UNESCO’s Global Media and Information Literacy Week is celebrated from the 24th to 31st of October worldwide with events aimed at strengthening critical thinking and information literacy skills.
On October 22, the Baltic Center for Media Excellence, together with the NGO New East, launched the week with Media Literacy Day in Latgale – an event dedicated to professionals from museums, galleries, libraries, and the media. The event was organized within the framework of the BECID project (Baltic Engagement Centre for Combating Information Disorders).
Third Regional Media Literacy Event Held in Daugavpils
The conference focused on the role of culture, creativity, and media literacy in enhancing social resilience and security in the Baltic border regions. As a diverse border city, Daugavpils offered an ideal setting, highlighting how cultural and media institutions can foster trust and cohesion within communities.
Panel Discussion on Soft Security in Border Regions
The day opened with the panel discussion “Soft Security Tools in Border Regions: How Culture, Media, and Education Strengthen the Latgale Community?”
Participants included Minister of Culture Agnese Lāce, LSM Board Member for Technology and LATO member Ingemārs Vekteris, head of the Līvāni Youth Centre “Kvartāls” Marija Driksna, and Pasiene parish priest Vitālijs Filipenoks.
Moderated by Vladislava Romanova, the discussion emphasized the critical role of cultural and information institutions as pillars of social trust and security.
A Collaborative Think-Tank Session
The panel was followed by a think-tank session led by activist Anželika Litvinoviča, bringing together representatives of museums, galleries, libraries, and the media. The session aimed to foster trust, inclusion, and open dialogue across different cultural and community sectors.
Workshops on Culture, Education, and MediaIn the afternoon, participants joined three parallel workshops:
- Culture workshop, led by Portuguese artist and cultural mediator Mafalda Garcia, explored how creative practices can cultivate empathy, reduce fear, and empower communities.
- Media workshop, led by TVNET Group Editor-in-Chief Toms Ostrovskis, focused on editorial decision-making and the representation of regional perspectives in national media.
- Education workshop, led by New East board member Alina Hačetlova, demonstrated the interactive computer game “Disinformation Hunt” as an engaging tool for teaching media literacy in schools and libraries.
Participants also engaged in a simulation game designed to analyze models of cooperation among decision-makers, media representatives, NGOs, and active citizens during crisis situations.
The Day Concluded with the Monodrama “The Man and the Tyrant”
The event culminated with the monodrama “The Man and the Tyrant”, performed at the New East cultural space. Based on Vladimir Nabokov’s story “The Tyrant Destroyed”, the play explores the internal conflict between freedom and submission, empathy and fear.
It invites the audience to reflect on the influence of propaganda and illustrates how dialogue and understanding can be more powerful than division. The performance inspires reflection and reminds us that art, conversation, and participation can help bridge gaps created by disinformation and fear.
