IGLYO Study Session on the Inclusion & Empowerment of LGBTQI Rural Youth

Reaching Further: Decentralising LGBTQI Youth Activism

We, IGLYO — The International Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Trans, Queer and Intersex Youth and Student Organisation, are the leading youth development and leadership organisation working with LGBTQI young activists. With over 115 Member Organisations situated in 39 countries in the Council of Europe region, we unite a great variety of individual and community experiences. You can learn more about IGLYO on iglyo.org.

We are happy to announce our upcoming study session on the inclusion and empowerment of LGBTQI youth living in rural areas: “Reaching Further: Decentralising LGBTQI Youth Activism”. The study session will take place in Budapest (Hungary) between 26 May 2024 (arrival day) and 1 June 2024 (departure day) for 5 working days (27-31 May 2024) and is hosted by and co-organised with the European Youth Centre of the Council of Europe.

This study session is a cooperation between IGLYO and the Youth Department of the Council of Europe, as part of the Youth for Democracy programme.

Why this study session?

Evidence shows that young LGBTQI people living in rural areas are disproportionately affected by social stigma, lack of social connections and peer support systems. LGBTQI young people in rural settings face more social pressures to comply with traditional gender roles and norms. Geographic and social isolation and the need to conceal gender or sexual identities can contribute to mental distress.

Moreover, service providers in rural areas often lack training or awareness of LGBTQI inclusion. Finally, LGBTQI youth organisations are often based in urban areas and struggle to reach out to and support individuals and communities in rural areas. Capacity-building and leadership programmes often fail to involve young people outside of urban settings.

We want to change this situation by increasing the skills of young queer activists in working with youth in rural areas and by creating a series of recommendations and good practices for youth organisations, local service providers and law enforcement on how to reach, support and empower rural LGBTQI youth.

What will you learn?

As a participant, you will:

Acquire an understanding of the mechanisms that cause young LGBTQI people living in rural areas to have disproportionately negative health/mental health and social outcomes.
Acquire a range of skills relevant to working with queer youth in rural areas, such as: principles of basic counselling and motivational interviewing, building confidence and leadership, community organisation, community-based advocacy, and working with local authorities and service providers.
Acquire knowledge of existing models of decentralisation of activism and services, through peer exchange of good practices.
Learn how the internet, social media and technology can be used to support LGBTQI youth in rural areas.
Contribute to a set of recommendations for youth organisations, local service providers and law enforcement to reach and support young LGBTQI people living in rural areas.

What can you expect?

In this study session, you can expect:

A youth-led programme based on participatory methodologies and non-formal education.
Peer-to-peer learning and exchange of good practices.
A strongly multicultural environment.
Lots of teamwork and collaboration to develop recommendations.

How much does it cost?

The European Youth Centre of the Council of Europe is covering participants’ expenses related to travel, visa, accommodation and meals.

You will be asked to book your own tickets to Budapest, and you will be reimbursed for your expenses after the event via bank transfer. We will ask you to plan your trip in the most reasonably economical manner, and expenses over €350 will need to be pre-approved.

Accommodation and meals will be provided at the European Youth Centre of Budapest on the days of the study session.

The enrolment fee for this study session is set at €50 per participant. The fee is deducted from the refund of travel expenses. All persons attending a session must complete a travel reimbursement form, even when there are no travel expenses. If there are no travel expenses or if the travel expenses are less than 50€, the enrolment fee due to the Youth Department of the Council of Europe must be paid before the end of the session.

Who can apply?

To be eligible to apply, you need to:

be between 18 and 30 years old at the time of the visit.
reside in one of the countries of the Council of Europe (see full list here), plus Belarus, Russian Federation, Holy See, Kosovo* and Kazakhstan.
be fluent in English

We are looking for queer youth activists who:

Have experience living in a rural area, and/or
Have experience working with LGBTQI youth in rural areas, and/or
Want to work (more) with LGBTQI youth in rural areas.

Young LGBTQI people with experience in working with state institutions and/or providers of services in the field of education, health, social welfare and law enforcement will be prioritised.

IGLYO is committed to making its events accessible and inclusive for everyone, and this event is open to all young queer activists, regardless of ability. Please let us know about any accessibility needs you may have in the application form, and we will work to ensure all feasible accommodations are provided for.

IGLYO particularly welcomes applications from underrepresented groups and communities such as young women, trans and non-binary youth, intersex youth, young people with disabilities, young people living with HIV, racialised youth, Black youth and young people of colour, and young refugees and migrants.‍

*All references to Kosovo, whether the territory, institutions or population, in this text shall be understood in full compliance with United Nations' Security Council Resolution 1244 and without prejudice to the status of Kosovo.