Community organising is crucial to the work of the LGBTI movement: communities are both the starting and the end point of the changes we are seeking in societies. In 2016 ILGA-Europe will further organise learning processes which aim to make knowledge on community organising principles and techniques available to the movement. To do this we will bring together LGBTI organisations and groups’ perspectives, expertise, successes and challenges of community organising during a study session.

We are looking for two experienced community organisers and facilitators from the LGBTI movement that will support our 2016 work on community organising.  

ILGA-Europe 2016 work on community organising

In 2016 we aim to explore LGBTI organisations and groups’ needs; identify LGBTI community organising principles, tactics and challenges given the many contexts in which the movement operates in Europe; make such knowledge available to the movement through the development of a resource material.

Key steps of such process will be: developing a framework that includes knowledge already available to IE on LGBTI community organising; organise a study session – run by a team of IE staff and members – to further explore needs, principles, tactics and challenges of community organising work; develop a resource  that makes such knowledge and expertise  available to the LGBTI movement.

Who we are looking for

We are looking for two community organisers and facilitators to be part of a team together with IE Programme and Policy Officer Valeria Santostefano and Patricia Prendiville, former ILGA-Europe Executive Director and Organisational Development Consultant. The 2 facilitators will have the opportunity to look closely into ILGA-Europe’s work on community organising; to be part of a process to develop collective knowledge and expertise on community organising; to explore the diversity within the European movement and among the many realities in which the movement operates.

The facilitators should be active/work in an LGBTI organisation in Europe and should have their organisation’s support. We are looking for people who have:

• Demonstrated strong experience in community organising, and knowledge of tactics challenges and needs
• Demonstrated skills and experience as facilitators and trainers using non formal education and participatory methods
• Knowledge of the human rights situation of LGBTI people in Europe and of the diversity within the movement
• Good written and verbal communication skills; a good level of English is essential
• Capacity to work in a team
• Demonstrated clear commitment and enthusiasm for organisational values, goals and work of ILGA-Europe, including for the process, and demonstrated cultural sensitivity

What you’ll learn

ILGA-Europe is collecting knowledge on community organising for the first time, making this particular call for facilitators a really unique opportunity. The facilitators will acquire additional experience in the field and develop key links to others within the European movement. They will also have the chance to showcase distinctive knowledge and tactics that they have developed at national level.

Participating in such experience will allow you to:

• Develop additional knowledge of:  the LGBTI community organising work and its link with organisational development processes and other strategies for change (e.g. advocacy, litigation, etc.)
• Increase your expertise in: practices and tactics of community organising, including the role of online and offline spaces, creating safe environments, providing services, etc.
• Facilitate your understanding of key challenges such as: community organising and diversity within communities; work in hostile environments; organise communities in remote geographic areas; etc.
• Increase your skills in designing and facilitating peer learning processes.

The facilitators’ role  

Facilitators will contribute to every step of the process: the thinking on the overall framework; the design, preparation and facilitation of the study session, including participants’ selection; and they will provide feedback and inputs while developing materials. The two facilitators will be asked to take part in introductory conversations, to participate in a 2-day preparation meeting in Brussels (between April and May); to develop activities and materials in preparation for the study session (1 additional day of engagement might be needed); to participate as facilitators in the study session to be held in Budapest 15-17 July; in the evaluation of the process and in the development of the resource material (about 2 days of engagement).

All travel, accommodation and per diem costs of both the preparation meeting and the study session will be covered by ILGA-Europe.

Application process

Please complete the application form, and return to Valeria Santostefano, Programmes and Policy Officer at by 9 March, 18:00 CET. The result of your application will be announced by the end of March 2016.

Find the application form here.