The Right Side Human Rights Defender NGO announces the start of admissions for the Public Policy & Civic Education School, which will be carried out with the financial support of the Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR). The school aims to allow the members of the Trans and LGBQI+ community of Armenia to gain new knowledge about the functioning of the government, municipalities, political parties, and other public bodies and will develop their capacity to participate in decision-making.

Within the framework of Public Policy & Civic Education School, 30 Trans LGBQI+ community members and activists from Yerevan and regions will participate in a 10-day course, which will take place in two parts (5 days each), and will be conducted by experienced specialists in the fields of political science, human rights, and advocacy. 

During the School of Public Policy and Civic Education, courses will be held on the following topics:

• Human rights and their protection mechanisms,
• Advocacy,
• International organizations as a promoting link of human rights protection,
• Public policy,
• Working with government agencies,
• Participation in elections, decision-making of local self-government bodies,
• Organizational management and leadership,
• Decision making,
• Strategic communication,
• Framing of messages,
• Formulation of public speech on LGBTIQ+ people problems,
• Organization of campaigns and events,
• Debate, speech, interview.

Who can participate?

The school can be attended by Trans and LGBIQ persons over 18 years old from Yerevan and different regions of RA, their family members, activists, representatives of organizations in the field, and supporters.

To apply to the Public Policy & Civic Education School, please fill out the attached application.

One of the preconditions for the implementation of this project was the fact that Trans LGBIQ+ people in Armenia often face problems in schools and university institutions, and often do not complete their education, as a result, many members of the community do not have the opportunity to learn about the above-mentioned topics and participate in decision-making. By implementing this educational program,  Right Side Human Rights Defender NGO will promote the development of the capacities of the members of the LGBTIQ+ community and provide an opportunity to actively participate in decision-making processes at the local and national levels.

After completing the program, all participants will have the opportunity to participate in the advocacy meetings organized by the team of  Right Side Human Rights Defender NGO, during which they will meet with experts from the UN, CE bodies, embassies, and civil society organizations, to advocate for legal recognition of gender, access to hormone therapy and for promotion in other primary matters.

The Public Policy & Civic Education School is produced under the Core Grants Program with the financial support of the UK Government’s Conflict, Stability, and Security Funds, through a sub-grant from the Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR). The opinions, findings, and conclusions stated herein are those of the author/s/ and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the UK Government or the views of IWPR.

Contact us:
Phone: (+374) 11 880770
Email address: rightsidengo@gmail.com

November 9, 2023 Armenia, Yerevan