September 8, Vilnius – CallRussia, the global decentralized phone bank dedicated to communicating directly with the Russian people about Russia’s war in Ukraine, today (Thursday) launched new expert-designed training and networking tools to support and expand its community of 46,000 Russian-speaking volunteers from more than 149 countries around the world.
Using CallRussia’s cutting-edge digital database of 40 million publicly available Russian phone numbers, volunteers have made on average more than 840 anti-propaganda phone calls every single day – or one call every 100 seconds, day and night – since Russia invaded Ukraine.
Volunteers follow CallRussia’s psychologist-informed anti-disinformation guidelines and provide facts about Russia’s mounting casualties and military failures in Ukraine, serving as one of the only sources of information left to counter Vladimir Putin’s propaganda-fueled regime.
CallRussia co-founder Paulius Senuta commented:
“In extremely taxing, person-to-person conversations, more than 44,000 CallRussia volunteers reveal the true toll of Russia’s war in Ukraine, challenging Russians to admit the extent of the Kremlin’s lies and demand a return to peace.
Our new support tools will provide the most active volunteers the latest guidance, lessons learned, and community connections as they make these incredibly challenging calls. We urge all Russian speakers who support peace to make at least one call. Supporters who do not speak Russian can make a financial donation in support of volunteer recruitment efforts.
One phone call won’t end the war, but 40 million might.”
CallRussia’s successful model has been recognized by non-government and government organizations alike for its successful, non-confrontational approaches to reaching Russian-speaking volunteers and countering Russian disinformation. CallRussia organizers have presented the initiative to the European Parliament and several European governments.
The initiative’s global launch designed to inspire volunteers to join the effort garnered more than 600 media reports, was shortlisted for the prestigious Cannes Titanium Lion award recognizing game-changing social communication efforts, and is a finalist for PR News Platinum Awards in the categories of global campaigns and public affairs.
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Media inquiries: calltorussia@
About CallRussia: CallRussia was launched in March 2022 by a global network of volunteers in the media, communications, creative and tech communities. The initiative is based in Vilnius and backed by Lithuania’s national volunteer coordination NGO “Strong Together.” CallRussia’s mission is to provide verifiable facts in person-to-person conversations that bypass Putin’s propaganda machine, seeking to empower decent Russians who can stand up and forge a path for peace. For more information, visitCallRussia.org and follow #CallRussia on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.