SET NAMES 'utf8'

Module start 'content'

<p>Local staff attended each of the workshops, and made small reports about the issues discussed and what the outcomes were.</p>

<a name="eztoc96910_1" id="eztoc96910_1"></a><h2>Workshop 9: Speaking Skills Training</h2><p><b>Description of the workshop:</b></p><p>This two-part workshop on speaking skills provides practical training enabling participants to develop and improve their spoken message delivery. It includes the skills necessary for delivering a written speech without reading it (ideal for anything from Pride to academic conferences) and involves various exercises and tips to enhance both spontaneous and practised speaking abilities. Participants will be filmed and have the opportunity to receive personalised advice and improve their delivery in the workshop. A small amount of advance preparation is required for both parts of this training to ensure that the most is made of the time available. Registration is required and is on a first come first served basis.</p><p><i>Presenter: Dr Cailin Mackenzie, MIMAT</i></p><p><b>Important points mentioned:</b></p>
<ul>

<li>Public speaking needs training and experience;</li>

<li>Be aware of your body movement and do not remain stiff;</li>

<li>Slow down and breathe;</li>

<li>Print out your speech in a good size font to help you read it easily;</li>

<li>Do not use a computer to read your speech from because you never know where you will give your speech and you’ll get lost in computer issues!</li>

<li>Keep eye contact with the audience. Find someone who can be your focal point and then sweep the audience;</li>

<li>Engage the audience and keep your feel of the audience;</li>

<li>Mark up your speech by jotting down notes and make pointers to help you in case you get lost in the speech, and also highlight the main points of your speech;</li>

<li>Give them something to remember at the end of your speech. Be clear and do not stumble;</li>

<li>When using quotes be clear on who said it and be clear when saying it, and do not stumble</li>

</ul>
<a name="eztoc96910_2" id="eztoc96910_2"></a><h2>Workshop 10: Keeping a balance</h2><p>
<b>Description of the workshop:</b><br />This workshop will address a recurring theme in LGBT organisations – the difficulty in ensuring a balance between men and women in both the organisation and among its beneficiaries in terms of representation, participation and addressing their needs. The three panelists from LGBT organisations in Russia, Kyrgyzstan and Georgia will speak about their organisations, the needs they identified in this area, the inclusive approach they apply in their work and where they see the remaining gaps to be. Audience input is especially welcomed on this question.</p><p><i>Facilitators: Beth Fernandez; Richard Kohler (ILGA-Europe). Presenters: Ekaterine Aghdgomelashvili (Inclusive Foundation/ Women’s Initiatives Supporting Group. Georgia); Syinat Sultanalieva (Labrys, Kyrgyzstan); Polina Savchenko (Coming Out, St. Petersburg, Russia)</i></p><p><b>Main issues discussed:</b></p>
<ul>

<li>Empowerment brings a change on a micro, mezzo and macro level</li>

<li>In Russia women are more active in social aspect (NGOs) however men hold high/prestige positions in businesses </li>

</ul>
<p><b>Main Outcomes:</b></p>
<ul>

<li>First it is important to start activism then split the groups in GB or LB only</li>

<li>It is important to nurture new young activists, since its useless to choose one community over the other</li>

<li>The difficulty of getting women in top organisational positions because it might be that there is some form of discriminisation </li>

</ul>
<a name="eztoc96910_3" id="eztoc96910_3"></a><h2>Workshop 11: god/God?</h2><p>
<b>Description of the workshop:</b><br />During this workshop we will touch upon issues of Religion (Christian/Catholic) and violence as experienced by the LGBT community. Often times the 'god' that is presented to us is a cruel god who demands human sacrifice, the 'sacrifice of our own inner being/created self'. An echo of the ancient gods. This god is destructive. However, in the past decades the LGBT Christian Community has been the witness of another kind of God; a God of love and mercy, a God of acceptance and affirmation, whose human face we find in Jesus Christ. Who is this Jesus Christ also witnessed by us the LGBT?</p><p>
<i>Presenters: European Forum LGBT Christian Groups and Drachma</i><br /><b>Main issues discussed:</b></p>
<ul>

<li>Formulation of Europlan Forum LGBT Christian groups.</li>

<li>Dichotomy of teaching of catholics church.</li>

<li>Fundamental approach of religious to LGBT issues.</li>

</ul>
<p><b>Main outcomes:</b></p>
<ul>

<li>Need to include trans issues in faith discussions.</li>

<li>Need to confront churches/religions in regard to LGBT issues.</li>

<li>Need for networking to resolve issues.</li>

<li>Find agreement for little gains, e.g. Need to denounce violence.</li>

<li>Need for church/state division.</li>

<li>Realise that change is possible</li>

</ul>
<a name="eztoc96910_4" id="eztoc96910_4"></a><h2>Workshop12: Evaluation of ILGA-Europe: Update on the process and outcomes?</h2><p><b>Description of the workshop:</b></p><p>The workshop will introduce you to the outcomes of the baseline study conducted in autumn 2008 with ILGA-Europe. The board will soon start their work the process leading up to the next strategic plan, and we therefore furthermore invite you to a hearing on the involvement of members in the making of the plan (feedback on the previous process and ideas for the next one).</p><p><i>Presenters: In-Dialogue</i></p><p><b>Main issues discussed:</b></p>
<ul>

<li>Purpose and impact – vision must be more visible to members.</li>

<li>Ongoing assesment – with proof and examples, coincise information, which must be recorded.</li>

