Anti-rumours

In recent years, cities have been identifying the rise of extreme right-wing movements and the risks that young people run of incorporating erroneous beliefs about minorities and migrants that are being disseminated on social networks. The Anti-rumours project aims to create tools that demystify and deconstruct myths related to migrants in our country, to help develop critical thinking, and awareness, and increase sensitivity and empathy for these issues.

In Portugal, three cities volunteered to implement the Anti-rumours project together with the Portuguese Network of Intercultural Cities namely Albufeira, Cascais, and Viseu. The aim was to promote a strong message that Portuguese cities are prepared to welcome and value all citizens and train technicians from the cities to use the anti-rumor products and methodologies resulting from this project, in order to maintain the production of locally relevant materials and campaigns.

The implementation process used implied:

1. Selection of the three rumors to work on, that exist in Portuguese cities

2. Researching and compiling the respective anti-rumors

3. Conducting Focus Groups with a sample of the target audience, to get insights and ideas

4. Researching and compiling a list of the celebrities and influencers that are most present in these age groups

5. work with young people, cities, schools, and celebrities/influencers to create and disseminate content for the campaign