SEESAC Launches Social Media Training Series for SALW Control Awareness Raising in Pristina

A social media profile of an institution can be more than a digital noticeboard. With proper strategy and execution, it can become a trusted space where citizens find information that is relevant to them, where they come to ask questions, share information, and understand how to act. 

This is the focus of a new series of social media trainings organised by  SEESAC, with EU support, aimed at strengthening how Ministries of Interior and police communicate with the public on firearms-related risks and prevention through smart and strategic use of non-traditional communication channels. 

The role of social media platforms in news distribution is undoubtedly growing. Furthermore, trust in traditional media is in decline. According to surveys conducted in 2021, in two thirds of the Western Balkans, social media are the second most prevalent source of information, after television. Social media thus should have an increasingly important role in public outreach and having a skillset needed for planning and creating content that will gain the attention of public is becoming essential for institutions.  

The first two-day training, held on 23–24 June in Pristina, brought together representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Police to explore the role and potential of  social media today, as well as how it can be used more strategically in awareness-raising activities linked to SALW control. 

The programme focused on moving beyond occasional posts and short-term, general campaigns towards consistent, targeted and audience-centred communication. Participants examined how public institutions can build a clear and recognisable voice, identify stories that matter to their audiences and adapt them to different social media formats. 

Through practical exercises, they developed social media content and worked on a six-month communication calendar linked to key firearms-control dates and campaign cycles. Particular attention was given to formats such as carousels and reels, as well as to effective hooks, concise storytelling and clear calls to action. 

The training was based on SEESAC’s newly released publication The Voice of Institutions in the Service of Citizens: Guidelines for More Effective Social Media Use in Firearms-Related Awareness-Raising Activities, which highlights sustained, relevant, two-way communication as a key for successful public outreach. The Guidelines encourage institutions to define their audience needs, communication objectives and available resources before creating content. 

The training also addressed performance measurement and the use of social media insights to improve future communication. As the first event in the series, it established a foundation for further capacity-building support focused on more effective firearms-related awareness raising on social media, which will take place over the course of the next few months. 
 
The training was made possible with the financial support of the European Union. It was undertaken within the second phase of the regional project 'Support for Enhancing the Fight Against the Illegal Possession, Misuse, and Trafficking of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) in the Western Balkans', funded by the European Commission, Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations, through the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA II).