Persefone Campaigning

22/10/2025

I did an experiment where I started a new Instagram accounts and followed the main far right political parties and news outlets in Italy , UK and US. The results were very similar to what Rory is talking about in the video.

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1FYybR1jys/?mibextid=wwXIfr

19/10/2025

Break out of the echo chamber and fool the algorithm

https://open.substack.com/pub/persefonecampaigning/p/how-to-help-get-social-media-posts?r=6euhht&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false

Break out of the echo chamber and fool the algorithm

18/10/2025

Era ora che qualcuno dicesse qualcosa di sensato:

"Poi vira sul politico: «Non batteremo l'estrema destra seguendo la loro agenda: dobbiamo ricordare chi siamo come socialisti. Dobbiamo spingerli sul nostro campo della difesa dei diritti e di giustizia sociale».

Elly schlein

18/10/2025

No Kings Day is also taking place around the world organized by Indivisible Abroad and Democrats Abroad under the name No Tyrants Day.
I attended this event in Rome. As you can see the Portland Frog has started a worldwide way to peacefully protest.

Speaking to a couple of young students attending the American university John Cabot they said it had been hard to find information about today’s event. Therefore another issue with social media algorithms and shadow banning means it’s important to spread the news to all your friends in person.

Today’s protest was full of speeches and chanting. The best message I heard was “Make sure you do one thing per day to fight back”.

We are not powerless, there are small things we can do. I have started my substack pages (Persefone Coaching and Persefone Campaigning) to try to make people aware of the information war, how it works, what to do, and to help people talk effectively and persuasively to those with opposing views. If you just tell them they are wrong and try to give them facts, they won’t listen and you won’t change their minds.

Another truth is the fact that it feels overwhelming if we try to fight back alone. It’s better in community and groups. Speaking to another young American/Italian she said that just coming out today, and being surrounded by other people who share her fears and values gave her hope, optimism and strength.

I also talked to them about my idea of starting up meet ups to share our thoughts and information and most importantly to support each other. They were very enthusiastic about it! Would you like to organize or attend something like this?

If you are in American today please go out to protest. If you are abroad, search for a local event and you just might find there is one! This is not an American problem. It’s a world problem. It’s not just about Trump but the worldwide far-right agenda, information war, and psychological warfare. What we see happening in America could happen to your country/place of residence. Maybe it already is?

So we need to stand up to them before we cant…..

Get more from Persefone Coaching on Patreon

18/10/2025

The Portland frog has started a worldwide way to peacefully protest

October 18th is having its own version abroad

This event in Rome was organised by the Democrats Abroad. I spoke to some young American protesters who said it had been hard to find information on the protest any maybe that explained why many of the students from the American universities in Rome didn’t come along.

Social media algorithms means that important information doesn’t reach people or others have already been brainwashed by the information war the far right has been waging for years. What can we do to combat this?

If progressives want to fight back they need to enter the information/disinformation war with a more tech savvy approach.

Have you heard of the Portland frog? What do you know about what’s happening in America right now? Apart from tariffs and ICE do you know what Trump has been doing to destroy democracy, education and diversity and inclusion and equality in America? Do you know what his aim is?

What about what’s happening in your country? Where do you get your inormation from? Do you know what your government is really doing?

It’s time to get back into politics.

17/10/2025

Please find Zohran Mamdani and Zack Polanski on Instagram to see how to run an amazing and engaging campaign. Not just their posts but also Mamdani's channel.

If you have TikTok check them out there too.

You might just find out it is possible to get all those people who attended the protests back to the ballot boxes.

You just might find out how to be left and progressive in the modern age.

Mamdani: https://www.instagram.com/zohrankmamdani/
Polanski: https://www.instagram.com/greenpartyzack/
or his podcast: https://www.instagram.com/_boldpolitics/

16/10/2025

How do you talk to someone who's fallen down a conspiracy rabbit hole?
This guide offers a thoughtful, evidence-based approach: connection before correction.

The key insight: people aren't defending opinions, they're defending identity. Attack the belief and their mind shuts down. Show genuine curiosity about their story, and it begins to reopen.

Rather than fact-bombing or debating, the method focuses on asking questions that gently trigger self-reflection:

"What kind of evidence would change your mind?"
"How do you decide which sources to trust?"
"When you first got interested in this, what convinced you most?"

