SHARP Note: December 2007

The OSI Sexual Health and Rights Project (SHARP) periodically distributes information on key sexual health and rights advocacy issues, events, and grant opportunities as they arise. Subscribe to receive updates by email.

Topics:

SHARP Program and Activity Updates
Reports and Resources
Requests for Proposals
Scholarships
Upcoming Events and Conferences

SHARP Program and Activity Updates

SHARP Welcomes Acting Project Director Heather Doyle
SHARP is pleased to welcome Heather Doyle as the acting project director of SHARP. Heather has been working with OSI's Public Health Program for four years on issues of HIV/AIDS in Africa, minority health and women's health issues. Prior to joining OSI, Heather worked in West and Southern Africa on public health projects related to maternal and child health and infectious diseases, particularly TB and HIV/AIDS. Her experience also includes work in the Balkans on post-conflict system transition and in Asia on health and behavior change. She has a B.A. from American University in International Affairs and a MHS from Johns Hopkins School of Public Health in Population and Family Health.

2007 World AIDS Day Event at OSI: Two Men Talking
To commemorate World AIDS Day, SHARP had the pleasure of welcoming Dr. Paul Browde and Dr. Murray Nossel to the Open Society Institute. Their unrehearsed performance, Two Men Talking, featured compelling stories of successes and failures, apology and forgiveness, racism, homophobia, hatred, but most importantly of friendship and love. Through their unique form of story telling, Paul and Murray took the audience on a journey from growing up white, middle class and privileged under Apartheid, South Africa to their personal experiences with HIV/AIDS in a panicked 1980's New York City.

Paul and Murray's personal experiences with HIV/AIDS and how they have become advocates for a more just and understanding world, drew the audience in and reminded us all how one does not necessarily have to have HIV/AIDS to have been impacted by its effects and have it be apart of one's own personal story. As we commemorate World AIDS Day we remember those who have past but also those who survive, friend and family, and how we can be apart of a global movement to end stigma and suffering. Paul and Murray will be performing "Two Men Talking" at the Barrow Street Theatre in January; tickets can be purchased at www.telecharge.com.

Additionally, Paul and Murray teach their powerful storytelling methodology, active communication and listening methods, in monthly workshops through their company, Narativ. These workshops are designed to not only introduce technique but also to begin the process of developing one's own personal story. If interested, please contact Jerome Deroy at Jerome@narativ.com. The next workshop will be held on January 27th. For further information please visit www.narativ.com

Reports and Resources

Access to Health Care for LGBT People in Kyrgyzstan
In the fall of 2006, Soros Foundation Kyrgyzstan and SHARP commissioned qualitative research on the opportunities and barriers to health care access for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons in Kyrgyzstan. "Access to Health Care for LGBT People in Kyrgyzstan," explores possibilities for increasing LGBT access to health services; maps current NGOs working on LGBT health and human rights issues; highlights Kyrgyzstan's obligations to provide health care to LGBT persons in accordance with international standards and laws; and articulates recommendations for the development of non-discriminatory health systems and services to improve LGBT health access. A copy of this report can be found here.

Sex Worker Health and Rights Advocates ICT Report
This report explores the ways in which sex worker health and rights advocacy groups currently use information and communications technology, and to discover how they could benefit from technology and training in the future.

Ideas include: giving sex workers technological training, increasing the capacity of organizations to mobilize large numbers of sex workers via text messages, supporting and coordinating a global campaign of rapid response to situations involving abuse, legal problems, trafficking and other serious issues. This report was compiled by Tactical Tech, in collaboration with Melissa Gira, and commissioned by SHARP. The ICT report can be found here.

ILGA Europe Launches Web-Based Guide on International Human Rights Law on Sexual and Reproductive Health
On 30 November 2007, to commemorate the World AIDS Day, ILGA-Europe launches an electronic guide to international human rights references to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) as related to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections.

ILGA-Europe has created the guide to assist advocates to identify, interpret and apply existing international instruments and standards in their work. There is a particular focus on commitments and progress made by some countries of the ex-Soviet block in relation to comprehensive prevention of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among LGBT people. The guide is available on the ILGA website.

