The organization Human Rights Campaign (HRC) continues to strengthen its network with other global LGBTQ groups with its Partners in Innovative Advocacy for 2017-2018.
The HRC cited four groups in this initiative: Georgia Democracy Initiative in Tbilisi, Georgia; Colors Rainbow in Yangon, Myanmar; Kyrgyz Indigo in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan; and Ovejas Negras in Montevideo, Uruguay.
In a blog post on their website, the HRC said this is part of the their new global program offering “year-long capacity building and strategic planning partnerships” to select organizations to help improve lives of LGBTQ communities in these countries.
Network of global LGBTQ groups
The HRC further said their program will “help strengthen the equality movement in each partner country through more effective advocacy, campaigning, organizing and outreach.”
The four groups were competitively selected from HRC’s network of Global Fellows as well Global Innovators
Aside from the four groups, HRC will continue its program with the Consejo Consultivo LGBTI in Managua, Nicaragua, (which is done in partnership with the National Democratic Institute).
HRC will also continue conducting programs with the Taiwan Tongzhi Hotline Association in Taipei, Taiwan, as well as with SPoD in Istanbul, Turkey on a Municipal Equality Index.
“HRC is honored to work alongside these amazing advocates and allies. Each of these great organizations has an established track record in their countries of helping to better the lives of their LGBTQ communities,” said Ty Cobb, director of HRC Global.
HRC has done previous programs in Nicaragua, Mozambique, Philippines, Ireland, and Australia.
4 global LGBTQ groups: The rundown
So who are these four groups? Here’s a brief summary plus what they do for their respective countries:
1. Georgian Democracy Initiative (GDI) of Georgia – An independent, non-government, non-profit organization that focuses on research, analysis, and education to push Georgia’s democratic development and Euro-Atlantic integration.
2. Colors Rainbow of Myanmar – An LGBT project of Equality Myanmar (EQMM) in 2007 known as Human Rights Education Institute of Burma (HREIB), Colors Rainbow originally conducted LGBT training and discussions for LGBT communities in Burma and on the Burmese borders before transitioning inside Myanmar.
An umbrella organization, Colors Rainbow runs multifaceted programs that cover LGBT rights isues in Myanmar, consisting of trainings, discussions, networking meetings, community events, and a host of others, including coming up with multimedia resources in the language of Myanmar via their website and magazine that
3. Kyrgyz Indigo of Kyrgyzstan – An LGBTIAQ community organization that dates back to 2009, it conducts “comprehensive programs on human rights, information and visibility, developing capacity of the organization and community, and build partnership and solidarity with other organizations.”
4. Colectivo Ovejas Negras of Uruguay – Meaning “black sheep”, Ovejas Negas is an organization formed to “combat all forms of discrimination, especially against discrimination based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity, particularly in order to build citizenship among people. LGTTTIB del Uruguay.”
“We are excited to have the opportunity to share with them some of our organization’s knowledge, expertise and resources gained over our thirty years of experience and activism in the LGBTQ movement in the United States and around the world,” Cobb said.
He added: “At the same time, we fully expect to learn even more from them as we embark on these longer term programs together.”