No mockery. No moral shaming. Just patient questions that plant seeds of doubt and remind them of their own critical thinking.

Whether it's a family member, friend, or colleague who's changed, this offers practical tools for having difficult conversations without destroying relationships.

Worth reading if you've ever felt stuck trying to reach someone you care about:
https://open.substack.com/pub/persefonecampaigning/p/talking-to-people-caught-in-political?r=6euhht&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false

Based on Steve Hassan’s communication principles and Strategic Interactive Approach

16/10/2025

Have you watched someone you care about disappear down a rabbit hole of conspiracy theories or extreme political views? You’ve tried facts, you’ve tried reasoning, you’ve sent links. Nothing works. They just dig in deeper.

This episode explores approaches from the field of cult recovery that might actually help. Drawing on the work of Dr Steven Hassan and other experts who’ve spent decades helping people leave high-control groups, we’ll look at why facts alone rarely work, and what might work instead.

You’ll learn:
Why challenging someone’s beliefs often backfires (and what to do instead)
How to ask questions that invite reflection rather than defensiveness
The concept of ‘planting seeds of doubt’ without forcing change
Why protecting the relationship matters more than winning the argument
When to recognise the limits of what you can do alone

This isn’t a magic solution. These techniques were developed for families working with professional counsellors, and they take time and patience. But if you’re exhausted from arguing and want to try a different approach, this episode offers practical strategies grounded in decades of research on persuasion, control, and recovery.

Whilst the original research focused on religious cults, the psychological mechanisms apply remarkably well to political extremism, conspiracy theories, and other forms of ideological capture.

Content note: This episode discusses manipulation and psychological control in the context of both cults and political movements.
Resources mentioned:

Dr Steven Hassan’s BITE Model of Authoritarian Control
The Strategic Interactive Approach to helping loved ones
Research by Robert Jay Lifton, Margaret Singer, and others on thought reform

Listen for free on Substack: https://open.substack.com/pub/persefonecampaigning/p/how-to-talk-to-someone-whos-been?r=6euhht&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

What cult recovery techniques can teach us about reaching loved ones who've embraced political misinformation

14/10/2025

How Kier Starmer Conned the British Electorate by Paul Holden: https://www.declassifieduk.org/how-keir-starmer-conned-the-british-electorate/?fbclid=IwY2xjawNbB7RleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETBEY214YmNMcVNwZ2RYa2g4AR7aV0CT0oJ1l8xUZhHyeCSwTUGFoAw379TcCazp31BcWhTsgX2fKG-jjg3LxA_aem_YGMBy4WIPwr6ybgNawtRPA

Book review: ‘The Fraud’ offers the most damning portrayal yet of the Starmer project.

07/10/2025

Due disegni di legge, un unico obiettivo: gli sforzi paralleli in Italia di far passare la critica a Israele come antisemitismo

Due disegni di legge sono attualmente in discussione al Senato italiano e mirano a penalizzare determinate forme di espressione riguardanti Israele. Sebbene siano stati presentati separatamente da Maurizio Gasparri di Forza Italia e Massimiliano Romeo della Lega, i testi si sovrappongono così strettamente che le commissioni parlamentari hanno già deciso di esaminarli insieme. Entrambi prevedono l’adozione della definizione operativa di antisemitismo dell’International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) nel diritto italiano, estendendone l’applicazione a scuole, università e sfera pubblica.

Cosa prevedono i disegni di legge

Entrambi i testi definiscono l’antisemitismo in modo sufficientemente ampio da includere quella che descrivono come negazione del diritto di Israele a esistere o manifestazioni di antisionismo. In pratica, ciò potrebbe confondere la critica politica allo Stato di Israele con l’odio razziale o religioso.

Propongono inoltre campagne di educazione e sensibilizzazione a livello statale in tutte le scuole e università per prevenire l’antisemitismo, e la formazione di insegnanti e personale della polizia per riconoscerlo. Il Ministero dell’Istruzione sarebbe responsabile dei corsi annuali volti a contrastare ciò che viene definito antisemitismo, incluso l’antisionismo.

Il disegno di legge Gasparri (DDL 1627)

Il DDL di Gasparri è il più recente e punitivo dei due. Mira a modificare l’articolo 604-bis del codice penale, aumentando le pene fino al 50 per cento quando i reati coinvolgono la negazione della Shoah o del diritto di Israele a esistere. Il testo fa esplicito riferimento ad atti compiuti nell’ambito scolastico e universitario e conferisce al governo il potere di emanare regolamenti per la prevenzione e la segnalazione all’interno delle istituzioni educative.

