BRIDGE Training on Cybersecurity and Disinformation in Elections in Albania

International IDEA conducts successful BRIDGE Workshop on Cybersecurity and Disinformation in Election in Albania

From 1 to 3 March 2023, the International IDEA held a BRIDGE workshop on “Cyber security and disinformation in election” in Albania, with the support of the Rule of Law Center of Finland and in cooperation with the Central Election Commission (CEC) of Albania. The workshop was attended by 21 participants from various organizations, including the CEC administration, state agencies, civil society organizations, and media. The training aimed to introduce participants to the challenges of cyber security and disinformation in the election process and to simulate situations on how the CEC administration should behave in cases of disinformation and cyberattacks.

The workshop covered several topics, including transparency and security during the election process, institutional cooperation to prevent cyberattacks, the challenges of electronic voting and counting, and the role of the CEC administration in combating disinformation. The training was conducted according to the BRIDGE curriculum and involved all participants in various simulations and discussions to acquire the discussed topics.

The workshop was facilitated by Dr. Doina Bordeianu, Accrediting BRIDGE Facilitator from Moldova, and two TtF complete facilitators. The two TtF complete facilitators were fully accredited as workshop facilitators during this training, becoming the first Albanian BRIDGE workshop facilitators. Both of them are high-rank executives of the CEC administration.

At the end of the workshop, participants were granted certificates for completing the modular workshop. The training received positive feedback from participants who appreciated the content and the BRIDGE methodology it was based on. They mentioned that the knowledge they gained during the workshop would help them in their future work, improve existing projects, and develop new ones. Many participants suggested organizing more BRIDGE workshops in the future.