Befriending the Quran Community Course – Surah Maryam

CSBR has opened the call for application for the third in our series of “Befriending the Quran” community courses for queer Muslims, this time on Surah Maryam ✨?

Apply by 16 October here: http://bit.ly/QQ3_SurahMaryam

????? ??? ?????: This course is offered for all queer Muslims, regardless of where they fall on the faith and practice spectrum. All points of view are respected and honoured. The main aim of the space is to open up the possibility for participants to befriend the Quran.

???? ??’?? ?????: The course will focus on a close textual study of Surah 19, Maryam, and other passages of the Quran where Maryam is mentioned. ⁣⁣We’ll also read some academic articles written on Surah Maryam and the Mary passages in the New Testament. Our study of Surah Maryam will be supplemented by discussion of Sufi poetry: a tafsir / commentary on Quranic passages in the vernacular and culturally accessible form. ⁣⁣The intention of the course is to invoke and experience the spirit of Maryam as a lover of the Divine, inshallah.⁣

Read more about CSBR’s courses on offer here: https://csbronline.org/?page_id=2833

Gender, Sexuality, Islam & Science

CSBR is pleased to offer a new discussion-based course on “Gender, Sexuality, Islam & Science”, for those keen to bridge philosophical, academic and personal perspectives on these themes to advance a holistic understanding of faith & sexuality.

We developed this course in response to questions, needs and experiences raised by activists in some of our prior courses & Institutes. We hope it will expand the entry points through which especially queer activists, and allies, are able to self define, advance advocacy, and strengthen community mobilization on religion and rights.

Course Themes:

Science and religion are often seen as conflicting forces in today’s world. Navigating your place in such a world is difficult as it is, but becomes even more so if your gender and/or sexuality are in conflict with cultural expectations. You want to believe in the modern scientific developments on gender and sexuality in particular, and about the universe in general, without having to forgo your relationship with the divine that you already have limited access to, given you are of the margins.

In light of the above, this course aims to initiate discourse & debate amongst participants, to explore how definitions of philosophical concepts in science and religion (from the authors we read on the subjects) not only possess a harmonious relationships with one another, but also make our understanding & acceptance of gender and sexual diversity more holistic & consistent. While the course has a deeper focus on Islam, we also bring in perspectives from Christianity, and explore the cross-overs amongst different traditions.

Course Objectives:

  • To provide queer community, and allies, with a hermeneutics/method-of-interpretation of religion (particularly Islam) on matters of gender and sexuality, that is intellectually in line with modern developments.
  • To enable participants engage in a constructive dialogues about gender, sexuality, Islam and science.
  • To create a supportive space for participants to further define and find their unique place in a universe full of conflicting ideas.

See the Course Outline & Readings Here: CSBR-GenderSexualityIslamScience_CourseOutline2020

Apply here: http://bit.ly/CSBRIslamScience

Applications Due: 25 September 2020.

Creating CARE and Sustaining Well-Being: Reflections from Queer Organizing across South & Southeast Asia

We are so excited to share with you Creating CARE and Sustaining Well-Being: Reflections from Queer Organizing across South and Southeast Asia!

A collaborative endeavor by Rima Athar, Liy Yusof and Sonaksha Iyengar–this publication illustrates conversations & reflections on building a framework for action on holistic well-being for activists, which emerged at the CARE Regional Synthesis Meeting organized by CSBR | the Coalition for Sexual and Bodily Rights in Muslim Societies, and APTN | the Asia Pacific Transgender Network, in Chiang Mai in November 2018.

As the final step of the year long CARE program, the Regional Synthesis Meeting brought together 23 activists from 19 organizations across Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Timor Leste, and Vietnam. Some had been involved in previous CARE interventions, and some were new to the program.

Over the 5 days together we explored theory and analysis, embodied somatic practices, reflective discussions, and the strategic application of shared learnings to our daily personal and organizing experiences. As such, the convening created a dynamic space for us to reflect and delve deeper into how a holistic approach to well-being could sustain queer organizing across the regions.

Co-facilitated by Rima Athar (CSBR), Hua Boonyapisomparn (APTN), Lin Chew (IWE-the Institute for Women’s Empowerment) & Ginger Norwood (IWP-International Women’s Partnership for Peace & Justice)— the methodology was collaboratively developed drawing from each of our existing work on well-being, integrated security & feminist leadership praxis.

This book is intended as a light stroll through the workshop as we held it: offering some of the basic methodology, activities and exercises; mapping some of the common needs & challenges; and documenting reflections on steps forward.

While CARE was rooted in the experiences, needs and challenges of queer activists across South and Southeast Asia, we hope this documentation can inspire and inform conversations, workshops and strategic action to advance healing, well-being & resilience work amongst activists across other regions and contexts as well.

Download the Publication Here

Thanks again to all the activists who participated in CARE and made this possible!

Questions? Comments? Want to support our work?
Get in touch with us at: coordinator@csbronline.org.

Resource: Hadith & Queer and Trans Identities

In 2019, Meem Muslim Initiative and Bedaaya collaborated on a project on Islam and queer identities. We share some of the fact sheets and resources they produced below in Arabic and English, which explore the common Hadith and Islamic textual references used against LGBTIQ people.

HADITH and QUEER IDENTITIES

Arabic:

English:

Trans Identity

Arabic:

English:

Click on the images above to access the full briefs as PDFs. For more information and resources, get in touch with Bedaaya or Meem Muslim.

CSBR Rights & Resilience Seed Grants: Apply now!

The CSBR Rights and Resilience seed grants aim to support small scale projects that experiment with alternative ways to organize and advance rights amidst the impacts of COVID-19. We are inviting proposals for projects to be carried out between 1 July – 15 December 2020. Apply using the forms below, by 8 June 2020.


Why this Mechanism?

As a community-led international solidarity network, we wanted to explore how we could co-create a peer-to-peer resourcing mechanism at this moment of unprecedented collective crisis. As CSBR, we could no longer hold our in-person convenings for the year. Yet recognizing the privilege of having these funds, we opted to re-route and focus on providing small pipelines of resources that could support a wider circle of activists to stay connected across contexts, even as national borders close. Through developing a peer-to-peer mechanism, we also want to explore best practices in resource distribution within movements.  

We recognized the need to create space to reflect on what these global shifts mean for our movements, not only during the current pandemic, but also once it has been contained. How can we collectively pause, re-route, exchange experiences, and respond in ways that allow us to maintain and even expand the precious space for our organizing? How can we ensure that our actions now continue to strengthen and center collective care within our organizing?

As we engage with the limits of in-person organizing now, what can we learn from each other’s creativity about how to shift certain practices to create more accessible and inclusive methods to organize and mobilize communities? The CSBR Rights & Resilience Program is therefore not intended simply as a means to distribute funds, but rather a mechanism to strengthen collective capacity, solidarity and movement building support, by and for community. Through the mechanism, we will also have a series of Linking & Learning Events for recipients to come together in virtual forums. These events will support us to learn from each others’ work, build relationships and collectively share in the monitoring, evaluation and learnings (MELs) for the program.

Strategic Focus:

Project proposals must demonstrate how they meet the following criteria: 

  1. Address & challenge the root causes of religious fundamentalisms, and their intersections with rights restrictions for LGBTIQ peoples
  2. Strengthen community-led organizing
  3. Maintain & expand civic space across Muslim societies, including continuing existing programs and campaigns through new methods that can function during movement restriction.
  4. Strengthen & amplify progressive expression and discourses. This includes advancing affirming approaches to freedom of religion or belief, premised on gender equality and respect for SOGIESC diversity.
  5. Support innovative/holistic approaches to advancing rights and resilience, including an attention to community and collective care.

Who can Apply?

We accept proposals from both registered and unregistered groups, with an annual operating budget below 50,000 EUR, who meet the following criteria: 

  • Collectives or organizations led by queer (LGBTIQ) Muslims, based in one of the priority or focal countries
  • Queer-led groups, based in one of the priority or focal countries. Priority will be given to LBQ women, trans and intersex led groups. 
  • Feminist, women’s rights and girl’s rights groups inclusive of LGBTIQ peoples, based in one of the priority or focal countries

What kinds of grants can we apply for?