<li>Communication/relationship with members to be improved – involvement.</li>

<li>ILGA-Europe – lobbying and networking – future? If it shall focus also on high lobbying, ILGA-Europe needs more bases. Which direction shall be taken?</li>

</ul>
<p><b>Main outcomes:</b></p>
<ul>

<li>Members need stimulus from ILGA-Europe regarding aims, strategic plan (also a need to know what the strategic plan is).</li>

<li>Asking feedback (revise current communication channels, specific contacts, feedback, follow up)</li>

<li>Assessing understanding – different countries, different needs – certain countries might be passive as their needs are different or problem of language (translators).</li>

<li>Other outcomes: Website is more updated, highlighting vision and strategic plan. There could be information for the organisations ti prepare themselves (guidelines) to enhance a better/effective/effective process.</li>

</ul>
<a name="eztoc96910_5" id="eztoc96910_5"></a><h2>Workshop 15: Working with Trade Unions: The next steps</h2><p>
<b>Description of the workshop:</b><br />This workshop looks at the strong cooperation that exists between LGBT organisations and trade unions at both European and national levels and looks at the steps ahead in this field. During the workshop the participants will be invited to discuss the ‘Extending Equality’ project’s impact in their national and local contexts and to draw recommendations for future work with the ETUC and other key trade union stakeholders.</p><p><i>Presenters: Silvan Agius, Policy and Programmes Officer, ILGA-Europe </i></p><p><b>Main things discussed:</b></p>
<ul>

<li>Introduction by Silvan to the work done with Trade Unions over the past 2 years;</li>

<li>Explanation by Gabi on the work that MGRM has been doing with Trade Unions + the meetings held last Tuesday with MUMN, UHM + MUT as well as the ongoing work with GWU</li>

<li>Salvatore spoke about the work of TGIU + what CGIL has been doing in Italy. He mentioned the outreach to NGO’s and their feedback on the work being done by the Union. He also praised ILGA-Europe’s initiatives over the past year;</li>

<li>Tomek spoke about the shift in the attitudes of Trade Unions such as Solidarnost. They made use of their contracts with Unions to establish a rapport with OPZZ. A conference was organized in Poland last year with representatives from Solidarnost attending. It was a good example of how international co-operation can work;</li>

<li>Joseph Vella from UHM mentioned one of the initiatives they have taken to address LGBT issues by inviting one of their members to sit on the highest body within the Union, that is the Council;</li>

<li>Germany – Often Trade Unions bring forward the argument that they have many different issues to deal with of which LGBT is only one;</li>

<li>Slovenia – Silvan recently attended a conference in Slovenia. Natasha mentioned some initiatives started 5 years ago with Trade Unions who became partners with the LGBT organization. Training manuals were produced +campaign conducted;</li>

<li>Soren mentioned the support offered by Danish Trade Unions. LGBT issues in employment are easily comprehensible + within the competence of Trade Unions;</li>

<li>Carola – is a Trade Union official whose focus is LGBT rights. It took decades to get to this point but need not necessarily be the case for others. The Internet has been a fantastic tool in getting the message across. We need to tell the stories so that Trade Unions can understand the issues and take them on board.</li>

</ul>
<p><b>Next Steps:</b></p>
<ul>

<li>At European level – putting together a group of Trade Unionists who work on LGBT issues acting as a steering group;</li>

<li>Further and deeper collaboration particularly with those countries who have yet not taken any initiatives around LGBT issues in the workplace;</li>

<li>Identify a contact in each country + to the ETUC; </li>

<li>To keep doing what we’ve been doing written ILGA-Europe + ETUC the networking aspect is also very important. </li>

</ul>
<a name="eztoc96910_6" id="eztoc96910_6"></a><h2>Workshop 16: Launching Council of Europe study on homo- and transphobia</h2><p>
<b>Description of the workshop:</b><br />In 2010 Danish-based international consulting group COWI will be doing a research in 20 European countries on the position of LGBT people. The resulting report will be based on a comparative study of the situation regarding homophobia, transphobia and discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity covering the 20 Council of Europe member states, who are not members of the European Union, thus complementing the recent similar study covering the 27 EU member states. The result shall be a comprehensive overview of the situation in all 47 CoE member states. The workshop will present the research plan, expected outcomes and invite activists to cooperation in this important undertaking. </p><p><i>Presenters: Dennis van der Veur, Council of Europe; Mikael Keller, COWI; Mads Ted Drud-Jensen, COWI; Maxim Anmeghichean, ILGA-Europe</i></p><p><b>Main issues discussed:</b></p>
<ul>

<li>Presentation of the format and process of the comparative study.</li>

<li>Process of publishing of results.</li>

<li>Key stakeholders to be identified.</li>

<li>Themes that will be covered.</li>

<li>Time schedule discussed.</li>

</ul>
<p><b>Main outcomes:</b></p>
<ul>

<li>Methodology will be slightly different from that used in the Fundamental Rights Agency report.</li>

<li>Results will be amalgamated with EU 27 results and also national reports.</li>

<li>Report will include data from many different stakeholders.</li>

<li>Increased reporting on transgender issues.</li>

<li>Legal analysis and sociological analysis reports to be produced.</li>

<li>Inception October 2009, launch of final reports Autumn 2010.</li>

<li>National contact will be use local language, not only English.</li>

</ul>

Module end 'content'

Variable 'current_user' is already defined.

End