Thursday, October 21st, 2021
The conference will be available in English, Spanish, French and Portuguese.
4:00 PM Central Time Welcome
4:20 PM Central Time PLENARY: Disparate Impacts of COVID-19 – Organizing within Communities and Looking to the Future
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6:00 PM Central Time Networking
Friday, October 22nd, 2021
The conference will be available in English, Spanish, French and Portuguese.
9:00 AM Central Time Welcome
9:10 AM Central Time PLENARY: The year of change – Latin America Edition
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11:00 AM Central Time Video Presentation – Advocacy in Action
11:25 AM Central Time Democracy without safety – Discussing strategies for combatting political violence
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The Full and Equal Participation of Trans People in the Democratic Process
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1:30 PM Central Time Workshop: Political advocacy as a form of participation for the defense of human rights
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Saturday, October 23rd, 2021
In collaboration with the Office of the Mayor of Bogotá
The conference will be available in English, Spanish, French and Portuguese.
9:00 AM Central Time Welcome
9:10 AM Central Time Short video presentation – former trainees from around the world.
9:20 AM Central Time Plenary: Lessons learned from local governments during the COVID 19 pandemic
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11:00 AM Central Time Workshop – Best Practices for Creating LGBTI Inclusive Policies
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Developing a diagnostic tool for Political Parties on LGBTI matters
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Visibility strategy, public speaking and political communication
(Only available in Spanish)
Preventive security against harassment and violation of human rights
(Only available in Spanish)
12:55 PM Central Time PLENARY: Reenvisioning democracy to safeguard equality
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The conference will be available in English, Spanish, French and Portuguese.
See more
The conference will be available in English, Spanish, French and Portuguese.
See more
See more
See more
See more
In collaboration with the Office of the Mayor of Bogotá
The conference will be available in English, Spanish, French and Portuguese.
See more
See more
See more
(Only available in Spanish)
(Only available in Spanish)
See more
PLENARY: Disparate Impacts of COVID-19 - Organizing within Communities and Looking to the Future
“We are all in the same ocean, but not on the same boat.” Though the public message to many was that the pandemic affected all people indiscriminately, the reality is COVID-19 increased and made more apparent the inequalities already present for vulnerable groups. During this plenary, we will discuss the resistance efforts and solidarity movements created in response to the pandemic and discuss how to build a unified front that can prevent those most at risk from bearing the brunt of future crises.
We will highlight how the best practices and lessons that community leaders learned from the HIV/AIDS epidemic were diploid and adapted to the mutual aid and response work for COVID-19, and how these organizing efforts cultivated solidarity networks engaging in social actions and in politics.
Panelists
Alícia Krüger
Dr (PharmD), Brazil
Franco Fuica
Profesor, Chile
Kenita Placide
Executive Directive, Saint Lucia
Salma Luevano Luna
Mexico
PLENARY: The year of change - Latin America Edition
In the last year, social movements and upheaval have shaken the core of Latin America and the world. La Marea Verde (Green Tide) in Argentina, El Grito Social (Social Outcry) in Chile and La Marea Morada (Purple Tide) in Mexico — along with the reemergence of social unrest in Colombia and Brazil and the fight against police brutality in the U.S. — have inspired millions of people around the world to participate in protests and collective actions. Public demonstration has become a legitimate method for promoting resistance efforts, building public agendas, and reaching consensus to counter the failings that occur when democracy is abused. In this plenary, we will share the lessons that these social movements have taught us regarding the fight against femicide, organized movements for constitutional changes and reproductive justice, combating police brutality, and how we can continue to strive for liberation that’s intersectional.
Panellists
Jeniffer Mella Escobar
Lawyer, Chile
M Género y Derecho. Políticas Públicas contra la desigualdad, Mexico
Luis Carlos Leal Angarita
Médico, Colombia
Victor Madrigal-Borloz
UN Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, Costa Rica
Democracy without safety - Discussing strategies for combatting political violence
Violence is the largest obstacle to political participation for LGBTQ people around the globe. Reducing that violence can open pathways for political participation and can be the start of addressing systemic prejudice and inequities for marginalized people within democratic systems. In this session, panelists will share their experience with political violence and how they build networks of solidarity and safety. For many people, political participation is not an option, but a necessity. As such, we will use this space to discuss best practices in the fight for safe and equal political participation.
Panellists
Alberto de Belaunde
Master, Perú
Alejandra Menjívar Guadrón
Internacionalista, El Salvador
Javier Estrada Tobar
Licenciado, Guatemala
Robeyoncé Lima
Local congresswoman, Brasil
The Full and Equal Participation of Trans People in the Democratic Process
México, Perú and Colombia have established protocols meant to ensure transgender people have equal access to the polls and other electoral processes. This includes seeking trans perspectives regarding security measures and establishing requirements for political parties to increase transgender participation within their ranks. During this session, panelists will share their experiences and the context for securing these protocols and explain the role activists and institutions played in the process. The panelists will also discuss what comes after the protocol, and what is needed to truly guarantee the participation of trans people in politics.