We are inviting project proposals for either Organizational Grants, or Regional/Collaborative Grants, to be carried out between 1 July – 15 December 2020. Grants can be for a total amount of either 2500 EUR, 6000 EUR, or 10,000 EUR. We are able to provide project funding that will cover the essential costs of designing, implementing and evaluating the small projects. This includes costs as needed for human resources and technology.

Organizational Grants. These proposals can be submitted by organizations or collectives working in one of the priority countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Morocco, Nepal, Pakistan, Palestine, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tajikistan, Tunisia, and Yemen. 

Regional/Collaborative Grants: These proposals should demonstrate how they can inform regional strategies, and can be submitted as a partnership with CSBR. They can be submitted by organizations, collectives or networks working in one of the priority countries (above), and/or the focal countries: Algeria, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Malaysia and Turkey. 

What Kinds of Activities Can We Propose? 

Below are examples of activities that could be supported under these grants, which align with the strategic criteria and are based on needs we’ve heard from our peers and programs that are already being developed by network members and allies. These are not intended to limit your proposals, but simply examples of work that we know are needed. Activities could fall under the following broad categories: Knowledge Production; Virtual Networking & Workshops; Strengthening Campaigning & Advocacy;  Mutual Aid & Community Care. 

Knowledge Production. Activities could include: 

  • Research & Analysis on how fundamentalist forces are converging across our contexts. For example, what is the link between religious and economic fundamentalisms, and the impacts of this on government policies to address COVID-19?

  • Research and analysis on how conservative religious forces are undermining community efforts to uphold rights and stop violations (including rising domestic violence, hate crimes, spread of COVID, limited access to essential health services including SRHR)?

  • Publications that challenge traditional assumptions and prejudices against marginalized concepts of gender and sexuality in Muslim societies

  • Documentation of rights-based initiatives that support/advance affirmative and inclusive approaches to faith, sexuality and human rights.

Virtual Networking & Workshops

  • Engaging communities through virtual platforms to come together & stay connected around particular themes. These could be for example, online festivals, online forums for experience exchanges, a lectures series, online workshops–which address the strategic criteria.
  • Experimenting with transferring participatory methodologies from in-person to the virtual sphere. How can we hold what used to be a 5-day in person training, online? Is it possible to create workshops online that still support people to engage in self-reflexive activities, hold space for intimacy, and build relationships?
  • Engaging holistic practitioners to offer a series of virtual psycho-social and body-based support sessions to marginalized communities 
  • Creating and producing a 10-episode thematic podcast

Strengthening Campaigning and Advocacy on laws and policies

  • Organizing virtual workshop series on how to engage with UN mechanisms and high level political processes, even amidst COVID-19 related restrictions

  • Documentation, webinars and social campaigning advocating against the stigmatization of patients and increased risks for marginalized communities due to COVID-19, including LGBTIQ peoples, sex workers, street youth, people living with disabilities, people living with HIV, migrants, etc.

  • Creating common platforms for women, girls and LGBTI defenders to learn from each others’ successful campaigns to ensure governments provide essential services, safeguard human rights & ensure environmental protections during COVID-19 and beyond.

  • Writing a series of op-eds and articles to be published in the mainstream media on a particular campaign issues

  • Arts-based campaigning through online mediums

Mutual Aid and Community Care 

  • Developing Resource Guides to support communities in building mutual aid circles. E.g. how can we build community responses that lessen the trend towards surveillance and policing in response to COVID-19 and beyond?

  • Designing community support systems to break isolation, address mental health challenges, keep people socially connected, and accessing essential needs (food, medicines, health services)

  • Operating hotlines for information and resource support, to address GBV, CSE, SRHR and access to other essential health services

  • Outreach to communities you’ve not previously reached, in order to strengthen cross-movement organizing. For e.g. building networks and engaging with professionals from a variety of sectors (e.g. social workers, lawyers, teachers, doctors, etc.), who can bring the learnings, experiences and information back to a wider audience

Timeline for Submissions & Review: 

Please submit your project proposals by 8 June 2020, by filling out the Proposal Form below, and email the completed form to: coordinator@csbronline.org.

If you have any security concerns about submitting the proposal form over email, please get in touch with us so we can discuss alternate ways to receive your proposal.

Review by CSBR’s Selection Committee will be completed by 26 June 2020. Expected start dates should therefore not be before 1 July  2020.

We expect grants to be distributed by the end of July 2020.

Download the Proposal Form – English

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Languages for Submission

We are accepting proposals in English, Arabic, Bahasa Indonesia, and Turkish.

Read the call in Bahasa Indonesia, and download the Bahasa Indonesia Proposal Form

Read the call in Arabic, and download the Arabic Proposal Form

Read the call in Turkish, and download the Turkish Proposal Form

Dana Hibah Hak-hak dan Ketahanan CSBR: Daftar sekarang!

Melalui dana hibah Hak dan Ketahanan (Rights and Resilience), CSBR bermaksud untuk mendukung proyek-proyek berskala kecil yang didesain dengan cara-cara alternatif untuk memperkuat hak-hak individu di tengah dampak COVID-19. Kami mengundang anda untuk mengajukan proposal proyek yang akan dilaksanakan antara 1 Juli – 15 Desember 2020.

Mengapa menggunakan mekanisme ini?

Sebagai jaringan solidaritas internasional yang digerakkan oleh komunitas, kami ingin menjajagi bagaimana menciptakan mekanisme sumber daya antarsebaya di tengah krisis saat ini. CSBR  tidak dapat mengadakan pertemuan tatap muka untuk tahun ini, tetapi karena kami sadar bahwa kami memiliki privilese atas dana yang ada, maka kami memilih untuk mengolah sumber daya tersebut untuk mendukung lingkaran aktivis yang lebih luas agar tetap terhubung dalam berbagai konteks, bahkan ketika akses lintas-nasional kita terputus. Melalui pengembangan mekanisme antarsebaya, kami juga ingin menjajagi apa langkah terbaik untuk mendistribusikan sumber daya yang ada dalam gerakan.

Kami menyadari perlunya menciptakan ruang untuk berefleksi atas pergeseran global saat ini bagi gerakan kita, tidak hanya selama pandemi saat ini, tetapi juga setelah krisis ini berakhir. Secara kolektif, bagaimana cara kita mengambil jeda, mengubah alur, bertukar pengalaman, dan merespons dengan cara yang memungkinkan kita untuk mempertahankan dan bahkan memperluas ruang-ruang berharga bagi gerakan kita? Bagaimana kita tetap mampu bertahan dan memperkuat ikatan kolektif dalam pengorganisasian kita?

Di saat gerakan kita terbatas seperti sekarang, apa yang bisa kita pelajari dari kreativitas di antara kita, bagaimana kita menciptakan metode yang lebih mudah diakses serta inklusif dalam mengorganisasi dan memobilisasi komunitas? Oleh karena itu, Program Hak & Ketahanan CSBR tidak sekadar ditujukan sebagai sarana untuk mendistribusikan dana, tetapi juga sebagai mekanisme untuk memperkuat kapasitas kolektif, solidaritas dan dukungan pembangunan gerakan, oleh dan untuk komunitas. Melalui mekanisme ini, kami juga mencanangkan serangkaian acara Linking & Learning bagi penerima hibah untuk berjumpa di forum virtual. Linking & Learning ini akan mendukung kita untuk belajar dari kegiatan satu sama lain, membangun hubungan, dan secara kolektif berbagi dalam pemantauan, evaluasi & pembelajaran (MELs) untuk program ini.

Fokus Strategis:

Proposal harus memenuhi kriteria berikut:

(A) Menggali & mencabar akar penyebab fundamentalisme agama, dan persinggungannya dengan pembatasan hak bagi kelompok LGBTIQ

(B) Memperkuat pengorganisasian yang digerakkan oleh komunitas

(C) Menjaga & memperluas ruang sipil di seluruh kelompok Muslim, termasuk melanjutkan program dan kampanye yang ada melalui metode baru yang dapat berfungsi ketika gerakan kita terbatas seperti sekarang.

