In Italy, campaigners succeeded in turning a petition into something much bigger: a nationwide movement demanding a referendum to overturn a controversial law. The new law, introduced by Giorgia Meloni’s government, will block access to sexual and emotional education for many young people and put LGBT+ youth at particular risk of harm and stigmatization.

Giorgia Meloni’s defeat in the March 23 referendum on judicial reform in Italy was widely seen as a political setback for the prime minister, signaling resistance to key elements of her agenda and revealing a wide gap between her government’s priorities and broader public sentiment. One key element behind this result was the strong turnout. Digital expert Lorenzo Azzolini explains how a civil-society-driven digital campaign on Whatsapp helped achieve this – demonstrating how

Learn how Italian activist organisation Genova Che Osa created a campaign around a video game–proving that humorous tactics work