Panellists
Luisa Rebeca Garza Lopez
Maestra, Mexico
Marlon David Pabón Castro
Abogado, Colombia
Tomás Javier Anzola Rodríguez
Coordinador de Incidencia Política del GAAT, Colombia
Workshop 101: Political advocacy as a form of participation for the defense of human rights
(Only available in Spanish)
In the last decade, Latin America and the Caribbean has witnessed important advances regarding the rights of LGTBI people, however the response of opposition groups and the pandemic have slowed down these advances and have even generated setbacks. Faced with this scenario, it becomes more relevant than ever that we join with other stakeholders in the fight for equality and that we act in an organized, articulated and effective manner.
For this, the workshop “Political advocacy as a form of participation for the defense of human rights”, aims to provide knowledge and work tools that allow the development of effective planning practices and the definition of advocacy strategies that allow taking advantage of the different mechanisms of advocacy. democratic participation.
Panellists
Pilar Rojas Salas
Magister en Políticas Públicas Comparadas, Perú
Plenary: Lessons learned from local governments during the COVID 19 pandemic
In most countries, local governments played a pivotal role in responding to the political and urban challenges arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. Their role is often twofold: acting as implementing vehicles for measures established at the national level, but also creating comprehensive and innovative local solutions that are tailored to residents. In this session, panelists will exchange international and regional experiences and learn about governance and democracy during the pandemic from local government leaders. They will highlight best practices local governments implemented to address disparities for LGBTI people regarding access to health services (medicines, care and services related to HIV), housing, employment, income, human mobility conditions, lack of legal recognition of their gender identity, among other issues.
Panellists
Cássio Rodrigo de Oliveira Silva
Coordinador de Políticas Públicas LGBTI de São Paulo, Brasil
David Alonzo
Director de Diversidad en la Alcaldía Mayor de Bogotá, Colombia
Ivan Chanis Barahona
Lawyer, Panamá
María Rachid
Professor, Argentina
Michelle Vargas Lobo
Estudiante de Licenciatura en Enfermería, Argentina
Sergio Miranda
Director de la Secretaría de Diversidad de la Intendencia de Montevideo, Uruguay
Workshop 101 - Best Practices for Creating LGBTI Inclusive Policies
(Only available in Spanish)
Citizen participation in the policy-making process is critical to ensuring the needs and concerns of society are properly addressed. Leaders of this workshop will use LGBTI-inclusive policies in Bogota as an example of how best to engage civil society and government for positive change.
Lessons learned from the different phases of the LGBTI public policy of Bogotá will be shared to serve as a guide for the creation of other policies. Likewise, strategic elements will be provided and serve both members of civil society and members of government agencies to influence agenda setting and the formulation of policy. Lastly, we will take a look at the strengths and challenges of creating LGBTIQ inclusive public policies.
Panellists
Teams of the Directorates of Sexual Diversity and Sector Policies of the District Planning Secretariat
Equipo profesional interdisciplinario, Colombia
PLENARY: Reenvisioning democracy to safeguard equality
The last few years brought tremendous challenges, old and new, for the LGBTI movement in the Americas and around the world. During this plenary – as a closing conversation to three days of powerful, honest, and vulnerable exchanges with prominent LGBTI leaders – we will discuss how to redefine and adapt our journey towards liberation through democracy building in the current socio-political context of the continent.
LGBTI communities continue to endure overwhelming violence, coordinated and well-resourced attacks from anti-LGBTI rights groups, and discrimination and hate speech at every turn. Panelists will discuss these tools for repression and efforts to erode rights and protections for LGBTI people in Latin America. They will discuss the current political landscape and help LGBTI leaders redefine and recommit to a more comprehensive version of democracy — one where we truly demand equality.
Panellists
Andrea Jenkins
City Council Vice President, United States
Enrique Torre Molina
Activista y consultor de comunidad LGBTQ+, Mexico
Esteban Paulon
Licenciado, Argentina
Ludwika Vega Espinoza
Lic. Mercadotecnia, Nicaragua
Developing a diagnostic tool for Political Parties on LGBTI matters
Are you a member of a political party and you would like to increase the number of LGBTI members? Are you part of a NGO and you would like to support political parties to open up for more LGBTI people’s participation? This workshop would provide a step-by-step description on how to assess LGBTI participation in political parties, using a soon-to-be published guide drafted by Victory Institute and the National Democratic Institute.