(D) Memperkuat & meningkatkan ekspresi dan wacana progresif. Termasuk menemukan pendekatan yang lebih strategis untuk mencapai kebebasan beragama atau berkeyakinan, utamanya didasarkan pada kesetaraan gender dan penghormatan terhadap keragaman SOGIESC.

(E) Mendukung pendekatan inovatif / holistik untuk memajukan hak dan ketahanan, termasuk perhatian pada komunitas serta kepedulian kolektif.

Siapa saja yang bisa mendaftar?

Kami menerima proposal dari kelompok terdaftar dan tidak terdaftar, dengan anggaran operasi tahunan di bawah 50.000 EUR, yang memenuhi kriteria berikut:

  • Kolektif atau organisasi yang dipimpin oleh Muslim queer (LGBTIQ), yang berbasis di salah satu negara prioritas atau fokus.
  • Kelompok yang dipimpin oleh queer, berbasis di salah satu negara prioritas atau fokus. Prioritas akan diberikan kepada perempuan LBQ, kelompok yang dipimpin oleh trans dan interseks.
  • Feminis, kelompok hak-hak perempuan dan hak-hak anak perempuan termasuk komunitas LGBTIQ, yang berbasis di salah satu negara prioritas atau fokus.

Jenis hibah apa yang bisa kita ajukan?

Kami menerima proposal proyek untuk Hibah Organisasi, atau Hibah Regional/Kolaboratif, yang akan dilaksanakan antara 1 Juli – 15 Desember 2020. Hibah dapat diajukan dengan jumlah total 2500 EUR, 6000 EUR, atau 10.000 EUR. Kami dapat menyediakan dana proyek yang mencakup pembiayaan untuk merancang, mengimplementasikan dan mengevaluasi proyek-proyek kecil. Termasuk  juga biaya yang diperlukan untuk sumber daya manusia dan teknologi.

Hibah Organisasi. Proposal jenis ini dapat diajukan oleh organisasi atau kolektif yang bekerja di salah satu negara prioritas: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Mesir, India, Indonesia, Yordania, Kirgistan, Maroko, Nepal, Pakistan, Palestina, Filipina, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tajikistan, Tunisia , dan Yaman.

Hibah Regional / Kolaborasi: Proposal ini harus bisa memaparkan berbagai hal terkait strategi regional, dan dapat diajukan sebagai kemitraan dengan CSBR. Jenis hibah ini dapat diajukan oleh organisasi, kolektif atau jaringan yang bekerja di salah satu negara prioritas (di atas), dan / atau negara-negara fokus: Aljazair, Kazakhstan, Libanon, Malaysia dan Turki.

Kegiatan seperti Apa Yang Dapat Kita Ajukan?

Di bawah ini adalah contoh kegiatan yang dapat kami dukung, yakni yang sejalan dengan kriteria strategis dan didasarkan pada kebutuhan yang kami dengar dari rekan-rekan kami dan program yang sudah dikembangkan oleh anggota jaringan dan sekutu. Ini tidak dimaksudkan untuk membatasi proposal kalian, tetapi hanya contoh pekerjaan yang diperlukan. Kategori kegiatan yang bisa diajukan sebagai berikut: Produksi Pengetahuan; Jaringan Virtual & Lokakarya; Penguatan Kampanye & Advokasi; Bantuan & Kepedulian Komunitas.

Produksi Pengetahuan. Kegiatannya meliputi:

  • Penelitian & Analisis tentang bagaimana gerakan-gerakan fundamentalis bertemu dalam berbagai konteks kita. Misalnya, apa hubungan antara fundamentalisme agama dengan ekonomi, dan dampaknya terhadap kebijakan pemerintah untuk mengatasi COVID-19?
  • Penelitian dan analisis tentang bagaimana kekuatan konservatif merusak upaya masyarakat untuk menegakkan hak dan menghentikan pelanggaran (termasuk meningkatnya kekerasan dalam rumah tangga, kejahatan rasial, penyebaran COVID, akses terbatas ke layanan kesehatan penting termasuk SRHR)?
  • Publikasi yang mencabar asumsi dan prasangka buruk terhadap konsep gender dan seksualitas yang terpinggirkan dalam masyarakat Muslim
  • Dokumentasi inisiatif berbasis hak yang mendukung / mendorong pendekatan afirmatif dan inklusif untuk kepercayaan, seksualitas dan hak asasi manusia.


Jejaring & Lokakarya Virtual

  • Pelibatan komunitas melalui platform virtual untuk berjumpa & tetap terhubung dengan tema tertentu. Misalnya, festival online, forum online untuk pertukaran pengalaman, seri kuliah, lokakarya online – yang membahas kriteria strategis.
  • Bereksperimen dengan mengubah metodologi partisipatif dari tatap muka ke ruang virtual. Bagaimana kita bisa mengadakan kegiatan yang dulunya pelatihan 5 hari secara langsung, sekarang dilakukan secara online? Apakah mungkin membuat lokakarya online yang masih mendukung orang untuk terlibat dalam kegiatan refleksif diri, menyediakan ruang aman, dan membangun koneksi?
  • Melibatkan praktisi holistik untuk menawarkan serangkaian sesi dukungan psiko-sosial virtual dan berbasis ketubuhan kepada komunitas yang terpinggirkan
  • Membuat dan memproduksi podcast tematik 10 episode

Memperkuat Kampanye dan Advokasi Hukum dan Kebijakan 

  • Mengorganisasi serangkaian lokakarya virtual tentang bagaimana caranya terlibat dengan mekanisme PBB dan proses politik tingkat tinggi, bahkan di tengah-tengah pembatasan terkait COVID-19
  • Dokumentasi, webinar, dan kampanye sosial yang mengadvokasi perlawanan terhadap stigmatisasi pasien dan peningkatan risiko bagi masyarakat yang terpinggirkan karena COVID-19, termasuk orang-orang LGBTIQ, pekerja seks, orang muda jalanan, kelompok orang dengan disabilitas, orang yang hidup dengan HIV, migran, dll.
  • Menciptakan platform umum untuk perempuan, anak perempuan dan pembela LGBTIQ untuk belajar dari kampanye yang telah berhasil untuk memastikan pemerintah memberikan layanan penting, melindungi hak asasi manusia & memastikan perlindungan lingkungan selama COVID-19 dan seterusnya.
  • Menulis serangkaian tulisan dan artikel yang akan diterbitkan di media arus utama tentang masalah kampanye tertentu
  • Kampanye berbasis seni melalui media online

Bantuan dan Kepedulian Komunitas

  • Mengembangkan Panduan Sumber Daya untuk mendukung komunitas dalam membangun lingkaran bantuan bersama. Misalnya, bagaimana kita menciptakan community responses yang mengurangi situasi menguatnya pengawasan dan kontrol penuh aparat dalam menanggapi COVID-19?
  • Merancang sistem pendukung komunitas untuk memecahkan isolasi, mengatasi tantangan kesehatan mental, membuat orang terhubung secara sosial, dan mengakses kebutuhan penting (makanan, obat-obatan, layanan kesehatan)
  • Mengoperasikan hotline untuk dukungan informasi dan sumber daya, untuk menangani GBV, CSE, SRHR dan akses ke layanan kesehatan penting lainnya
  • Penjangkauan ke komunitas yang belum pernah kalian jangkau, untuk memperkuat pengorganisasian lintas gerakan. Misalnya: membangun jaringan dan terlibat dengan para profesional dari berbagai sektor (seperti pekerja sosial, pengacara, guru, dokter, dll.), yang dapat menyebarkan pembelajaran, pengalaman, dan informasi ke khalayak yang lebih luas

Jangka Waktu Pengajuan & Review:

Silakan kirimkan proposal proyek kalian sebelum 8 Juni 2020, dengan mengisi Formulir Proposal di bawah ini, dan emailkan formulir yang sudah diisi ke: coordinator@csbronline.org. Jika kalian memiliki masalah keamanan tentang pengiriman formulir proposal melalui email, silakan menghubungi kami sehingga kami dapat mencari cara alternatif untuk menerima proposal kalian. Tinjauan/review oleh Komite Seleksi CSBR akan selesai pada tanggal 26 Juni 2020. Oleh karena itu, tanggal mulai proyek diharapkan tidak boleh sebelum 1 Juli 2020. Kami berharap hibah bisa didistribusikan pada akhir Juli 2020.

