© NGO Forum on ABD
2026-07-20
The Forus Communicators' Series: communicating platform value, building strategies and countering misinformation
Strengthening strategic communications for trust, influence and public engagement
National civil society platforms operate in an increasingly complex information environment, where public trust, visibility and credibility are essential to advancing social change. At the same time, misinformation and polarisation – both online and offline - are creating new challenges for organisations seeking to communicate effectively about civil society action, international cooperation and global solidarity.
How can strategic communication build relationships, engage audiences and create meaningful pathways for action? What innovative storytelling practices can we use for transformational social change?
National platforms play a critical role in amplifying the voices of civil society, connecting members, influencing public debates and demonstrating the value of collective action. However, many organisations face challenges in positioning themselves clearly, reaching diverse audiences and responding effectively to misleading narratives.
The overarching topic will be explored in three thematic sessions complemented by the Forus Learning Mondays.
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"Position, Story, Pitch": The Visibility & Storytelling Sprint- Communicating the Value of Civil Society Platforms: focuses on how national platforms position themselves and communicate their distinctive role, impact and added value; defining identity, strategic positioning and narratives
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"Spot It, Stop It, Tell It": The Misinformation Response Lab: focuses on how civil society understands and responds to misinformation and harmful narratives; for Forus members wanting to go deep on contested information environments civil society now operates in with trust decline, polarisation, shrinking attention.
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"Learn, Exchange, Act": The Peer Strategy Lab - Trust, Visibility, Voice: offers a broader peer exchange across positioning, trust, misinformation, tools and communications capacity, for members interested in Forus ecosystem opportunities around positioning and misinformation.
Connection to the wider Forus learning journey
The three sessions provides the strategic foundations for later practical learning. The Forus Learning Mondays translate them into practical outputs through hands-on tracks:
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developing visual campaigns
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improving websites
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strengthening social media presence
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creating storytelling formats
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producing communication materials
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experimenting with new communication tools
Each thematic session will therefore be linked to practical workshops where participants can apply the concepts explored and develop communications products tailored to their own platforms, audiences, and objectives.
Objectives of this session package:
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Strengthen understanding of strategic communications as a tool for increasing national platform visibility and influence.
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Explore approaches for positioning national civil society platforms and communicating their value to members, partners, decision-makers, donors and wider audiences.
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Identify challenges and opportunities in countering misinformation and polarising narratives affecting civil society and international cooperation while prposing innovative storytelling approaches.
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Share practical examples, lessons learned and tools for developing audience-centred communication strategies.
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Encourage peer learning and collaboration among communications practitioners and national platforms of the Forus network.
Some of the key discussion themes that will be explored over the next months:
1. Building visibility through strategic positioning
How can national platforms clearly communicate their role, impact and added value? Participants will explore approaches to defining organisational identity, strengthening public profiles and ensuring consistent messaging across communication channels.
2. Communicating in a contested information environment – the power of storytelling
How can civil society organisations respond to misinformation, disinformation and narratives that undermine trust? The session will examine the importance of understanding the information landscape, identifying harmful narratives and developing proactive communication approaches. Explore the power of creative storytelling.
3. Strengthening communications capacity and learning
Participants will exchange experiences on tools, tactics and approaches that support effective communication planning, including monitoring, evaluation and learning to improve impact over time. What opportunities exist within the Forus ecosystem and how do we bring them forward?
Join the first session on July 30, 13:00-14:30 UTC (open to Forus members and their members).
2026-06-01
Press Release - News
Data-Based Narrative: How Civil Society Is Reshaping the Case for ODA and Global Cooperation Forus hosted the interactive session: Data-Based Narrative: Shaping ODA and Global Cooperation, creating a dynamic space to explore how CSOs are leveraging data to strengthen communication, advocacy, and public engagement.