Il DDL collega la sua urgenza all’attacco di Hamas del 7 ottobre 2023, utilizzando il conflitto a Gaza come giustificazione per rafforzare il controllo sul discorso pubblico in Italia.

Il disegno di legge Lega (DDL 1004)

Il DDL di Romeo, presentato all’inizio del 2024, si concentra meno sulla punizione e più sulla censura preventiva. Autorizza le autorità locali a negare permessi per riunioni o manifestazioni pubbliche qualora ritengano vi sia un grave rischio potenziale che slogan, simboli o messaggi possano risultare antisemiti secondo la definizione IHRA.

Estende inoltre gli obblighi formativi alla polizia e promuove campagne informative a livello nazionale. I critici sostengono che ciò dia agli ufficiali un’ampia discrezionalità per bloccare riunioni e manifestazioni prima che si svolgano.

Dove si sovrappongono

Entrambi i disegni di legge:
• Trattano l’antisionismo come una forma di antisemitismo.
• Introducono il controllo governativo sull’espressione nelle scuole e nelle università.
• Rischiano di confondere il confine tra odio razziale e critica politica legittima.
• Citano la definizione IHRA senza chiarire come distinguere la critica alla politica del governo israeliano da intenti antisemiti.

La Commissione Affari Costituzionali del Senato ha già collegato i due testi per la loro sostanza quasi identica. Nei futuri dibattiti il governo potrebbe unirli in un unico testo.

Perché è importante

I sostenitori affermano che i disegni di legge proteggeranno i cittadini ebraici dall’aumento dell’antisemitismo. Gli oppositori, tra cui accademici e associazioni per i diritti civili, avvertono che limiterebbero la libertà di espressione, specialmente nelle università e nella società civile. La preoccupazione non riguarda la protezione contro l’odio, ma il fatto che lo Stato possa definire il dissenso politico come pregiudizio razziale.

Il linguaggio proposto renderebbe rischioso dal punto di vista legale per insegnanti, studenti o manifestanti mettere in discussione le azioni del governo israeliano, anche in termini di diritti umani. Lo stesso testo che vieta la negazione della Shoah potrebbe essere utilizzato per silenziare critiche a occupazioni o crimini di guerra.

Il quadro più ampio

In tutta Europa, i governi fanno sempre più spesso riferimento alla definizione IHRA nelle proprie politiche, ma i due DDL italiani vanno oltre, inserendola direttamente nel codice penale e nel sistema educativo. La loro convergenza mostra un coordinamento politico all’interno della coalizione di governo di destra per rimodellare il discorso pubblico su Israele.

In sintesi

L’Italia sta discutendo non uno ma due disegni di legge quasi identici che renderebbero criminale il modo in cui si parla di Israele. Che il Senato decida di unirli o modificarli, l’esito potrebbe segnare un punto di svolta nell’equilibrio del Paese tra contrasto all’odio e libertà di dibattito pubblico.

Legislatura 19ª - Disegno di legge n. 1004
https://www.senato.it/show-doc?leg=19&tipodoc=DDLPRES&id=1408549&idoggetto=0&part=ddlpres_ddlpres1

Legislatura 19ª - Disegno di legge n. 1627
https://www.senato.it/show-doc?leg=19&tipodoc=DDLPRES&id=1473422&idoggetto=0&part=ddlpres_ddlpres1

https://parlamento19.openpolis.it/votazioni/vs19_220_024

Come hanno votato i gruppi e il loro indice di compattezza al voto, che voto hanno espresso i singoli parlamentari e quali sono stati ribelli al proprio gruppo parlamentare per la votazione

07/10/2025

Two Bills, One Agenda: Italy’s Parallel Efforts to Conflate Antisemitism with Criticism of Israel

Two bills are currently under discussion in the Italian Senate that aim to criminalise certain forms of speech about Israel. Although introduced separately by Maurizio Gasparri of Forza Italia and Massimiliano Romeo of Lega, the texts overlap so closely that parliamentary committees have already moved to examine them together. Both would write the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) operational definition of antisemitism into Italian law, extending its reach to schools, universities and public life.

