The Human RightS Initiative (HRSI) is calling for

participants for its

2010 Forum on LGBTQ Youth

Activism and Advocacy:
Speaking up for Human
Rights!

to be held at the Central European University in

Budapest, Hungary, between the 5th and the 8th
of May, 2010.

Deadline for applications: Monday

8th of March 2010, midnight.
The Human RightS Initiative (HRSI) cordially invites
you to its 2010 Forum on LGBTQ Youth Activism and
Advocacy: Speaking up for Human Rights! to be held
in Budapest, May 5th - 8th, 2010.

Background
From a human rights point of view, the situation of the
LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer)
communities in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and the
Balkans regions has seen many difficulties and even set-
backs, due to a significant increase and resurgence of
extreme right-wing movements, mainly within the past
few years. These movements became especially visible in
the violent attacks during the Budapest Pride of 2007 and
2008, the numerous fatal attacks against LGBTQ members
in the Ukraine, the cancellation of the Belgrade Pride of
2009 and the current Lithuanian law banning the
“promotion” of homosexuality and bisexuality- as an
example of a non-tolerant pattern that can be seen
throughout CEE and the Balkans. In addition to various
academic events and meetings held on the topic over the
past couple of years, there is still a need to further
develop practical skills and empower young activists with
specific tools, which can directly improve the work they do
and the results they are able to achieve, on a day-to-day
basis.

Objectives
The objectives of this event are the following:
• For participants to receive tangible tools to improve,
develop and empower their organizations’ and
personal work in the LGBTQ rights and advocacy
fields;
• To create a space to compare situations, conditions,
tactics, experiences and problems regarding LGBTQ
rights and enable networking between different
groups of the same and/or neighboring countries;
• To begin building a larger regional community of
human rights activists specific to LGBTQ, in a
 continuous way, in order to cooperate with issues
without borders;
• To support certain LGBTQ groups, NGOs and
individuals with the tools necessary to carry out the
messages/goals to raise awareness of the LGBTQ
community in their countries and beyond.

The target group is preferably, but not limited to, young

(between the ages of 18 and 30) enthusiastic LGBTQ
activists from the Central and Eastern Europe and Balkan
regions, * belonging to a youth or human rights
organization.

Participants must be able to work and communicate in

English.

Practical Information
Travel grants (for all travel and visa-related costs only) will
be given to participants living outside of Budapest for up
to 200 EUR upon request (please see application form
below). Accommodation (shared) and board will be
covered by HRSI.
A 30 EUR participation fee applies to all participants of the
Forum.

The event will take place at the Central European

University located in Budapest, Hungary, from
Wednesday, May 5th to Saturday, May 8th, 2010.
Participants are expected to arrive on May 5th in the
morning and leave on the 9th of May.

Application checklist
 Completed application form in English (see below)
 Support letter from your organization
 Send it to hrsi@ceu.hu by Monday the 8th of
March, 2010 at midnight (CET).

Participants will be selected and notified by the 16th of

March, 2010, the latest. Due to a very limited number of
seats, incomplete or late applications will not be
considered.

If you may have any questions, do not hesitate to contact

us at hrsi@ceu.hu

The HRSI Team.

*The following countries will be given priority: Belarus, Belgium,

Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic,
Denmark, Hungary, Lithuania, Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Serbia,
Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Turkey, and Ukraine.

Draft program

2010 Forum on LGBTQ Rights and Advocacy

May 5th May 6th May 7th May 8th May 9th
Breakfast
8:30-9 Breakfast snacks snacks Breakfast snacks
9-10:30 Welcome words Thematic groups Plenary Session: Participants
Arrival of Intro conference Sharing Upcoming events Leaving
Participants Intro of HRSI Experiences In the regions
Program And best
Working groups Practices
10:30-
10:45 Break Break Break
10:45-
12:30 Arrival of Plenary session: Plenary Session: Thematic groups
Participants Panel discussion Focus on Pride Sharing
LGBTQ rights in Experiences and
CEE and Balkans Best practices
12:30-
14 Lunch Break Lunch Break Lunch Break
Opening photo
exhibition
14- Thematic Documentary
15:45 Registration Thematic groups: groups: showing
Setting up
Introduction know-how And Q&A session
15:45-
16 Break Break
16-
17:45 Games Plenary session: Action for Baltic Plenary Session:
Getting to Building a Pride Presentations of
Know Community And free Working groups
Each other Evening CoE presentation

17:30- Break/setting up
18 tables Ning.com
 18-20 NGO Fair Closing remarks
Same-sex dance Rapporteur final
Performance Words
Feedback forms

20:00-4:00 Social
event

APPLICATION FORM
Part I: Applicant’s information
1. Name and surname:

2. Place and date of birth (dd/mm/yyyy):

3. Gender:
 Male
 Female
 Other

4. Nationality:

5. Country of residence:

6. Are you able to communicate in English?

 Hardly  Moderately 

Fluently

Part II: Applicant’s contact information (Please

note that all correspondence will be sent to this address
so no PO boxes will be accepted and double check if it is
correct)
7. Email address:

8. Postal address (street and number):

9. City, postal code:

10. Country:

11. Telephone (preferably mobile): +

Part III: Information about your organization

12. Name of sending organization:

13. Postal address (street and number):

14. City, postal code:

15. Country:

16. Telephone:

17. Website:

18. Name, email address and phone number of contact

person:

19. Your organization is:

 An international youth organization
 A national youth organization
 A human rights organization
 A minority rights organization
 Other (please explain):

20. In what capacity are you involved in your

organization?

21. Please briefly describe the scope and the main

activities of your organization:

22. Please briefly describe your organization’s LGBTQ-

related goals and activities:
Part IV: Visa information
23. Do you require assistance for a Hungarian visa? (If
not, please go directly to part V)
 Yes  No
If yes, please specify:

24. Passport number:

25. Place of issue:

26. Date of issues (dd/mm/yyyy):

27. Date of expiry (dd/mm/yyyy):

Part V: Other practical information

28. Dietary requirements:

29. Accessibility requirements:

30. Other requirements:

31. Do you have any preference regarding roommates

(for example, gender)?

32. Will you be needing a travel grant (please remember

that we can only cover up to 200 EUR, and only
transportation and visa-related costs)? Please specify
why:

Part VI: Experience and motivation (please limit

your answers to 200 words per question)
33. What is your experience with LGBTQ activism?

34. What is your motivation for participating in this

Forum?
35. What would you like or need to learn at this event?

36. In which ways do you think your participation in this

Forum will benefit your organization and/or your
personal activism?

37. How will you be able to put into practice what you
have learned at this Forum?

Part VII: Thematic working groups

38. Which thematic working group would you like to
participate in (please designate number 1 and 2 in
order of preference)?
 Human rights education: LGBTQ youth
education
 Discrimination: knowing your rights and how to
use them - the Yogyakarta principles
 Communication: effective campaigning
 Advocacy: developing your organization
 Documenting human rights violations
 Lobbying for partnership law

39. What is your motivation for participating in your first

choice working group? What do you expect to gain
from it?

40. What is your motivation for participating in your

second choice working group? What do you expect to
gain from it?

41. Terms of acceptance:

I hereby declare that, if accepted in this Forum, I shall

make myself available for the full 4 days of duration of this
event.
(Write your name)
Please send us your complete application (this completed
form and letter of support from your organization) to
hrsi@ceu.hu by the 8th of March, 2010 at midnight
(CET).

Participants will be selected and notified by the 16th of

March, 2010. Incomplete or late applications will not be
considered.

If you may have any question, do not hesitate to contact

us at hrsi@ceu.hu

The HRSI Team.