The European Advocacy Academy, a training programme organized twice annually by European Dignity Watch and co-sponsored by ECPM, took place between 10 and 13 April 2018. It focused on communication. 25 participants from 12 different countries attended nine lectures and five workshops on developing key messages on the topics of freedom, family, and life. ECPM Board Member George Rukhadze, who is an active foreign and security policy speaker in the Georgian and international media, gave a lecture on developing media messages. He also presented to participants the work of ECPM.

We are pleased to say that we met our objectives by training a very active group of stakeholders on communication. Lectures included topics such as Communications Strategy, Crisis
Communication, Presentation Techniques, Communications in a Civil Society Campaign, Framing Messages, and Working with the Media. The seminars enabled our participants to learn more and acquire new skills to be better activists. We had very practical workshops on Communication Techniques, where participants received personalized feedback on their skills. The participants have also had the chance to visit the European Parliament, attended a lecture there, and meet two MEPs: Mr. Kazimierz Ujazdovski and Mrs. Marijana Petir. Finally, we are building and strengthening a network of competent and like-minded stakeholders in Europe by connecting them and offering them further trainings designed for them.