Training on security issues in Istanbul
At the end of August 2014, ILGA-Europe organised a training on security issues in Istanbul for 12 LGBTI activists from human rights NGOs from Eastern European countries. The training was organised within the program “Dignity for All” on protecting LGBTI human rights defenders with support of the Heartland Alliance.
The training consisted of theoretical modules accompanied by practical exercises and interactive activities. During the training the activists had an opportunity to learn the main principles of assessing risks and threats for their organisations and individuals working in the organisations, to obtain knowledge and skills on ensuring and preventing physical and digital aggression when working on human rights issues. Besides, the participants learned how to assess organisational capacity to establish secure environment for work and how to create long-term security plan for an NGO working on a hostile environment. The training also included exercises on peer learning and experience sharing between the participants on such issues as physical security during public event and working to protect digital organisational data as well as challenges and obstacles organisations face in their everyday work.
After the training ILGA-Europe is planning to assist organisations to elaborate and put in practice organisational security plans to ensure secure work of LGBTI organisations in hostile environment.