We Organized a Regional Bootcamp on Hope-Based Communications

From May 20–22, 2025, with the support of EU TACSO 3 (EU Technical Assistance to Civil Society Organisations in the Western Balkans and Türkiye), we organized a regional bootcamp focused on hope-based communication approaches. This intensive three-day workshop series brought together civil society representatives from the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, North Macedonia, Kosovo) and Türkiye. A total of 20 communication professionals and civil society professionals participated in the program, which aimed to help participants explore hope-based communication through both theoretical and practical lenses. The event also served as a space for regional learning and experience sharing.

The program was led by Thomas Coombes, the founder of the hope-based comms, and Yana Buhrer Tavanier, co-founder of Fine Acts and an expert in creative activism. Participants engaged with the core principles of hope-based communication, theory of change, and narrative techniques. Interactive sessions fostered the development of communication strategies and encouraged experimentation with transforming existing approaches. Participants also explored creative tools, visual techniques, and storytelling methods through hands-on activities.

On the final day of the program, an experimental co-creation process facilitated by TÜSEV led to the development of a draft collective guide titled “The Reputation of Civil Society and Communication Strategies.” This guide aims to enhance the capacity for communication strategies in the region and support the wider adoption of the creative approaches.