Download FORMULIR PROPOSAL

Müslüman Toplumlarda Cinsel ve Bedensel Haklar Koalisyonu (CSBR) Haklar ve Dayanıklılık Çekirdek Hibeleri

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CSBR Haklar ve Dayanıklılık çekirdek hibeleri, COVID-19 pandemisinin yarattığı etkiler bağlamında örgütlenme ve hak geliştirmenin alternatif yollarını bulmaya çalışan küçük ölçekli projeleri desteklemeyi hedefliyor.

Neden böyle bir mekanizmaya ihtiyaç duyduk?

Komünite temelli uluslararası bir dayanışma ağı olarak yaşadığımız bu eşi görülmemiş kolektif kriz anında, ağ içerisinde kaynak sağlama mekanizmasını birlikte oluşturmanın yollarını keşfetmek istedik. CSBR olarak bu yıl yapmayı planladığımız yüz yüze toplantılarımızı salgın dolayısıyla gerçekleştiremeyeceğiz ancak elimizdeki fonların çok kıymetli olduğunun bilinciyle rotamızı yeniden belirledik. Her ne kadar ülkelerin sınırları kapanmış olsa da farklı bağlamlar arasındaki etkileşimi sürdürebilmek için daha geniş bir aktivist topluluğunu destekleyebilecek küçük kaynaklar oluşturmaya odaklandık. Ağa üye aktivistlerin katılımıyla oluşturduğumuz bu mekanizma ile hareketler arasında kaynakların dağılımına dair iyi uygulamaları da keşfetmek istiyoruz.

Sadece bugünkü pandemi ortamında değil pandemi kontrol altına alındıktan sonra da yaşadığımız küresel değişimlerin hareketlerimiz için ne anlama geldiği üzerine düşünebilmek için bir alan yaratmanın gerekli olduğunu düşünüyoruz. Durup, kolektif olarak nasıl rotamızı yeniden belirleyebiliriz, deneyimlerimizi nasıl paylaşabiliriz ve örgütlülük alanımızın sürekliliğini sağlayacak ve hatta bu alanı genişletmemizi mümkün kılacak şekillerde nasıl davranabiliriz? Bugünkü eylemlerimizin örgütlenirken birbirimize karşı gösterdiğimiz kolektif sorumluluğu, özeni ve özbakımı hem güçlendirip hem de merkezinde tutmasını sağlayacağından nasıl emin olabiliriz? Yüz yüze örgütlenmenin mümkün olmadığı bu günlerde, toplulukları örgütlemenin ve harekete geçirmenin daha erişilebilir ve kapsayıcı yöntemlerini oluşturabilmek üzere bazı pratiklerimizi dönüştürme konusunda birbirimizin yaratıcılığından neler öğrenebiliriz? CSBR Haklar ve Dayanıklılık Programı, fon vermenin ötesinde topluluklar tarafından ve topluluklar için kolektif kapasiteyi, dayanışmayı ve hareket örgütleme desteğini güçlendirecek bir mekanizma olmayı amaçlıyor. Bu mekanizma sayesinde, fon alıcıların sanal forumlarda bir araya gelmesi için bir dizi Bağlantı Kurma ve Öğrenme Etkinlikleri düzenleyeceğiz. Bu etkinlikler birbirimizin deneyimlerinden öğrenmemiz, ilişkilerimizi geliştirmemiz ve programın izleme, değerlendirme ve öğrenme süreçlerine kolektif katılmamız konularında bize destek olacak.

Stratejik Odak:

Proje önerileri aşağıdaki kriterleri nasıl yerine getireceklerini belirtmelidir:

A. Köktenciliğin temel nedenlerini ve bu nedenlerin, LGBTIQ bireylerin karşı karşıya kaldığı hak kısıtlamalarıyla nasıl kesiştiğini ele almak ve bunlarla mücadele etmek;

B. Topluluk-temelli örgütlenmeyi güçlendirmek;

C., Müslüman toplumlardaki mevcut programların ve kampanyaların hareket kısıtlaması yaşadığımız bugünlerde yeni yöntemlerle devam ettirilmesini de içerecek şekilde sivil alanı sürdürmek ve genişletmek;

D. İlerici ifade ve söylemleri güçlendirmek ve çoğaltmak. Bu stratejik odak, toplumsal cinsiyet eşitliği, cinsel yönelim, toplumsal cinsiyet kimliği ve ifadesi çeşitliliğine saygı temeline dayanan din veya inanç özgürlüğüne dair olumlayıcı yaklaşımları geliştirmeyi de içeren ifade ve söylemleri de kapsar. E. Topluluk ve kolektif özbakım da dahil olmak üzere, hakları ve dayanıklılığı geliştirmeye dair yenilikçive bütüncül yaklaşımları desteklemek.

Kimler başvurabilir?

Yıllık bütçesi 50.000 Euro’nun altında olan ve aşağıdaki kriterleri karşılayan, sivil toplum örgütleri, platformlar, inisiyatifler vb. grupların başvurularını kabul ediyoruz:

  • Öncelikli ya da odak ülkelerdeki kuir (LGBTIQ) Müslümanlar tarafından yürütülen kolektifler ya da kuruluşlar.
  • Öncelikli ya da odak ülkelerdeki kuir gruplar. LBQ, trans ve interseks gruplara öncelik verilecektir.
  • Öncelikli ya da odak ülkelerdeki LGBTIQ bireyleri kapsayan feminist gruplar, kadın hakları ya da kız çocuğu hakları grupları.
    

Hangi hibelere başvurabilirsiniz?

Kurumsal Hibeler ya da Bölgesel/İş birliği Hibeleri için 1 Temmuz- 15 Aralık 2020 tarihleri arasında gerçekleştirilecek proje önerilerini kabul ediyoruz. Hibe miktarları 2500 Euro, 6000 Euro ya da 10.000 Euro olarak belirlendi. Hibeler küçük ölçekli projelerin tasarımı, uygulanması ve değerlendirilmesiyle ilgili temel maliyetleri karşılayacak şekilde belirlendi. İnsan kaynakları ve teknoloji için gerekli olan harcamalar da bu bütçelere dahildir.

Kurumsal Hibeler: Bu proje önerileri öncelikli ülkelerin herhangi birinde çalışan kuruluşlar ya da kolektifler tarafından sunulabilir: Afganistan, Bangladeş, Mısır, Hindistan, Endonezya, Ürdün, Kırgızistan, Fas, Nepal, Pakistan, Filistin, Filipinler, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Tacikistan, Tunus ve Yemen.

Bölgesel Hibeler/İş birliği Hibeleri: Bu proje önerilerinin bölgesel stratejileri nasıl ele alacaklarını belirtmeleri gerekir ve CSBR ile ortaklık önerileri olarak sunulabilirler. Başvuru, yukarıda belirtilen öncelikli ülkelerin ve/veya aşağıda belirtilen odak ülkelerin herhangi birinde çalışan kuruluşlar, kolektifler ya da ağlar tarafından yapılabilir: Fas, Kazakistan, Lübnan, Malezya ve Türkiye.

Hangi Aktiviteleri Önerebiliriz?

Aşağıda, bu hibeler tarafından desteklenebilecek stratejik kriterlerle ve üyelerimizin belirttikleri ihtiyaçlar ve halihazırda yürüttükleri programlarla uyumlu aktivitelerden örnekler verilmiştir. Proje önerilerinizi bu örneklerle sınırlandırmanız gerekmiyor. Bu örnekler daha ziyade ihtiyaç duyulduğunu bildiğimiz aktivitelerin bir seçkisini sunuyor. Aktiviteler aşağıda geniş bir şekilde tanımlanmış şu kategorilerin altında yer alabilir: Bilgi Üretimi; Sanal Ağ Oluşturma ve Atölyeler, Kampanya ve Savunuculuk Güçlendirme; Karşılıklı Yardımlaşma ve Topluluk Sorumluluğu ve Özbakımı.

