Illustration: Rozalina Burkova
Our latest Labs edition took place in Sofia, Bulgaria (7-11 June 2018) and focused on the threats to democracy and civil rights in Europe, and the shrinking space for civil society in the region.
For this event, we selected 24 outstanding fellows from Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland and Romania, out of over 130 applications. The focus on these countries is intentional as they are places in Europe where governments are increasingly cracking down on organisations that promote democracy and defend human rights.
The teams worked together for three days to generate new, concrete ideas to move the human rights agenda forward in the region and beyond.
They were supported by prominent human rights activists such as John Dalhuisen, former Director of Amnesty International’s Europe and Central Asia Programme, and Todor Gardos, Eastern Europe and Balkans Researcher at Human Rights Watch, as well as a number of leading marketing, campaigning, art and technology experts.
The winning team, Weronika Jurkiewicz and Michal Szota, both from Poland, proposed the creation of a board game where the goal is to “put yourself in the shoes of a dictator and suppress, take over, and shut down” as many civil society organizations as possible. The game will be produced by Fine Acts in collaboration with the team, and will launch in 2019.
See all project ideas here, which are open for use and adaptation!
See the full photo gallery from the event.
If you’re interested in organising an event in your city, see how at actlabs.co.
Fine Acts Labs (now ACT Labs) are unique events that explore the intersection of human rights, art and technology, and develop a range of solutions - from immersive, participatory art pieces to apps with a strong art component. By communicating human rights issues in new, unexpected ways, we seek new avenues to inspire action and attract support.