Harnessing Moral Emotions to Defend, Inspire, and Mobilise Civil Society

Moral emotions—anger, fear, hope, pride—shape how people see the world, take action, and respond to political messaging. They can inspire communities, but they are also often weaponised in smear campaigns.

This free, hands-on Summer Academy Master Class by MORES equips civil society leaders and members with practical tools to understand, use, and counter moral emotions ethically. Participants will work on real-world tasks, directly tied to the communication challenges they face in their day-to-day work (sign up below.)

The training will be held on 10, 11, and 12 September from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM each day. The master class is based on research from the MORES project and will be delivered by leading experts.

You will learn to:

• Activate emotions ethically to support rational, values-driven goals.

• Identify and counter toxic emotional manipulation in public discourse.

• Protect your organisation and lead effectively in times of emotional stress.

Format:

• Dates: 10-12 September 2025.

• Time: 10:00—12:00 CET (3 x 120 min sessions).

• Location: Online.

• Cost: Free (limited spots available).

• Register by 31 August 2025. Confirmed participants will be notified by email.

Registration:

• Civil Society Organisation leaders and members can sign up for the master class via this link.

Speakers:

• Zsolt Boda, research professor, Centre for Social Sciences.

• Petko Georgiev, communication expert, ProMedia.

• Péter Krekó, associate professor, ELTE University, Dept. of Psychology.

• Gabriella Szabó, senior research fellow, Centre for Social Sciences.

Programme:

Download the full programme here.

Deliverables for participants:

• Emotional Strategy Toolkit (PDF).

• Optional recording of all sessions.

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Contact Information

Contact us at [email protected].