on the situation of Afghan women and the ongoing challenges faced by women in Afghanistan.
  
  

The workshop demonstrated the power of online narratives and collective digital action to foster awareness, empathy, and engagement. It also highlighted how storytelling can connect individuals across borders and drive social transformation.

EUCEN thanks all participants for their active contributions and meaningful discussions during this session — a vivid reminder that digital media, when used thoughtfully, can become a tool for inclusion, solidarity, and positive change.

🔗 Learn more about the project: www.includememedia.eu