Supported by: Open Information Partnership (OIP) 

Project span: February – November 2025

Project team:  Grigorij Mesežnikov, Zora Bútorová, Miroslav Kollár,  Ján Bartoš, external experts and local co-workers.

Co-operating organizations:  civic associations and civic initiatives operating in smaller towns in the Slovak Republic.

Objective:  The project is aimed at strengthening the resilience of Slovak citizens living outside the larger urban areas  with limited opportunities for personal communication and discussion with opinion-making experts. The goal is to help these people to improve their understanding of hybrid risks for society and, based on convincing and credible expertise, to form a higher degree of identification with the values of democracy and their country’s belonging to the West. 

The project will focus on conveying IVO’s expertise in resilience to hybrid threats originating from hostile authoritarian states, neutralizing disinformation, conspiracy ideas and other toxic content through face-to-face communication in a series of discussions with residents living outside of larger urban locations.

Activities: Public discussions. 

Outputs: Reports on the events

1) Rimavská Sobota

2) Bardejov

3) Rožňava

4) Revúca

5) Nové Zámky  

6) Ábelová

7. Hlohovec 

8. Prievidza 

9. Brezno