Bilgi Üretimi. Aktiviteler şunları içerebilir:

  • Köktendinci unsurların çeşitli bağlamlarımızda nasıl kesiştiğine dair araştırmalar ve analizler. Örneğin, dini ve ekonomik köktencilik arasında nasıl bir bağlantı var ve bunun hükümetlerin aldığı COVID-19 önlemleri üzerindeki etkileri neler?
  • Muhafazakâr dini unsurların, hakların korunması ve ihlallerin durdurulması amacıyla toplulukların yürüttükleri çalışmalara (artan aile içi şiddet, nefret suçları, COVID’in yayılması, cinsel sağlık ve doğurganlık sağlığı gibi temel sağlık hizmetlerine sınırlı erişim dahil olmak üzere) nasıl zarar verdiğine dair araştırmalar ve analizler yapmak.
  • Müslüman toplumlarda toplumsal cinsiyet ve cinsellik gibi marjinalize edilmiş kavramlara yönelik geleneksel varsayımları ve önyargıları sorgulayan yayınlar.
  • İnanç, cinsellik ve insan haklarına dair olumlayıcı ve kapsayıcı yaklaşımları destekleyen/geliştiren hak temelli inisiyatiflerin dokümantasyonu.

Sanal Ağ Oluşturma ve Atölyeler

  • Topluluklarla sanal platformlar üzerinden belirli konular çerçevesinde bir araya gelme ve iletişim halinde kalma. Bu türden aktiviteler arasında stratejik kriterlerle uyumlu sanal festivaller, deneyim paylaşımı yapılabilecek online forumlar, seminerler ve online atölyeler sayılabilir.
  • Yüz yüze görüşürken kullanılan katılımcı yöntemlerin sanal ortama nasıl taşınabileceği konusunda denemeler yapmak. Örneğin; salgın öncesinde birkaç gün sürecek şekilde organize ettiğimiz yüz yüze eğitimleri nasıl online ortamlara taşıyabiliriz? Özdüşünümsel aktivitelere katılımı destekleyecek, kişilerin birbiriyle yakınlık kurabileceği ve ilişkilenebileceği online atölyeler düzenlemek mümkün mü?
  • Bütüncül bir perspektifle çalışan uzmanların dezavantajlı topluluklara sanal ortamda psiko-sosyal ve beden-temelli destek seansları sunmasını sağlamak.
  • On bölümden oluşan tematik bir podcast üretmek.

Kampanya ve Savunuculuk Çalışmalarını Güçlendirme (Yasalar ve politikalar bağlamında)

  • COVID-19 kısıtlamaları sürecinde Birleşmiş Milletler mekanizmaları ve üst düzey siyasi süreçlere katılıma odaklanan sanal atölye serileri düzenlemek.
  • COVID-19 sebebiyle hastaların damgalanmasına ve LGBTIQ bireyler, seks işçileri, sokakta yaşayan gençler, engelli bireyler, HIV+ ile yaşayanlar, göçmenler, vb. dezavantajlı toplulukların giderek daha fazla karşılaştığı risklere karşı savunuculuk için raporlama yapmak, webinar ve kampanyalar düzenlemek.
  • COVID-19 koşullarında ve sonrasında hükümetlerin temel hizmetleri karşılaması, insan haklarını ve çevrenin korumasını sağlaması için kadınlar, kız çocukları ve LGBTIQ hakları savunucularının yürüttüğü başarılı kampanyaları birbirlerinden öğrenmelerini desteklemek üzere ortak platformlar kurmak.
  • Belirli kampanya konuları hakkında ana akım medyada yayımlanmak üzere bir dizi yazı ve makale yazmak.
  • Online mecralar üzerinden sanat temelli kampanyalar düzenlemek.

Karşılıklı Yardımlaşma ve Topluluk Sorumluluğu ve Özbakımı

  • Karşılıklı yardımlaşma ağları kurmak konusunda toplulukları desteklemek için Kaynak Kılavuzlar geliştirmek.
  • İzolasyonu kırmak, akıl sağlığı problemlerini ele almak, insanların sosyal iletişim içinde kalmalarını sağlamak ve temel ihtiyaçlara (yemek, ilaç, sağlık hizmetleri) erişimi sağlamak için topluluk dayanışma sistemleri tasarlamak.
  • Toplumsal cinsiyet temelli şiddeti, kapsamlı cinsellik eğitimini, cinsel haklar ve doğurganlık sağlığı hakları ile diğer temel sağlık hizmetlerini ele almak ve bu hizmetlere erişimi sağlamak amacıyla bilgi ve kaynak desteği geliştirmek için acil yardım hatları işletmek.
  • Hareketler arasındaki örgütlenme pratiklerini güçlendirmek için daha öncesinde erişilmemiş topluluklara erişmek. Örneğin, ağlar kurarak farklı sektörlerden kendi bilgisi ve deneyimlerini geniş kitlelere ulaştırabilecek profesyonellerle (sosyal çalışmacı, avukat, öğretmen, doktor, vb.) birlikte çalışmak.

Başvuru ve Değerlendirme Takvimi

Proje önerilerinizi en geç 8 Haziran 2020 tarihine kadar aşağıdaki Başvuru Formunu doldurarak şu e-posta adresine gönderebilirsiniz: coordinator@csbronline.org. Başvurunuzu Türkçe yapabilirsiniz.  CSBR Değerlendirme Komitesi’nin değerlendirme süreci 26 Haziran 2020 tarihinde sonuçlanacaktır. Bu nedenle projelerin başlangıç tarihi 1 Temmuz 2020’den önce olmamalıdır. Hibelerin Temmuz (2020) ayının sonunda verilmesi planlanmaktadır.

Download Başvuru FORMU

VIDEO: Bringing Progressive Faith Voices towards Diverse Genders and Sexualities (IDAHOBIT Webinar, 18 May)

To mark IDAHOBIT 2020, GAYa NUSANTARA (GN), with the Coalition for Sexual and Bodily Rights in Muslim Societies (CSBR, and the Global Interfaith Network (GIN), hosted a historical webinar entitled “Bringing Progressive Faith Voices toward Diverse Gender and Sexualities”, and which notably included a discussion on the newly released booklet “Christian-Islam Progressive Interpretation of Gender Diversity and Sexuality.”

The event was intended for all communities of faith and allies to amplify progressive faith voices in respect to diverse gender and sexualities. For 2 hours from 8:00 am UTC on Monday 18 May 2020, we brought together voices from Islam and Christianity across Asia Pacific and beyond.

Speakers:

– Pastor Kakay Pamaran, a gender justice advocate and Bible teacher
– Dr amina wadud, specialist in textual analysis from a gender and sexuality inclusive perspective, best known as the Lady Imam
– Dede Oetomo, independent scholar and founder of GAYa NUSANTARA
Moderator: Rima Athar, human rights activist and feminist organiser

The 2-hr webinar also included artistic performances: Sheena Baharudin (https://instagram.com/sheenabaharudin & https://facebook.com/SheenaBaharudin) opened by reading her amazing poetry and Pastor Kakay Pamaran closed with a song.

Email strongindiversity.gn@gmail.com for any questions and a copy of the booklet. #breakingthesilence #idahobit2020

Call for a Feminist COVID-19 Policy: Statement of Feminists and Women’s Rights Organizations from the Global South and marginalized communities in the Global North

CSBR joined the Feminist Alliance for Rights, and organizations the world over to endorse the call for a Feminist COVID-19 Policy, which was delivered to UN Member States.  Read the full statement below.


Key Focus Areas for a Feminist Policy on COVID-19

Food security. In countries that depend on food imports, there are fears of closing borders and markets and the inability to access food. This concern is exacerbated for people experiencing poverty and in rural communities, especially women, who do not have easy access to city centers and major grocery stores and markets. This leads to people with the means purchasing large quantities of goods which limits availability for those with lower incomes who are not able to do the same and are likely to face shortages when they attempt to replenish their food supplies. In response to this challenge, we call on governments to:

  • Increase — or introduce —  food stamps and subsidies, both in quantity for those already receiving them and in expansion of access to include those who become more vulnerable due to current circumstances
  • Direct businesses to ration nonperishable food supply to control inventory and increase access for those who, due to their income levels, must purchase over a longer period of time
  • Send food supply to rural communities to be stored and distributed as needed to eliminate the delay in accessing supply in city centers and safeguard against shortages due to delays in shipping
  • Send food supply to people unable to leave their homes (e.g. disabled people living alone or in remote areas)

Healthcare. All countries expect a massive strain on their public health systems due to the spread of the virus, and this can lead to decreased maternal health and increased infant mortality rates. There is often lack of access to healthcare services and medical supplies in rural communities. The elderly, people with disabilities, and people with compromised or suppressed immune systems are at high risk, and may not have live-in support systems. The change in routine and spread of the virus can create or exacerbate mental health issues. This crisis has a disproportionate impact on women who form, according to the World Health Organization’s March 2019 Gender equity in the health workforce working paper, 70% of workers in the health and social sector, according to the World Health Organization. It also disproportionately affects those who provide care for others.

