SHARP Note: October 2008

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. The October 2008 issue includes a list of International AIDS Conference activities, upcoming conferences and meetings and requests for proposals. Subscribe to receive updates by email.

Topics

• SHARP News
• SHARP Grantee News
• Call for Applications, Nominations and Papers
• Upcoming Trainings and Camps

SHARP News

SHARP Advisory Group Annual Meeting
SHARP held its annual Advisory Group Meeting on September 25 and 26, in New York. The Advisory Group, along with allied resource persons, met to discuss recommendations for a strategy to advance human rights in health care settings for sexual and gender minorities. A list of SHARP’s Advisory Group members is available here.

SHARP Grantee News

Improved LGBT Access to Health Care in Kyrgyzstan Training
A Call for Trainers
Deadline: October 7, 2008
Training Dates: December 8-14
Location: Kyrgyzstan
Labrys, a nongovernmental organization, is committed to improving the situation of lesbians, bisexual women, gay men and transgender people in Kyrgyzstan.  Labrys is looking for trainers/specialists in LGBT health to conduct a training for medical professionals in Kyrgyzstan on LGBT sensitization and specifics of LGBT health issues. Medical specialists who have experience working with LGBT people and are familiar with specific LGBT health needs are especially encouraged to apply. LGBT people or heterosexual allies with extensive experience in training about sexual orientation and gender identity issues are also encouraged to apply. Russian language skills are desirable, but translation will be provided for trainers who do not have a command of Russian language. For more information, contact anna.kirey@gmail.com, cc: kyrgyzlabrys@yahoo.com

Call for Applications, Nominations, and Papers

LGBTI Human Rights Award
Deadline: October 10, 2008
The International Lesbian and Gay Association-Europe (ILGA-Europe) is a nongovernmental umbrella organization which represents its members, principally organizations of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons, at the European level. ILGA-Europe is currently accepting nominations for the LGBTI Human Rights Award which seeks to recognize either organized initiatives that have created a new and sustainable LGBTI organization in their country or an already existing organization that has made great advances. The award recipient will receive 3000 Euro to be presented at the 2008 ILGA World Conference on November 5 in Vienna. For more information, visit www.igla-europe.org

International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission
2009 Felipa Awards
Deadline: October 15, 2008
The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) is a leading human rights organization solely devoted to improving the rights of people around the world who are targeted for imprisonment, abuse or death because of their sexuality, gender identity or HIV/AIDS status. Through the Felipa Award, IGLHRC seeks to publicly recognize and honor an organization or an individual whose work has made a significant contribution toward securing the full enjoyment of the human rights of all people and communities subject to discrimination or abuse on the basis of sexual orientation or expression, gender identity or expression, and/or HIV status, anywhere in the world. The Felipa recipient will receive a cash award to help further their work. IGLHRC will also cover all travel and accommodation expenses for the individual award recipient (or one designated representative from an organization) to travel to the United States to be honored at annual springtime ceremonies in New York City and San Francisco. For more information, visit http://www.iglhrc.org/site/iglhrc/section.php?id=76

AMFAR MSM Initiative
Call for Proposals
Deadline: October 29
The MSM Initiative was founded by amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, along with collaboration with the Global Forum on MSM and HIV, UNAIDS and other partners, to commence a global effort to fight the spread of HIV among men who have sex with men (MSM) in the developing world. amFAR is currently requesting proposals to support front-line organizations in Africa working to address HIV among MSM. Individual organizations are eligible for awards of up to US$15,000. Collaborations between organizations are eligible for awards of up to $40,000. For more information, see www.amfar.org/msm/awards.

2009 Gates Award for Global Health
Deadline: October 31, 2008
The Gates Award for Global Health was established by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to reward and showcase organizations that have made major and lasting contributions to the field of global health. The Council invites you to nominate an organization from any country in the world that has substantively improved the health and the lives of people in need. The organization may be a charitable institution, a private company, or a public entity. The award includes an honorarium of $1 million to be presented in Washington, D.C., at a special Awards Ceremony during the Global Health Council's Annual International Conference.

For more information, contact Dawn Carey, Awards Program Coordinator at dcarey@globalhealth.org or (802) 649-1340, ext. 2144.

Reproductive Health Matters Journal
Call for Papers:  Criminalization of HIV, sexuality and reproduction
Deadline:  March 1, 2009
The Reproductive Health Matters Journal is releasing a journal issue that investigates what is occurring in countries with regard to criminalization and decriminalization of HIV transmission, sexuality and reproduction. They are requesting papers to be published that identify countries with existing laws and policies, the current state of the people affected, and efforts being made to revise these laws in the direction of public health and human rights principles.

Open Society Institute Fellowship
Deadline: Rolling
The Open Society Institute has recently launched a new fellowship program to support outstanding journalists, activists, scholars, policy experts and others to work on projects that inspire public debate and shape policy. The Fellowship is open to professionals from around the world and focuses on four areas: National Security and the Open Society; Citizenship, Membership and Marginalization; Strategies and Tools for Advocacy and Citizen Engagement; and Understanding Authoritarianism. A limited number of fellows whose projects fall outside these areas but are germane to OSI’s mission will also be supported. Fellows' projects may include books, articles, documentary films and photography, online media, and efforts to seed new campaigns and organizations.

Upcoming Trainings and Camps

Asia Regional Workshop: Women's Leadership in HIV/AIDS
Date: March 16 – April 3, 2009
Location: To be announced
Deadline: October 3, 2008
Advancing Women’s Leadership and Advocacy for AIDS Action is an initiative to equip and empower a cadre of women from around the world with the knowledge and skills to strengthen and lead the global response to AIDS. An element of this initiative is a workshop designed for early to mid-career women from NGOs, PLWHA organizations, government, the private sector and political institutions who work in HIV/AIDS programs at national, state, district or community levels. The three-week workshop is intensive and highly participatory, providing a supportive learning environment for exchange of best practices and experiences, technical depth, strategy development and skill building.
For more information, visit www.cedpa.org/section/training/aids_leadership

Tactical Tech's Info-Activism Camp  
Location: India
Date: February 2009
Deadline: To Be Announced
Tactical Tech is an international NGO helping rights advocates use information, communications and digital technologies to maximize the impact of their advocacy work. As organizers of the Info-Activism camp, Tactical Tech will bring together 120 rights advocates from the global South with technologists, designers and activists for a week long hands-on workshop to share skills, tools and tactics in digital advocacy. Info-Activism camp is an approach to advocacy that recognizes the artful use of information and communications as a primary tactic in successful campaigns. The camp provides a space for intensive learning and doing, a structured "skill-share" environment for experienced advocates that will give them the confidence and know-how to leverage the limited resources they have to create greater impact.