IGLYO conference on ethnic identities – Call for Participants

IGLYO is delighted to invite you to participate at the conference Bring Everyone In. The conference will be held in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, from 5 to 9 September 2016 (travel days on 4 and 10 September), in partnership with IGLYO’s Member Organisation COC Netherlands.

The conference has been kindly supported by the European Youth Foundation of the Council of Europe, the European Commission Directorate-General Justice and the Dutch Government.

Deadline for applications: 4 July 2016, 23:59 CET

About the Conference

In the last few years, IGLYO has had repeated signals that the LGBTQI youth movement and its own membership composition do not accurately reflect the racial and ethnic diversity of its constituency.

International Conference “Bring Everyone In” will connect 30 LGBTQI youth leaders of diverse racial/ethnic identities from across Europe.

The aim of the conference is for the participants to become aware of racial/ethnic concepts and issues, and to gain knowledge, motivation and skills to work towards increased participation, representation and leadership of diverse racial/ethnic identities within their organisations and wider LGBTQI community. At the same time, participants will be empowered to work towards changing their own ethnic communities towards becoming more accepting of people who identify as LGBTQI.

This will be achieved through:

• Participating and contributing to non-formal workshops to explore and discuss the theme, as well as transfer knowledge, skills and build motivation of participants;
• Being involved in multi-cultural dialogue, peer exchanges and peer learning;
• producing a thematic learning resource in a video format which will become a learning resource for anyone who is involved in working on the inclusion of diverse racial/ethnic identities.

Participant profile

The ideal participant is:

• Open to sharing personal experiences and learning from other participants;
• Able to act as multipliers in their own community;
• Have experience (personal or professional) and/or deep interest in working with ethnic identities;
• Active in the LGBTQ community in their country, with preference given to IGLYO Member Organisations;
• Between 18 and 30 years of age;
• Able to attend no less than 80% of the conference (priority given to applicants who can attend the full conference program);
• From a Council of Europe Member State;
• Able to work in English.

IGLYO specifically encourages applicants from all ethnic, cultural, and migrant backgrounds to apply.

The conference will be conducted in English. You do not need to be fluent in English, but please note that no translation will be provided.

Participant selection process

The preparatory team will review all complete applications. Participants will be selected based upon the motivation they express and on how well they meet the criteria of the ideal participant profile above.

All applicants will be notified by email by 10 July. For selected applicants, the deadline for acceptance of the invitation will be 15 July. Successful applicants who have not responded will be removed from the acceptance list (please make sure to check your junk/spam folder).

Interested candidates can apply by filling the online application form. DEADLINE for applications: 4 July

Working Methods

IGLYO emphasizes a participatory approach to learning, utilizing non-formal education methods as promoted by the European Youth Foundation of the Council of Europe, as well as other human rights education organisations.

Costs and practical arrangements

All accommodation and food will be provided by IGLYO and COC Netherlands. Travel expenses and visa costs will be reimbursed. Reimbursement will take place by bank transfer after the conference, upon presenting the receipts, tickets, etc. within an identified timeframe. If this is a barrier to your participation, IGLYO may be able to arrange your travel. Please note that this is a youth low-budget event. Participants will be accommodated in shared rooms, in a hostel setting.

A participation fee of EURO 50 will be deducted from the reimbursement. IGLYO is aware of the various financial situations of LGBTQ youth organisations, so please do not hesitate to contact us if the participation fee is the only obstacle to your participation, we will be able to find a solution together.

Arrivals are expected during the day of 4 September, departures on 10 September (or the evening before).

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at tudor@iglyo.com.

Conference Online Application Form: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/D3LZY2S