Project Summary
Disinformation is one of the greatest threats of our time. It actively undermines democracy, fractures social cohesion, and redefines the very concept of truth.
There is an urgent need to empower citizens with information and media literacy skills so that they can understand political and societal contexts, recognise the threats posed by disinformation, polarisation, and propaganda, and be fully informed when making relevant choices and decisions.
OLYMP is a response to the growing demand for new approaches to enhancing media literacy, with a view to increasing citizens' resilience against disinformation.
General objective
The general objective of the project is to strengthen resilience against disinformation and enhance citizens' democratic participation and civic competences. OLYMP will contribute to achieving the objectives of the call's priority "Countering disinformation and other forms of interference in the democratic debate and promoting media literacy".
Young people, as current and future voters, emerge as a high-priority target group. OLYMP includes activities dedicated to enhancing their informed participation in public debates and strengthening their contribution to the democratic and civic life of the Union.
A response to a real threat
- Resilience against disinformation
- Stronger democratic participation
- Media literacy through reading
- Sport as a vehicle for EU values
Our approach
Reading will be promoted through the development of an innovative cross-sectoral curriculum, which will be delivered by establishing book clubs in four EU Member States, where only sports-related books and texts will be discussed. Alongside book-specific discussions, topics relevant to building media literacy, active citizenship, human rights, and democracy will be explored.
Media professionals working in sports organisations will act as facilitators by initiating and moderating discussions, debates, and conversations that will enhance athletes' ability to form and express their own opinions, defend their arguments, and respect the positions of others.
In addition, project events will focus on raising their awareness and understanding of common EU values, demonstrating that these values are also reflected in sport values and in the principles of unity and diversity.
Expected participation
Across 12 in-situ and online project events.
Elite athletes
Grassroots athletes
Sport stakeholders
Project events
Expected results
Enhanced reading engagement, reading performance, and reading enjoyment among athletes.
Enhanced critical thinking and media literacy, including in the use of the Internet and social media.
Increased resistance to all forms of discrimination and indoctrination.
Developed capacity to engage in productive debates and voice concerns.
Increased awareness of athletes' rights and EU values, and strengthened democratic participation.
Democratic participation
The project will address the general objective of the call, namely to promote citizens' and representative associations' participation in and contribution to the democratic and civic life of the Union. We will organise national and international events that provide a platform for elite and grassroots athletes, as well as supporters, to publicly exchange views in the field of media literacy promotion in and through sport. In this regard, the project will create opportunities for athletes and sport communities to actively participate in public debate and contribute to the wider democratic discourse.
The project reflects the growing recognition of the benefits of reading for the ability to comprehend and analyse information, think critically, and form opinions and judgements about different situations. To this end, reading has an important role to play in helping people become media-literate and responsible citizens.
Specific objectives
To design an innovative tailor-made curriculum aimed at promoting reading among athletes, while also building their resilience to disinformation and strengthening their civic engagement.
To strengthen the important role of media professionals in the field of sport and librarians in developing athletes' media literacy by organising an international capacity-building activity to equip them with the skills to promote reading and strengthen critical thinking.
To strengthen the democratic participation of young athletes by providing them with opportunities for meaningful engagement in political life.
To raise citizens' awareness of the negative impact of fake news on democratic debate and promote the consistent development of media literacy policies at national level through participation in an international "Sport against Disinformation" campaign with coordinated public activities in the four EU countries.
To promote the role of civil society organisations in countering disinformation by encouraging a wide variety of stakeholders in the fields of sport, culture, and non-formal education to integrate media literacy into their regular activities and design actions that strengthen resilience against disinformation targeting elite and grassroots athletes, as well as sport supporters.
Discover more about OLYMP
Project background, partners and activities.