In response to this challenge, we call on governments to:

  • Ensure the availability of sex-disaggregated data and gender analysis, including differentiated infection and mortality rates.
  • Increase availability and delivery of healthcare services and responders, medical supplies, and medications
  • Ensure women’s timely access to necessary sexual and reproductive health services during the crisis, such as emergency contraception and safe abortion
  • Maintain an adequate stock of menstrual hygiene products at healthcare and community facilities
  • Train medical staff and frontline social workers  to recognize signs of domestic violence and provide appropriate resources and services
  • Develop a database of high-risk people who live alone and establish a system and a network to maintain regular contact with and deliver supplies to them
  • Provide for the continued provision of health care services based on non-biased medical research and tests — unrelated to the virus — for women and girls
  • Implement systems to effectively meet mental health needs including accessible (e.g. sign language, captions) telephone/videocall hotlines, virtual support groups, emergency services, and delivery of medication
  • Support rehabilitation centers to remain open for people with disabilities and chronic illness
  • Direct all healthcare institutions to provide adequate health care services to people regardless of health insurance status, immigration status and affirm the rights of migrant people and stateless people — with regular and irregular migration status — and unhoused people to seek medical attention to be free from discrimination, detention, and deportation
  • Ensure health service providers and all frontline staff receive adequate training and have access to equipment to protect their own health and offer mental health support
  • Assess and meet the specific needs of women health service providers

Education. The closure of schools is necessary for the protection of children, families, and communities and will help to flatten the curve so that the peak infection rate stays manageable. It, however, presents a major disruption in education and the routine to which children are accustomed. In many cases, children who depend on the school lunch program will face food insecurity. They also become more vulnerable to violence in their homes and communities which can go undetected due to no contact. School closures also have a disproportionate burden on women who traditionally undertake a role as caregivers. In response to this challenge, we call on governments to:

  • Direct educational institutions to prepare review and assignment packages for children to keep them academically engaged and prevent setbacks and provide guidance for parents on the use of the material
  • Create educational radio programming appropriate for school-age children
  • Subsidize childcare for families unable to make alternate arrangements for their children
  • Expand free internet access to increase access to online educational platforms and material and enable children to participate in virtual and disability-accessible classroom sessions where available
  • Provide laptops for children who need them in order to participate in on-line education
  • Adopt measures to ensure they continue receiving food by making sure it can be delivered or collected
  • Provide extra financial and mental health support for families caring for children with disabilities

Social inequality. These exist between men and women, citizens and migrants, people with regular and irregular migration status, people with and without disabilities, neurotypical and neuroatypical people, and other perceived dichotomies or non-binary differences as well as racial, ethnic, and religious groups. Existing vulnerabilities are further complicated by loss of income, increased stress, and unequal domestic responsibilities. Women and girls will likely have increased burdens of caregiving which will compete with (and possibly replace) their paid work or education. Vulnerable communities are put at further risk when laws are enacted, or other measures are introduced, that restrict their movement and assembly, particularly when they have less access to information or ability to process it. In response to this challenge, we call on governments to:

  • Encourage the equitable sharing of domestic tasks in explicit terms and through allowances for time off and compensation for all workers
  • Provide increased access to sanitation and emergency shelter spaces for homeless people.
  • Implement protocol and train authorities on recognizing and engaging vulnerable populations, particularly where new laws are being enforced
  • Consult with civil society organizations the process of implementing legislation and policy
  • Ensure equal access to information, public health education and resources in multiple languages, including sign and indigenous peoples languages, accessible formats, and easy-to-read and plain languages

Water and sanitation. Everyone does not have access to clean running water. In response to this challenge, we call on governments to:

  • Ensure infrastructure is in place for clean, potable water to be piped into homes and delivered to underserved areas
  • Cease all disconnections and waive all reconnection fees to provide everyone with clean, potable water
  • Bring immediate remedy to issues of unclean water
  • Build public handwashing stations in communities

Economic inequality. People are experiencing unemployment, underemployment, and loss of income due to the temporary closure of businesses, reduced hours, and limited sick leave, vacation, personal time off and stigmatization. This negatively impacts their ability to meet financial obligations, generates bigger debts, and makes it difficult for them to acquire necessary supplies. Due to closures and the need for social distancing, there is also lack of care options and ability to pay for care for children, the elderly, and people with disabilities. This produces a labor shift from the paid or gig economy to unpaid economy as family care providers. In response to this challenge, we call on governments to:

  • Implement moratoriums on evictions due to rental and mortgage arrears and deferrals of rental and mortgage payments for those affected, directly or indirectly, by the virus and for people belonging to vulnerable groups
  • Provide Universal Basic Income for those with lost income
  • Provide financial support to unhoused people, refugees, and women’s shelters
  • Provide additional financial aid to elderly people and people with disabilities
  • Expedite the distribution of benefits
  • Modify sick leave, parental and care leave, and personal time off policies
  • Direct businesses to invite employees to work remotely on the same financial conditions as agreed prior to pandemic
  • Distribute packages with necessities including soap, disinfectants, and hand sanitizer

Violence against women, domestic violence/Intimate partner violence (DV/IPV). Rates and severity of domestic violence/intimate partner violence against women, including sexual and reproductive violence, will likely surge as tension rises. Mobility restrictions (social distance, self-isolation, extreme lockdown, or quarantine) will also increase survivors’ vulnerability to abuse and need for protection services. (See Economic inequality.) Escape will be more difficult as the abusive partner will be at home all the time. Children face particular protection risks, including increased risks of abuse and/or being separated from their caregivers. Accessibility of protection services will decline if extreme lockdown is imposed as public resources are diverted. Women and girls fleeing violence and persecution will not be able to leave their countries of origin or enter asylum countries because of the closure of borders and travel restrictions.

In response to this challenge, we call on governments to:

  • Establish separate units within police departments and telephone hotlines to report domestic violence
  • Increase resourcing for nongovernmental organizations that respond to domestic violence and provide assistance — including shelter, counselling, and legal aid —  to survivors, and promote those that remain open are available
  • Disseminate information about gender-based violence and publicize resources and services available
  • Direct designated public services, including shelters, to remain open and accessible
  • Ensure protection services implement programs that have emergency plans that include protocols to ensure safety for residents and clients
  • Develop protocol for the care of women who may not be admitted due to exposure to the virus which includes safe quarantine and access to testing
  • Make provisions for domestic violence survivors to attend court proceedings via accessible teleconference
  • Direct police departments to respond to all domestic violence reports and connect survivors with appropriate resources
  • Ensure women and girls and other people in vulnerable positions are not rejected at the border, have access to the territory and to asylum legal procedures. If needed, they will be given access to testing

Access to information. There is unequal access to reliable information, especially for those structurally discriminated against and belonging to marginalized communities. People will need to receive regular updates from national health authorities for the duration of this crisis. In response to this challenge, we call on governments to:

  • Launch public campaigns to prevent and contain the spread of the virus
  • Consult and work with civil society in all initiatives to provide information to the public
  • Make information available to the public in plain language and accessible means, modes and formats, including internet, radio and text messages
  • Ensure people with disabilities have access to information through sign language, closed captions, and other appropriate means
  • Increase subsidies to nongovernmental organizations that will ensure messages translated and delivered through appropriate means to those who speak different languages or have specific needs
  • Build and deploy a task force to share information and resources with vulnerable people with specific focus on unhoused, people with disabilities, migrant, refugees, and neuroatypical people

