In this session, Priska Babuin from ODIHR and Sophie Hale from ENNHRI looked at how NHRIs can go about mainstreaming gender in their work. The session explored several key concepts, including gender, gender equality and gender mainstreaming. It then discussed how women and girls face specific challenges related to anti-human rights narratives; disinformation; hate crimes and speech; polarisation; and the reasons for why they are being targeted. Finally, the session set out how NHRIs can combat this, for example by developing gender-responsive communications policies and building alliances with women’s organisations and feminist movements.

In this introductory session, NHRI Academy 2026 trainer Dr. Ben Warwick, Reader in Human Rights Law at the University of Birmingham, gave a historical overview of the anti-rights ecosystem. He reflected on key political and social developments over recent decades and emphasised that anti-rights movements should not be understood as one big conspiracy. Rather, they consist of many different modes, functions and actions attacking rights.

The session continued with a presentation by NHRI Academy 2026 trainer Anna Alboth, Global Media Officer at Minority Rights Group, who examined anti-rights narratives in practice. She provided five practical patterns of anti-rights narratives: 1. language shifts before policy shifts; 2. anti-rights narratives are emotional before ideological; 3. media ecosystems reward simplification; 4. institutions accidentally amplify harmful narratives; and 5. small social shifts matter.

Participants then explored country-specific examples through case studies. Ivan Novosel, from the Human Rights House Zagreb, presented developments in Croatia. He highlighted how people who attempt to criticise the government or state institutions are being labelled as anti-Croatian.

This was followed by a group exercise, where the participants discussed examples of the ecosystem and narratives in their respective national contexts. The session concluded with a summary by Ben Warwick on different archetypes of anti-rights situations.

In this session, Anna Alboth explored approaches to communicating with sceptical audiences on human rights issues. She discussed the fears and concerns that often underpin anti-human rights narratives and highlighted the importance of listening before messaging, understanding the concerns that shape sceptical audiences’ attitudes, humanisation and creating empathy. Participants also reflected on their own experiences of unsuccessful communication efforts.

Jakob Sheikh, from the Danish NHRI, shared experiences of communicating on migrants’ rights in Denmark. He highlighted that the topic selection is the most important factor in shaping their communication strategy. He also emphasised using listening as a tool for influence, rather than telling decision-makers what they should do.

Concluding the session, Anna Alboth reflected on common communication challenges faced by institutions and emphasised the need to make messaging more accessible, focusing on relevance, building trust, and maintaining a human approach rather than trying to win arguments.

In this session, Deniz Wagner, Advisor to the OSCE Representative on Freedom and Media, discussed links between media freedom, information manipulation and democratic resilience. She explored how information manipulation can exploit vulnerabilities in democratic societies by increasing confusion, distrust and polarisation, and emphasised the need for rights-based and cross-sectoral responses.

Next, Lenka Vestenická, from the Slovak NHRI, shared findings from their report on the protection of environmental human rights defenders in Slovakia and how to advocate for their protection. This included sending letters to government officials, publishing press releases, and contacting the Special Rapporteur on Environmental Defenders under the Aarhus Convention.

The session finished with an interactive exercise where the participants were presented with different scenarios ahead of an election and the role of NHRIs in responding to them.

In this session, Julia Haas, Adviser to the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, discussed how most information is accessed through intermediaries and how a small number of actors have control over the information ecosystem and infrastructure. She examined the role of AI in shaping the information space, including the spread of harassment and disinformation. She also highlighted how generative AI summaries often lack proper sourcing, undermining independent journalism.

The session explored possible responses, including transparency measures, risk and impact assessments, support for independent journalism and changes to algorithmic recommendation systems. It also distinguished between indirect interventions, such as risk assessments and trust signalling, and stronger regulatory approaches requiring platforms to prioritise public interest information.

Next, Dudi Ilias, from the Albanian NHRI, presented case-law from Albania. She explained that all public services were digitalised and moved online in 2018 and that, through an ENNHRI regranting project, the NHRI produced a report on digitalisation of public services and its impacts. She noted that the private sector filled the gap in enabling peoples’ access to services. She also explained that the government developed a chatbot to facilitate access to public services, which was designated as a Cabinet Minister.

