Applications are open Tajassodat: Conversations to Advance Trans Rights and Justice in Muslim Societies (26-30 May 2019), which is a joint program by Qorras and CSBR.
The call is open to transgender & non-binary people living and organizing across the MENA and SSEA regions. Please see full details below, and please do share the call with your networks.
Application link: Call for Collaborators-Tajassodat
Deadline to apply: 20 March 2019 (23:59 IST)
Please email the Tajassodat team if you have any questions: tajassodat@gmail.com
ABOUT TAJASSODAT
Tajassodat is a 5-day strategic convening set to take place on 26 to 30 May 2019, in Kathmandu, Nepal.
The goal of the convening is to create the space for trans activists from the Middle East, North Africa (MENA) and South Asia & Southeast Asia (SSEA), to come together and strategize around trans experiences and needs, strategies for proactive networking, resource development and mobilization in support of trans led organizing, and joint-collaborations amongst trans activists and their allies to advance trans rights and justice.
We aim to bring together 25 collaborators, from Lebanon, Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Iran, Palestine, Algeria, Morocco, Libya, Sudan, Syria, Gulf Countries, Malaysia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and India.
BACKGROUND
Who is organizing Tajassodat?
Tajassodat is a collaborative initiative launched by Qorras and the Coalition for Sexual and Bodily Rights in Muslim Societies (CSBR), supported by HIVOS and Astraea Foundation.
Qorras aims to work on knowledge relating to the issues of gender and sexuality in the MENA region. Qorras focuses on collecting, producing, and disseminating crucial knowledge in the broader sense of the word, all other approaches come to feed this main goal. While acknowledging that the work Qorras does is mostly inspired and based in a more Levantine, Lebanese context.
CSBR is an international solidarity network of over 30 member organizations across 16 countries in MENA, SSEA and Central Asia. CSBR supports the integration of a holistic approach to sexual and bodily rights as human rights across Muslim societies, through feminist knowledge building, strategic convenings, and activist capacity building.
In December 2018, the Steering Committee driving the process of Tajassodat, and made up of 6 activists working to advance trans rights across the regions, through various routes of community organizing, human rights advocacy, and legislative policy at national and international levels, came together.
The Steering Committee Members: Iyan Hyadi (Palestine), Maya Zaman (Pakistan), Rebecca Nyuei (Indonesia), Satya Rai Nagpaul (India), Elisabeth Strandberg (Algeria/Sweden), Zakaria Nasser (Lebanon)
What can we expect from the meeting?
General Method
The convening will take place over five days, exploring the three core themes of (a) Personal embodiments, health & well being; (b) Language, culture & histories; and (c) Legal human rights advocacy & trans movement building.
In the first three days, collaborators will create the space to share personal experiences and contextual histories on trans organizing; map out common trends and obstacles across national contexts, as well as unique opportunities for advocacy; The way trans activists build understanding & solidarity to advance human rights, will also be documented.
In the last two days, these reflections will be shaped into a collective visual zine, documenting collaborators’ experiences on bodily autonomy, self-determination and community organizing. We will also explore networking & solidarity questions with allies, to strategize around greater support and resources for trans led organizing across the regions.
Expected Outcomes
The expected outcomes are:
- a collectively made publication, documenting trans lived experiences and the conversations from the meeting;
- a stronger network of activists connecting their human rights work across the MENA & SSEA regions, and the wider global South;
- practical follow-up steps and priority strategies to support community level change at home.
Language of Participation: The primary language of the convening will be English.
Who Can Participate?
Call for Collaborators
We are sharing an open call for collaborators who want to come together and co-create the space with us. The call for participation is open to transgender and non binary individuals with experiences in the medical and legal systems; artists, writers, organizers, workers focused on community support; as well as individuals who have experience with community outreach, networking, and physical and online security.
Individuals should be living or organizing across the MENA and SSEA regions. This includes: Lebanon, Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Iran, Palestine, Algeria, Morocco, Libya, Sudan, Syria, Gulf Countries, Malaysia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and India.
APPLY NOW
Please apply using this link. The information will be kept confidential.
DEADLINE FOR APPLICATION: Applications should be submitted by 20 March 2019 (23:59 IST Time UTC+05:30)
Scholarships: Selected collaborators will be provided scholarships to attend the convening, including economy return airfare, local transportation to/from the airport and home, cost of visa to Nepal, accommodation on a shared (twin) basis, meals during the convening, and basic travel emergency health insurance.
Important Dates: The Call for Collaborators is open from 1 March – 20 March 2019. Applications will be reviewed by the Steering Committee, and we expect to announce acceptances by 10 April 2019.
Tajassodat will take place from 26 to 30 May 2019.
