Handbook

NAMA4PD Train-the-Trainer Manual

As part of a project funded by the Bavarian State Chancellery (Link: https://www.bayern.de/in-english) between 2023 and 2025, PLA, in cooperation with the Free University of Berlin (Link: https://www.polsoz.fu-berlin.de/en/kommwiss/arbeitsstellen/mediennutzung/index.html) and OTH Regensburg (Link: https://www.oth-regensburg.de/en), developed a comprehensive training program to combat disinformation in Senegal based on the NAMA4PD principles.

To this end, a series of workshops was conducted with the dual goal of, first, compiling the latest scientific research on effectively combating disinformation and targeted manipulation of societies. Building on this foundation, practical countermeasures were then developed. Second, workshops were held on-site in Senegal to incorporate the expertise of regional specialists from the media, academia, and civil society, in order to adapt the measures to the cultural and local conditions in the project region in southern Senegal.

The result of this work was a scientifically sound “train-the-trainer” program adapted to West African contexts, which aims to equip locally based multipliers with the necessary foundational and applied knowledge to better recognize and refute disinformation themselves, as well as to pass on this knowledge as trainers within their communities and social and professional networks. Among other resources, existing materials were utilized, such as the Digital Enquirer Kit (Link: https://digitalenquirer.org/).

This concept is documented in the NAMA4PD Training Manual. It contains all training modules, including exercises and sample materials, as well as detailed instructional guidelines that enable trainers to use this manual to share their knowledge on recognizing and properly addressing disinformation, for example, in self-organized workshops. The training manual is available in German and French and may be used free of charge by anyone interested under the terms of the Creative Commons “Attribution 4.0 International” license (CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en).