LGBT Activists from post-Soviet States Gain Skills in Advocacy

On 20-24 May ILGA-Europe has organized a training on documenting human rights violations, planning advocacy campaigns and lobbying European institutions for a group of LGBT activists from Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan. The training took place on the shore of a picturesque Issyk-Kuli lake in Kyrgyzstan, and facilitated by experienced trainers from Russia, Ireland and ILGA-Europe’s staff team itself. The host organization was NGO “Labrys” (Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan).

The participants gained skills in documenting human rights violations through personal interviews and by using specialized computer programs, in lobbying the European Union, Council of Europe, United Nations and the OSCE, in planning and implementing advocacy campaigns. The training lasted for a total of 5 days, the days filled with work, and evenings – with long dinners, karaoke nights and deep conversations around the fire on the beach.

The training is part of a large-scale 5-year program on development of the LGBT movement in the post-Soviet states “Prevention and Empowerment in the CIS [the Commonwealth of the Independent States]” (PRECIS), implemented by COC Netherlands with support of the Dutch Government and in cooperation with ILGA-Europe.

by Maxim Anmeghichean, Programmes Director, ILGA-Europe (June 2007 Euro-letter)