Panelists
Julie Lemieux
Major, City of Très-Saint-Rédempteur, Canada
Juan Carlos Prieto
Sexual Diversity Director, Mayor of Bogota, Colombia
Cristopher Cabaldon
Mayor, City of West Sacramento, United States of America
Rênya Medeiros
Mayor, City of Passira, Brazil
Julián Bedoya
Mayor, City of Toro, Colombia
Queer, black, and proud: making institutions listen
From Brazil, the United States, and Colombia, Afro-decedents across the Americas are reclaiming respect and social and economic equality in more concrete and meaningful ways. Many newly elected officials are of Afro-decent as well as openly LGBTI which increases the strength of the fight for greater equality among both communities. Elected officials of color who also identify as openly LGBTI from across the continent will discuss the struggles within both communities and the strength of political representation as a tool to achieve equality.
Modera:
Mónica Bothner, Project Officer, FRI, Norway
Panelists
Leslie Herod
State Representative, Colorado General Assembly, United States of America
Tatiana Rentería
Vocal, Parish Council of Borbon, Ecuador
Narciso Torres
Organization CNOA, Colombia
Health as a right and its inclusion in the agenda of LGBTI organizations
Promoting the inclusion of the Right to Health is a priority on the agenda of LGBTI organizations and sub-national governments. During the session the Right to Health and Universal Health Coverage in the LGBTI population will be addressed through successful experiences of organizations working with people living with HIV, gender identity and access to health services and paper of local governments in guaranteeing the right to health of the LGBTI population.
Modera:
Paul Bonilla, The Global Fund
Panelists
Alfredo Mejía
Plataforma Comunidad, Derechos, y Genero de América Latina y el Caribe, Colombia
Miguel Ángel Barriga
Red Somos, Colombia
Laura Weinstein
GAAT, Colombia
Dayana Hernandez
Candidate and Trans Leader, Costa Rica
Renae Green
Activist, Jamaica
Vivían Cuello
Researcher, Caribe Afirmativo, Colombia
Marcial Ortega
Directorate of Sexual Diversity, Colombia
The democratic crisis in Nicaragua
Fed up with the shortage and lack of freedom, a year ago Nicaraguan citizens took to the streets to protest the reforms that the government of Daniel Ortega was carrying out. A year later and after a brutal repression that has created a great migratory crisis in the neighboring countries, the situation has stagnated and there is no sign of a speedy recovery of democracy in the country. Student and civil society leaders will talk on the panel about strategies to recover democracy.
Modera:
Grunde Almeland, Parliamentarian of Norway
Panelists
Víctor Agustín Cuadras
Student Leader, Nicaragua
Ana Quirós
Feminist Activist and Human Rights Defender, Nicaragua/Costa Rica
Ludwika Vega Espinoza
President, Asociación Nicaragüense de Personas Transgénero, Nicaragua
The democratic crisis in Venezuela
The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela has been mired in a political, economic, and social crisis since the beginning of 2013 that has led to a humanitarian crisis at the continental level. The legitimacy of the Venezuelan government is in question and the country has become the setting of a broader global geopolitical struggle. This panel will address the strategies for the recovery of democracy in the country and the conflicts place on the global stage as a greater dispute of power between several world powers.
Modera:
Francisco Herrero, Instituto Nacional Demócrata
Panelists
Tamara Adrián
Member fo the National Assembly, National Assembly of Venezuela, Venezuela
Quiteria Franco
Director, Unión Afirmativa, Venezuela
Luis Meneses
President, Fundación Venezolana de Apoyo a la Diversidad Sexual, Colombia
Meeting the needs of refugees and migrants in the region
The asylym request, forced displacement and migration for economic reasons are a constant reality in the America. While migration has become a smoke screen to not talk about economic inequality and corruption, migrants continue to suffer economic exclusion, abuse, poverty, and discrimination in their host countries. This panel of experts will address the principal needs of the migrant and refugee populations and the ways in which host countries can implement in a continental context which is growing more polarized due to a nationalistic discourse.
Modera:
Kenita Placide, OutRight
Panelists
Juan Archila
Director, Fundación Censurados, Colombia.
Gloria Careaga
Director, Fundación Arcoíris, México
Ricardo Lara
Insurance Commissioner, California Department of Insurance, United States of America
Carlos Romero
Director, Mesa de Diversidad Sexual, Guatemala
Working with allied politicians in Central America
Despite some advances in the field of public policies, LGBTI persons still do not enjoy legal equality in Central America. Therefore, alliances between political entities and the LGTBI movement that work both in the creation of policies and laws that guarantee the rights of LGBTI people, and in the implementation of existing policies are necessary. Allied political figures will talk about the usefulness of these alliances and the most favorable strategies to move towards equality.
Modera:
Diego Nardi, ACNUR
Panelists
Cinthia Bonilla
Genre and International Cooperation Technical Specialist, Presidency, Honduras
Iván Chanis
President, Fundación Iguales, Panamá
Josué Godoy
Congressman, Legislative Assembly of El Salvador