What the bills say

Both texts frame antisemitism broadly enough to include what they describe as denial of Israel’s right to exist or manifestations of anti-Zionism. In practice, this would merge political criticism of the Israeli state with racial or religious hatred.

They also propose state-led education and awareness campaigns in all schools and universities to prevent antisemitism, and to train teachers and police in how to identify it. The Ministry of Education would oversee annual courses to counter what it defines as antisemitism, including anti-Zionism.

The Gasparri proposal (DDL.1627)

Gasparri’s bill is the newer and more punitive of the two. It seeks to amend Article 604-bis of the penal code, raising penalties by up to 50 per cent when offences involve denial of the Holocaust or of Israel’s right to exist. It explicitly refers to acts in the school and university environment and gives the government power to issue regulations for prevention and reporting within educational institutions.

The text links its urgency to the Hamas attack of 7 October 2023, using the war in Gaza as justification for tightening controls on speech in Italy.

The Lega proposal (DDL .1004)

Romeo’s bill, introduced in early 2024, is less focused on punishment and more on preventive censorship. It authorises local authorities to refuse permission for public meetings or demonstrations if they believe there is a serious potential risk that slogans, symbols or messages might be antisemitic under the IHRA definition.

It also extends training obligations to police and promotes national information campaigns. Critics say this gives officials wide discretion to block political gatherings before they occur.

Where the two overlap

Both bills:
• Treat anti-Zionism as a form of antisemitism.
• Introduce government oversight of speech in schools and universities.
• Risk blurring the line between racial hatred and legitimate political criticism.
• Cite the IHRA definition without clarifying how to distinguish criticism of Israeli government policy from antisemitic intent.

The Senate’s Constitutional Affairs Committee has already linked the two proposals because of their near-identical substance. In future debates, the government may merge them into a single, stronger law.

Why it matters

Supporters claim the bills will protect Jewish citizens from rising antisemitism. Opponents, including academics and civil-liberties groups, warn that they would curtail freedom of expression, especially in universities and civil society. The concern is not about protecting people from hate; it is about the state defining political disagreement as racial prejudice.

The proposed language would make it legally risky for teachers, students or protesters to question Israeli government actions, even in human-rights terms. The same text that bans Holocaust denial could be used to silence criticism of occupation or war crimes.

The broader picture

Across Europe, governments have increasingly referred to the IHRA definition in their policies, but Italy’s two bills go further by embedding it directly into the criminal code and the education system. Their convergence shows a coordinated political effort within the governing right-wing coalition to reshape public discourse around Israel.

In short

Italy is now debating not one but two almost identical laws that would make how Italians talk about Israel a potential criminal matter. Whether the Senate merges or amends them, the outcome could mark a turning point in Italy’s balance between combating hate and preserving open political debate.

https://parlamento19.openpolis.it/votazioni/vs19_220_024

Legislatura 19ª - Disegno di legge n. 1627

https://www.senato.it/show-doc?leg=19&tipodoc=DDLPRES&id=1473422&idoggetto=0&part=ddlpres_ddlpres1

Legislatura 19ª - Disegno di legge n. 1004

https://www.senato.it/show-doc?leg=19&tipodoc=DDLPRES&id=1408549&idoggetto=0&part=ddlpres_ddlpres1

Come hanno votato i gruppi e il loro indice di compattezza al voto, che voto hanno espresso i singoli parlamentari e quali sono stati ribelli al proprio gruppo parlamentare per la votazione

07/10/2025

This website is documenting the actions, statements, and plans of President Donald Trump and his administration that may pose a threat to American democracy, since the start of his second term in January 2025.

Each action is mapped to one or more of five broad domains of authoritarianism, helping to make sense of a deeply concerning political trajectory. Every entry includes a source link and date. You can filter the actions by domain, by date, or by free text search.

The full or filtered list of actions can be downloaded as a CSV file under a Creative Commons licence.

They provide visuals of all actions over time, and over time within domain, where you can hover over points for more info.

You can follow near-daily 3-minute video updates of the latest actions on YouTube, TikTok or subscribe to a podcast version here.

This is a free resource, provided and maintained by Professor Christina Pagel in the UK and volunteers.



https://www.trumpactiontracker.info/?

Free resource tracking President Trump’s second-term actions, statements & plans mapped to authoritarianism domains. Filter by date, domain or search.