15.04., 18:00 Uhr, Tunisian LGBTI*Q+ – Between Violence, Disappointment and Hope

The Hirschfeld-Eddy-Foundation cordially invites you to a Webtalk on the subject of “Tunisian LGBTI*Q+ – Between Violence, Disappointment and Hope“ with Syrine Boukadida and Asala Mdawkhy on Thursday, 15th April 2021, from 18:00 to 19:30 (Berlin time). Guido Schäfer from the Hirschfeld Eddy Foundation will be the moderator.

Ten years after the Arab Spring uprising for democracy in Tunisia, the country is seeing an increasing number of protests as objection to the ongoing political unrest and the poor status of the economy. Protestors are on the streets, activists criticize authorities online, and rights groups blame the police for cracking down on them. Human rights activists estimate that about 2,000 people have been arrested so far this year, amongst them many LGBTI*Q+.

LGBTI*Q+ human rights activists are reporting arbitrary arrests, physical assaults, threats of being raped and killed, sexual harassment in prisons, cases of torture in detention centres and refusals of access to legal counselling.

Seven years after the introduction of a new and quite progressive constitution in Tunisia, but also after almost 100 years of penalization of homosexuality, the situation in Tunisia appears to be deteriorating.

Two experienced human rights activists will speak about what is going on in Tunisia right now, and how they have personally experienced the latest developments. These activists will talk about their work, their fears, and how they see the future.

“Tunisian LGBTI*Q+ – Between Violence, Disappointment and Hope“ with Syrine Boukadida and Asala Mdawkhy on Thursday, 15th April 2021, from 18:00 to 19:30 (Berlin time). Guido Schäfer from the Hirschfeld Eddy Foundation will be the moderator.

The event will be held in English language without translation.

Please register here before 15th April. On the day of the event, all registered participants will receive the Zoom-Link a few hours in advance.

Syrine Boukadida is one of the founding members of Mawjoudin – [Initiative Mawjoudin for Equality] (Mawjoudin means “we exist”). Syrine studied psychology and works as a project manager in Tunis and Berlin with LGBTI*Q+ migrants and refugees. Based in Tunisia, Mawjoudin is an officially registered not-for-profit NGO, that works towards achieving equality, human rights, bodily rights and sexual rights for the LGBTI*Q+ community, and other marginalized groups and individuals.

Asala Mdawkhy is a Tunisian Human Rights defender and an intersectional queer activist with Damj, the Tunisian Association for Justice and Equality. Damj, the first Tunisian organisation founded to defend the rights of LGBTI*Q+ people in the country, started its work in 2002 and was eventually registered in 2011, three days after the Tunisian Revolution. Damj works on providing legal, social, medical and psychological assistance to LGBTI*Q+ people, advocating their rights and promotes efforts by queer groups to reclaim their rights through social and political engagement.

Weiterlesen

• Tunisia: Police Arrest, Use Violence Against LGBTI Activists | Human Rights Watch
• Tunisia: Harassment, Arbitrary Detention of LGBT Rights Activist | Human Rights Watch 
• Tunesien: Lange Haftstrafen für Homosexualität. Petition unserer Partnerorganisation Mawjoudin fordert Freilassung
• Hirschfeld-Eddy-Stiftung unterstützt weiter LSBTI-Projekte in Tunesien. Gemeinsam für LSBTI-Menschenrechte in Tunesien

An event by Hirschfeld-Eddy-Foundation as part of the project: LGBTIQ Human Rights Defenders.