The Resilience Council condemns external interference and information manipulation against the background of the tragic events in Polish schools. We express our deepest sympathy to the victims and their families.

We pay particular attention to the fuelling of social fears and the mechanism of imitation of acts of violence, resulting largely from the dissemination of unconfirmed information about threats, perpetrators, acts of violence and related hate speech and high availability of such content. We would also like to remind you that in the announcements of 9 and 10 October, the Polish Police indicated that the latest series of tragic events in schools did not result from an action of organised groups of young people or a coordinated challenge in social media. 

Sensationalism, panic, fear and chaos are the goals of individuals and entities aiming at destabilising society and properly functioning institutions. We observe a surge of nihilistic extremism online, particularly threatening children and young people, the impact of which is increasingly visible in the profiles of perpetrators of various forms of violence. The phenomenon of nihilistic violent extremism has already been recognised at the level of the European Union and is the subject of coordinated action by Europol, whose experience can and must be used.

We warn of the growing impact of cognitive warfare and underscore the need to further develop a holistic approach to building collective cognitive security. We note with concern that the escalation of fear, polarization, distrust of institutions and panic corresponds to the known patterns, motives and logic of the Russian cognitive warfare against Poland. These actions are part of the operations that have been going on for years – disinformation campaigns during the COVID-19 pandemic and fuelling polarization during election periods to disinformation campaigns targeting Polish's relations with Ukraine, the Czech Republic and other nations. We also point to other directions of external influence and threats resulting from the consequences of addicting young people in particular to social media and monetizing their attention. In these activities, we observe increased activity of inauthentic accounts, troll farms and anonymous opinion leaders, as well as a flood of AI-generated content.

All participants in the information security ecosystem – citizens, public institutions, media, digital platforms – are responsible for the reproduced content. An effective response to the abovementioned threats requires active fostering of resilience and awareness of individuals and society. It is necessary to use verified sources of information, talk to children about the threats in the information environment, the impact of technology, various circles, content and ideas on their well-being. It is necessary to make children firmly and directly aware that the passivity of a witness (including a witness to cyberbullying and disinformation) is dangerous, and that any minor can assist in bringing about safety by reacting immediately: by telling adults about the danger or by calling 112.

Please also report disturbing content to the relevant institutions and digital platforms. Please do not redistribute such harmful content or warn against it without sharing its essential content and knowledge of its authors.

The Resilience Council develops initiatives to strengthen the resilience of society. Its members conduct media and digital education, involving schools, teachers and local governments. They have prepared educational and training materials for 800 thousand teachers, available on the Integrated Education Platform of the Ministry of Education. The Council also cooperates with local government officials at the regional and local level, building the foundations of activities covering entire Poland.

An important role is played by the Young Resilience Council project, which engages young people in recognizing cognitive threats and building awareness of their peers. The pilot project has shown the importance of such an approach: young people can not only better understand the mechanisms of harmful influences, but also actively reduce its effects. We expand the pilot to other schools in Poland and Lithuania, with the prospect of a joint educational project involving 30 Lithuanian schools. We also develop cooperation with partner schools in Finland, Norway and Italy.

Let's develop our and our children's information resilience and cognitive safety together. Let's use these materials and experiences in every municipality, in every school and in every home.