Open Call - Adcovacy Consultant / Risk Management Expert – Pride II/+ project

Note: Due to the Pandemic, we are open to a very flexible approach with the possibility to adapt the mission if in-country travel is not permitted or health conditions do not allow in-person meetings.

Presentation of the project:

Although the legal framework in Albania and Kosovo is rather favorable to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Intersex (LGBTI) community, Albanian authorities do not work on its implementation.

This hinders a real change in access to rights for LGBTI people and in the changing attitudes of the general population.

Funded by the European Union and the French Agency for Development (AFD), The PRIDE II+ project, therefore, aims to build the capacity of 4 LGBTI organizations and their allies to effectively promote the acceptance, inclusion, and protection of the LGBTI minority in Albania and Kosovo, through an improvement in the access to basic services – especially for transgender people and LGBTI youth-at-risk; collaboration with media and journalists to improve the quality of coverage of LGBTI issues; and advocacy and awareness-raising campaigns with the authorities and for the general population.

As part of the PRIDE I project funded by the European Union, the partners Aleanca, ProLGBT and Streha have each developed an organizational strategy for 2019-2021 incorporating advocacy objectives.

PRIDE II+ represents an opportunity for partners to train and implement these advocacy strategies which, in the long term, could have a real impact on improving the situation of transgender and intersex people in Albania. It could even allow progress towards legislative change in favor of marriage for all.

With regard to Kosovo, the advocacy strategy to be developed would focus more on official recognition by the government of partner Streha as an emergency reception structure for the most precarious and vulnerable LGBTI young Kosovars. However, the final advocacy topics will be developed in agreement with all members of the network and are therefore subject to change.

Skills, experiences and expertise:

IREX Europe has been working for more than 15 years to promote and defend human rights, independent media, and civil society, and to develop critical thinking skills so that everyone is able to make informed decisions and claim their rights. Aleanca, ProLGBT, Streha Center and CEL in Kosovo represent 4 of the most involved CSOs in Albania and Kosovo in supporting and strengthening the LGBTI community.