Abuse of power. People in prisons, administrative migration centers, refugee camps, and people with disabilities in institutions and psychiatric facilities are at higher risk of contagion due to the confinement conditions. They can also become more vulnerable to abuse or neglect as a result of limited external oversight and restriction of visits. It is not uncommon for authorities to become overzealous in their practices related to enforcement of the law and introduction of new laws. During this crisis, vulnerable people, especially dissidents, are at a higher risk of having negative, potentially dangerous interactions with authorities. In response to this challenge, we call on governments to:

  • Adopt human rights-oriented protocols to reduce spreading of the virus in detention and confinement facilities
  • Strengthen external oversight and facilitate safe contact with relatives i.e. free telephone calls
  • Encourage law enforcement officers to focus on increasing safety rather than arrests
  • Train law enforcement officers, care workers, and social workers to recognize vulnerabilities and make necessary adjustments in their approach and engagement
  • Support civil society organizations and country Ombudsmen/Human Rights Defenders in monitoring the developments within those institutions on a regular basis
  • Consult any changes in existing laws with civil rights societies and Ombudsmen/Human Rights Defenders
  • Commit to discontinuing emergency laws and powers once pandemic subsides and restore the check and balances mechanism

Sign onto the statement here either as an individual or representative of an organization: tiny.cc/endorsenow

Cinsel Şiddetle Mücadele Derneği (CSMD) joins CSBR!

We’re excited to welcome Cinsel Şiddetle Mücadele Derneği (CSMD – Association for Struggle Against Sexual Violence) in Turkey as a member of the Coalition for Sexual and Bodily Rights in Muslim Societies!

Association for Struggle Against Sexual Violence (CŞMD); was established officially in 2014 in Istanbul by the activists in order for the issue of sexual violence in Turkey to be addressed as a matter of concern by an inclusive, intersectional and empowering approach despite the polarized gender binary system in Turkey.

The Association conducts preventive, supportive and awareness-raising activities besides its advocacy studies with a queer feminist perspective in order to make the sexual violence more visible, addressable and debatable; in order to bring the invisible forms of sexual violence to the agenda and to struggle against all forms of sexual violence without establishing any hierarchy among them.

Find our more about their work through their website: https://cinselsiddetlemucadele.org/en/ and follow them on social media here: Facebook | Twitter | İnstagram | Youtube

Women’s Rights Caucus Issues Feminist Declaration Marking 25th Anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action


CSBR joined over 200 organizations globally in adopting the Feminist Declaration on the occasion of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women.

Read the Feminist Declaration here.


New York, March 9, 2020

Twenty five years after the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the foundational global document on gender equality, governments at an abbreviated session of the UN’s Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) have reaffirmed a commitment to gender equality but, according to leading feminist groups and activists, fell short of committing to the transformative steps necessary to achieve this vision.

To address the gaps in the political declaration adopted at the CSW by governments, the Women’s Rights Caucus—a global coalition of more than 200 feminist organizations, networks and collectives that advocates for gender equality at the United Nations—has published an alternative, feminist declaration. The Feminist Declaration outlines a bold and urgent agenda for gender equality and the human rights of all women and girls, and centers the critical role of civil society organizations advocating for accountability in policy and programs meant to promote, protect, and fulfill human rights for all.

“The stalled progress on gender equality is profoundly disappointing and threatens the lives and well-being of girls, women, and non-binary people worldwide,” said the Women’s Rights Caucus. “It is not enough for governments to simply reaffirm past commitments. To achieve gender equality, we need to commit to supporting feminist movements and to adopt a bold and forward-looking agenda that addresses the multiple and intersecting challenges faced by all women and girls. The Feminist Declaration launched today reflects the priorities of the feminist movement and provides governments and other stakeholders with a path toward true equality.”

The feminist declaration includes critical issues that governments must tackle to achieve gender equality, including: sexual and reproductive rights and bodily autonomy; women, peace, and security; the intersections between the climate crisis and gender equality; and the role of women’s human rights defenders and feminist movements, who are the key to driving long-term change.

Due to ongoing concerns about the spread of COVID-19, CSW was suspended after the adoption of the political declaration. The Women’s Rights Caucus welcomes the decision to prioritize the health and safety of participants, but will hold the Commission’s leadership accountable for reconvening the full CSW later this year and ensuring robust discussion between feminist organizations and governments.

The political declaration marks the anniversary of the revolutionary agreement made at the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995. With this declaration, governments had the opportunity to identify and address new challenges, and set the stage for a new international agenda for gender equality. However, 25 years later, the limited scope of the political declaration demonstrates that this opportunity was not seized.

Despite the limitations of CSW’s political declaration, there remains hope that 2020 will deliver significant gains for gender equality. The feminist movement will continue to work alongside those who share our vision as we commemorate the 25th anniversary of Beijing—and other key landmarks including the 5th year of the Sustainable Development Goals and the 20th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace, and security—and seize the opportunity of the Generation Equality Forums. These events provide the opportunity to focus resources and political will into a progressive and just agenda for gender equality that truly leaves no one behind. But to achieve our goal, we in the feminist movement must have our priorities and organizations supported.

The Feminist Declaration launched today provides governments with a roadmap to achieve not only the vision outlined in Beijing, but the transformative change necessary to deliver Generation Equality.

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The Women’s Rights Caucus is a self-organized feminist advocacy group, comprised of more than 200 organizations, dedicated to advancing gender equality and the United Nations.


Reposted from OutRight Action International

LBT Allies: A Journey of Becoming, and Nourishing Conversation

What are those pivotal moments that we experience along our personal journeys of becoming, and taking action? Those moments of knowing–becoming aware; and those moments of consciousness–when awareness transforms into embodied values, ethics and actions, springing from within.

This publication by Yulia Dwi Andriyanti documents conversations with 5 Indonesian women leaders–writers, strategists, religious leaders, facilitators and trainers across diverse social movements–recollecting their own journeys of becoming allies to lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LBT) peoples as part of the feminist struggle.

Situated within a wider program by CSBR on self & collective care, holistic well-being and integrated security–this qualitative research was originally carried out between May – August 2018. As Yulia shares, the process of having these conversations at that pivotal moment–after the expanding deluge and state-sponsored moral panic against LGBTIQ peoples in Indonesia from 2016 onwards, attempts to criminalize same-sex relations in 2017, and the resulting burnout and fragmentation experienced by under-resourced queer movements–was in and of itself part of a healing journey, of recovering and rediscovering resources, support and community when it was most needed.

The research also formed the basis of the Tutur Feminis Coloring Book, launched by Qbukatabu in March 2019–which was an accessible medium through which to tranlsate key concepts and learnings from the research, while also creating a fun and practical self-care resource for activists. The Tutur Feminis coloring book, originally in Bahasa Indonesia, has since been translated into English, and been made accessible at various national events and international forums, including the Global Feminist LBQ Women*’s Conference (Cape Town, July 2019), the Edinburgh International Book Festival (August 2019), and the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival (October 2019).

From there, the narrative report of the original research was revised, refined, translated into English and illustrated as another archival documentation of feminist organizing histories.

These conversations are sources of knowledge that people can always learn from, discuss, celebrate and reflect with–as we continue to advance rights and justice for all. We hope you enjoy it!

** Click Here to Access the PDF of the Publication ** 

Ikhtyar joins CSBR!

We are excited to welcome Ikhtyar Collective, from Egypt, as a new member of the Coalition for Sexual and Bodily RIghts in Muslim Societies!

Ikhtyar is a collective that works to build, produce, circulate and present a local feminist body of knowledge in Arabic around gender and sexuality using different formats: written, audio and oral.  Ikhtyar works for an accepting world, where we are not trading some rights for others. A world paving the way for the less heard to narrate their realities. A world that preserves a space for each one of us; accommodating our diversities and aspirations.

Currently, Ikhtyar’s programmatic work focuses on organizing, knowledge production and advocacy in the areas of sexual and reproductive health rights, creating a feminist internet, and building feminist personal narratives. Follow them on Facebook @IkthyarforGenderStudies and Twitter @IkhtyarCo for more updates!

