From Words to Stories

The project From Words to Stories is a national initiative, proposed by a coalition of LGBTIQ, Roma and migrant organizations, along with the Association of European Journalists – Bulgaria with the main objective to counteract hate speech with focus on xenophobia, homophobia and transphobia along with other forms of intolerance. It will build capacity across communities and professionals and offer training, communication and advocacy efforts to expose the negative effects of hate speech on individuals, social groups and society as a whole; and on creating and promoting counter-narratives, including stories of resilience and diversity.
The project builds on the experience of project partners in taking a multidimensional and cross-community approach on intolerances in general and hate speech in specific. In addition, the project puts forward the importance of stories of facing, overcoming and countering hate speech and intolerance, which is also reflected in its title. To do that, the project builds capacity in story-holders (minority youth and allies) and story-tellers (journalists, media professionals and content creators); it build bridges between them and equips them with specific knowledge and attitude (for journalists) and practical skills and awareness (for youth) to better tell stories.
The project then invests heavily in making these stories heard by the general public, using various channels and tools (media publications, youth-led and co-created media content, movie, social engaged art, outdoor and online campaigns, etc.), while at the same time increasing reporting levels and engaging relevant authorities.
Timeline: December 2024 - February 2026
Partners: GLAS Foundation (leading partner), Bilitis Foundation, Association of the European Journalists - Bulgaria, Pro European Network, Multi Kulti Collective (all from Bulgaria)
Funding: European Commission, CERV programme