Requests for Proposals

OSI Public Health Watch Request for Proposals
The Open Society Institute's Public Health Watch is seeking proposals for grants up to $25,000 from organizations in Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Kenya, and Uganda that are engaged in advocacy efforts to promote access to HIV and reproductive health services for women who face multiple layers of stigma and discrimination, focusing on women injecting drug users, female sex workers, and HIV-positive pregnant women. The project should focus on community-based research and advocacy based on the findings of this research. Organizations with prior experience working with HIV-positive communities and engaged in work with marginalized groups are encouraged to apply.

The deadline for submitting proposals is January 18, 2008. Successful applicants will be notified by the beginning of February 2008 and must be available to attend a week-long training and planning meeting from 25 to 29 February in Nairobi (costs covered by OSI). Please contact Parker Krasney at pkransey@sorosny.org for more information and application materials.

Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice Grants
The Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice, the largest lesbian organization in the world, is now accepting grant applications for 2008 for work to promote social, racial and economic justice in the U.S. and internationally. The application deadline is February 1, 2008 and applicants will be notified of the decision by June 30, 2008. More information and application materials can be found at:
http://www.astraea.org/PHP/Grants/DeadlinesAllGrants.php4

ILGA Europe Pilot Human Rights Violations Documentation Fund
The International Lesbian and Gay Association of Europe (ILGA-Europe) announces fourth call for proposals within its Small Pilot Human Rights Violations Documentation Fund with support of the Sigrid Rausing Trust. The fund will support projects up to 5,000 Euro.

The application deadline is December 19, 2008 and the decision will be made by a board of independent experts within one month from the time the proposal was submitted. More information and application materials can be found here.

Scholarships

University of Toronto Graduate Scholarships in Reproductive and Sexual Health Law
The University of Toronto offers Graduate Scholarships in Reproductive and Sexual Health Law for lawyer-activists from developing countries, which is partially supported by the Hewlett Foundation. The deadline for applications for the 2008-2009 academic year is February 15, 2008. Further information about the scholarship, along with application materials, can be found at the University of Toronto website.

Upcoming Events and Conferences

International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers
December 17th is the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers. This day was created by Dr. Annie Sprinkle and started by the Sex Workers Outreach Project USA to call attention to hate crimes committed against sex workers all over the globe.

Originally created as a memorial and vigil for the victims of the Green River Killer in Seattle Washington, the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers has empowered workers from over 30 cities around the world to come together and organize against discrimination and remember victims of violence.

During the week of December 17th, sex worker rights organizations will be staging actions and vigils to raise awareness about violence that is commonly committed against sex workers. The assault, battery, rape and murder of sex workers must end. Existing laws prevent sex workers from reporting violence. The stigma and discrimination that is perpetuated by the prohibitionist laws has made violence against sex workers unacceptable. For more information about the day and related events, visit http://www.swopusa.org/dec17/index.html

International AIDS Conference 2008: Technical Assistance Available for Men Who Have Sex With Men (MSM)-Related Abstracts
The period for abstract submission for the 2008 International AIDS Conference in Mexico City is open from November 1 to February 19. To aid this effort, the Global Forum on MSM and HIV has put together a Technical Assistance Team to provide limited technical support to those of you writing MSM-related abstracts for the conference. This team, competent in English, Spanish and Mandarin Chinese, will be able to go over your abstract and provide you with suggestions on content, format and language to help ensure that it has all the elements needed to be accepted into the conference.

Requirements and guidelines for putting together your abstracts are outlined on the IAC website www.aids2008.org Once you have completed a rough draft of your abstract, you may email it to jbeck@apla.org with a brief description of yourself and what you do. The Technical Assistance Team can then review the abstract and provide assistance on further development.

Additionally, if individuals are interested in receiving periodic updates from the Forum, they should e-mail Jack Beck (jbeck@apla.org) with a request to be added to the e-list.