CSBR at the #SayEnoughAsia Skillshop

From 20-22 January 2020, the #SayEnoughAsia Skillshop will be bringing together feminist activists from all across Asia to learn & share skills on campaigning to end violence against women and girls and gender-based violence.
Building on CSBR’s programmatic work on healing, pleasure & well-being, our coordinator, Rima Athar, will be offering the workshop “Our Felt Sense: Self & Collective Care as Feminist Praxis”. The method mixes personal stories, rituals, art making and light somatic exploration to see how we can support ourselves and each other to live, love & organize daily with a little more joy & a little more ease.
The Skill Shop line-up is packed with creative tips and tactics to advance rights for women and girls across Asia. For a look at making comics & zines, feminist films, reclaiming public spaces, challenging criminalization, organizing poetry cyphers, creative writing, online campaigning, digital security & more, follow #SayEnoughAsia.

Reflections from CSBR Members on organizing for diverse sexual rights in ARROW for Change

In this edition of ARROW for Change, read diverse perspectives and voices on the right to choose freely on matters of sexuality across the Asia Pacific region, from a number of CSBR Members, including:

  • an interview with our Coordinator, Rima Athar, “On Invisibility & Erasure within LGBTIQ organizing”;
  • Reflections on “Queer Muslims Movement Building through Storytelling”, from Rafiul Rahman of The Queer Muslim Project; and
  • “Making Space for Sexual Rights within the Religious Spheres”, by Rozana Isa of SIS.

Sexuality is one of the most central and defining aspects of being human. The WHO working definition of sexual rights states that all persons should have the right to the highest standard of health in relation to sexuality which includes access to SRH services; to seek, receive and impart information in relation to sexuality; sexuality education; respect for bodily integrity; choice of partner; to decide to be sexually active or not; consensual sexual relations; consensual marriage; to decide whether or not and when to have children; and to pursue a satisfying, safe and pleasurable sexual life. However, the right to sexuality also remains one of the most hotly contested topics globally, moving it from the realm of personal to political, alongside an ever-growing movement for social and legal acceptance of SOGIESC.

This edition analyses the links between the right to sexuality and bodily autonomy and integrity, and discusses current perspectives on the right to sexuality in the region, drawing attention to the intersectionalities between the right to sexuality and issues such as class, age, ethnicity, and disability. Read about the diverse stories from the ground from countries such as India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Uruguay, Fiji, Malaysia, and others.

** Download the publication Here **

#OneDayOneStruggle Tweet Chat on Sex Workers Rights

As part of One Day One Struggle 2019, IWRAW-AP and CSBR co-hosted a twitter chat on building solidarity and increasing respect and access for sex workers rights, in conversation with the All India Network for Sex Workers (AINSW), Asia Pacific Network of Sex Workers (APNSW), Project X Singapore, sex workers rights advocates, as well as the Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women (GAATW) and CREA.

Catch up on the inspiring and insightful conversation here: https://twitter.com/i/events/1194087186393686017.

 

 

 

Mesahat & Artivism for #OneDayOneStruggle: “Our non-conforming bodies are a masterpiece, their hues are our choices, and their presence is a war against social structures”

أجسادنا الغير نمطية هي لوحة؛ ألوانها هي خيارتنا، وحرب على القوالب المجتمعية”

” الجواب بيبان من عنوانه”، واحد من الأمثال المصرية الشائعة التي يتم إدراجها فى سياق تبرير الأحكام المسبقة على الأفراد والأشياء من المظهر الخارجي. يعد ذلك المثل نتاج لثقافة توغلت في جذور المجتمع المصري وتشعبت في أفكاره, وهي “النمطية”. تسعى تلك الثقافة لصنع نماذج موحدة من الأجسام والعقول, وتضع صوراً مٌثلى لما هو جيد ومقبول وما هو غير جيد بناءاً على أعراف وتقاليد وموروثات ثقافية ودينية، غير عابئة إطلاقاً لحرية الأفراد في أجسادهن/م وعقولهن/م.
أرتبطت مفاهيم حرية الأجساد إرتباطاً وثيقاً بمجتمع الميم؛ حيث كان من الصعب لأجسادنا الغير نمطية أن تجد مساحاتها المتعددة في أي من تلك القوالب المجتمعية الحادة، والمتجاهلة للتعددية. وعليه كان أحد المساعي الهامة هو النداء بوقف تعليق المشانق وتكفيرنا بناءاً على اختياراتنا فيما يخص أجسادنا وهوياتنا.

كانت – و مازالت- أجسادنا الكويرية وتجاربنا و إختياراتنا صرخة يومية في وجه مجتمعنا المصري، الذي يعتبر أموراً مثل عدم ارتداء أزياءاً محافظة، وصولاً إلى العمل بالجنس التجاري، أو الإجهاض, خارجة عن آدابه العامة وخادشة لحياء أفراده. فصاحب ظهورنا -ولو الضئيل- بالشارع المصري سواء بشكل ظاهر أو خفي صخباً بداخل العقول؛ صخباً من الصعب تجاهل وجوده. وفٌتِحت أبواباً لعدة نقاشات نتج عنها إعادة النظر في آراء، لتلغي الحد على حريات الجسد والوصم القائم على الاختلافات الجسدية والجندرية لجميع الأفراد. كما ساعد ذلك الصخب على خلق مساحات نحتضن بها بعضنا البعض، نراعي بها رفاهنا الشخصي والجماعي, وننشر ثقافة التقبل بداخلها لأنفسنا, لجميع الإختيارات والتفضيلات, سواءً كنا أفراداً من مجتمع الميم أو أفراداً من خارجه من الغير منتميات/ين لقوالب المجتمع المصري الصلبة، مساحة تعبر بعيداً عن وصم المجتمع وتفكك ثقافة الكره، والتمييز وعدم الاعتناء الكامنة تجاه الأفكار والأجساد الغير نمطية.

تحتفى مؤسسة مساحات للتعددية الجنسية والجندرية بمنطقة وادي النيل (مصر والسودان) هذا العام بالساعيات/ين لحريتهن/م الجسدية وسلامهن/م الروحي والنفسي فى كل مكان, والصامدات/ين أمام قولبة المجتمعات للأجساد وطرق ممارسة العقائد، والمتمسكات/ين بحقوقهن/م في اختياراتهن/م بما يقمن/وا به تجاه أجسادهن/م وعقولهن/ك.

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“Our non-conforming bodies are a masterpiece, their hues are our choices, and their presence is a war against social structures”

“You CAN judge a book by its cover”–an Egyptian proverb that reflects normalized judgment based on how people appear. This proverb is a result of a culture that is rooted in the Egyptian society: “Conformism”. This culture aims to make unit castes of bodies and minds, and place an ideal to what is acceptable and permissible and what is not.

Freedom of bodily integrity has always been close to the existence of the LGBTIQA++ community; as it was hard for our non-conforming bodies to find their colourful existence among the rigid castes of society. Therefore, one of the main aims that crossed all LGBTIQA++ existences was to call for a halt of all sorts of accusations of apostasy based on our choices over our bodies and identities.

Our Queer Bodies, choices, and experiences have been–and will always be–a daily shout in the face of our Egyptian society. A society that considers things from dressing up immodestly, all the way to sex work, and abortion, matters that violates its morals and ethics. Hence our public visibility, stark or sublime, has instigated a stir in the collective conscious; a stir that is hard to dismiss. One that opened gates for questioning the strict regulations on bodily rights, on normalized stigmatization, on discrimination based on bodily and gender differences for everyone. Moreover, it helped create spaces of support, where we care not only for each others but for our own selves, where we spread a culture of acceptance to the diversities existing inside and outside the LGBTIQA++ community, from people who do not conform to the castes, a space that crosses the society’s discrimination, that dismembers the culture of hate, stigma, and carelessness that targets the non-conforming bodies, minds and souls.

This year, Mesahat Foundation for Sexual and Gender Diversity in the Nile Valley Area (Egypt and Sudan) is celebrating the warriors of personal freedom, of collective and individual healing wherever they are. Those who are standing still, and standing up again in the face of each blow that conforms their bodies and beliefs, those who are holding up to their and others rights for all choices related to bodies, minds, and souls. #OneDayOneStruggle