Have you been monitoring violations of human rights of the LGBTI community in your country and reporting them to UN mechanisms?
Are you interested in supporting the LGBTI community in your country to engage with UN mechanisms?
We are looking for a team of 2-3 LGBTI activists in the same country in South Asia to organize online training on UN mechanisms for the LGBTI community in their local language and context. Technical support to planning and facilitating your online workshops will be provided throughout July-September, and financial support to the workshops will conclude by the end of October 2020. The objectives of the training are:
- To create a platform for LGBTI human rights defenders working with UN mechanisms to review their skills and knowledge and sharing best practices;
- To develop training modules on human rights mechanisms that fit the needs and context of the local LGBTI community in different Asian countries;
- To adapt the knowledge of international human rights mechanisms into local languages and context;
- To integrate the use of UN mechanisms in advocacy for LGBTI rights.
The training is our continuous efforts to strengthen the capacity of the LGBTI community in Asia on the use of UN mechanisms to promote human rights and domestic advocacy. We are looking for LGBTI activists:
- With intermediate to advanced knowledge of the Universal Periodic Review, the UN Special Procedures, and their application, with at least 2 years of engaging them;
- With a working knowledge of English and their native tongue;
- With a plan to deliver training on UN mechanisms to the LGBTI community in their country.
Should you be interested in this initiative, please apply through this form (https://bit.ly/2ZZGQQ0 ) and submit a concept note (using the same form) by 23:59 ICT (GMT+7), July 23rd, 2020.
We ONLY accept the application from a team of 2-3 persons from 1 or more LGBTI organizations in the same country. Endorsement from the head of the organization is required. The individual application will NOT be considered.
Team of participants who successfully complete the training, are expected and awarded with a small grant no more than 3,000 US Dollars to organize training on UN mechanisms for the LGBTI community in their own country.
Activists who do not have the mean and facility and a safe environment to participate in this online workshop will be supported to ensure their safe participation on a case by case basis. Details will be discussed with the organizer upon their admission to the program.
We will confirm the selection by August 3rd, 2020.
Should you have any questions, please send an email to [email protected].
Background:
Although sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristic are never explicitly mentioned as grounds of protection in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights or other UN Conventions, different international human rights instruments have been utilized by the LGBTI community worldwide to raise their issues at the United Nations, to fight against violence and discrimination, and to influence policy changes in their own country. In 2016, for the first time ever, the Human Rights Council created a new mandate – the Independent Expert on violence and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity – the first institutionalized mechanism within the UN that will focus on the rights of LGBTI persons. The mandate holder’s role is to assess the implementation of existing international human rights instruments, identify good practices and gaps, and to engage in dialogue with various stakeholders in improving the human rights situations of LGBTI people. The mandate creates yet another opportunity for the LGBTI community in Asia to engage with UN mechanisms to protect and promote their rights.
Likewise, LGBTI civil societies in Asia, along with other human rights defenders, have been using UN mechanisms to promote and protect the rights of LGBTI people in the region. Issues related to sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics have been covered in the reports of UPR, CEDAW, CRC, etc. in many Asian countries. To which extent these mechanisms contributed to legal and policy changes are still to be evaluated. However, thanked to these instruments, LGBTI civil societies have been able to bring the attention of their government and public at large to violence and discrimination facing LGBTI people, and open dialogue with government and policymakers in their country.
Building on the prior progresses and filling in the gaps in the region, ILGA Asia and other partners were organizing several trainings for LGBTI activists in the region to strengthen their skills and knowledge in using and integrating UN mechanisms in their advocacy strategy, and sharing best practices as well as challenges and concerns in their work. The training emphasized on complementing national advocacy strategy using various tools including different UN mechanisms, lobbying with the government, social campaigning, etc. while providing space for LGBTI activists to discuss their wellbeing, share healthful skills and practices, and create a plan for self-care.
Drawing from the results of the previous training sessions, we were moving forwards with a series of training of LGBTI trainers, 1 for South and 1 for Southeast Asia. Last year, LGBTI activists from Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Timor-Lest, and Vietnam participated in the training of trainers on UN mechanisms, and have been planning and organizing online training for their community since early 2020 despite the challenges posed by COVID-19. With all the travel restriction still in place, the training for South Asia will take place online spanning a few weeks. Participants of the training will be supported to organize online training course on UN mechanisms in local language for their community within 2020.