The session concluded with a group exercise on responding to AI-driven, public-facing platforms and tools that spread misleading information or produce discriminatory recommendations.

Ben Warwick started the session by discussing how the structure of advocacy has shifted, with businesses, the wider public and anti-rights groups having a growing role. Meanwhile, many NHRIs continue to rely on older methods such as government lobbying. He noted that traditional approaches like research and grounding in rights framework and moral framing are often less effective today.

The session explored different mechanisms for rights advocacy and how these can be translated into practical activities, including using rights as an organising tool and as a communication language. Ben Warwick also presented the violation-violator-remedy framework, emphasising the importance of clearly identifying the violation, the violator and the solution.

This was followed by a presentation by Carol Hunt, from the Irish NHRI, in which she highlighted the importance of storytelling, lived experiences, trust-building, media engagement, and early relationship-building with institutions. She also addressed challenges linked to misinformation and public trust.

The session concluded with a group discussion on how NHRIs can generate positive change in the form of the most useful advocacy techniques. Examples from the NHRIs included social media content, e-learning tools, outreach at festivals and joint statements with the UN.

In this session, Ben Warwick discussed “rights hooks” for reaching new audiences, including housing, children’s rights and the cost of living.

Next, Anna Alboth focused on practical ways of reaching new groups and audiences. She stressed the importance of reflecting on who communication is for, adapting language and tone without simplifying the message, building trust before crisis occurs, and working with trusted partners. She also noted that young people often share human rights values but reject institutional language and tone.

The session concluded with a group exercise on shaping narratives for new audiences. Participants shared examples of outreach through sports organisations, cooperation with minority community representatives, and efforts to reach refugees through already established community networks.

Ben Warwick began the session by discussing economic insecurity and identified four broad trends: wealth inequality, income inequality, scarcity and insecurity. He highlighted how inflation, stagnant wages, insecure employment and uncertainty about the future affect people’s lives, particularly younger people. The session also addressed changes in labour markets and the access to welfare and social protection.

Participants shared examples of how NHRIs work on economic and social rights challenges, including reports on the impacts of economic crises and COVID–19, monitoring discrimination in welfare policies and annual reporting on social rights.

A group exercise explored what communities value most in relation to the economy, with examples such as financial security and certainty about the future. This was followed by a discussion on the social impacts of economic insecurity and how it can undermine trust in institutions, weaken social cooperation and contribute to polarisation and “othering” between groups.

Rosie McIntosh, from the Scottish NHRI, presented the organisation’s work during the recent election. She highlighted the use of storytelling, listening to communities and incorporating people’s lived experience into reporting and advocacy.

Ruth Burns, Programme Coordinator of ODHIR’s Training Against Hate Crime for Law Enforcement, started the session by discussing why hate crimes need to be addressed. The session covered how to identify hate crimes, the distinction between hate crimes and hate speech, and their impact on individual victims, target communities and society.

Through a case study on the anti-immigrant riots in Southport, United Kingdom, in 2024, participants explored how disinformation, existing narratives and online mobilisation can contribute to the rapid escalation of tensions and violence. They discussed the role of, and key challenges for, NHRIs in such cases and how to monitor potential indicators. Examples from the NHRIs included establishing monitoring networks and reporting mechanisms, working groups on identifying hate crimes and multisectoral and multistakeholder approaches.

Ruth Burns concluded the session with key takeaways, highlighting disinformation as a catalyst, discrimination as a process of normalisation and hate crimes as a potential violent outcome. At the same time, she emphasised NHRIs’ role in early intervention.

In the final session of the Academy, Anna Alboth explored how migration is often framed through narratives related to security, housing, culture and identity, and discussed the role of stereotypes, perceptions and personal experiences in shaping attitudes towards migrants. Drawing on examples from their countries, the participants reflected on historical and contemporary experiences of migration and displacement.

The session also examined communication approaches that have been effective in addressing anti-migrant narratives and disinformation. This included trusted journalism, film, engagement with local communities and visual storytelling. They also looked at approaches that have been less effective, such as abstract legal language, panic reactions and speaking about migrants without involving them. The discussion highlighted the importance of communicating with, rather than about, migrants, as well as reaching audiences beyond those already supportive of human rights.