tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4468965112709788087.post8657899403529079394..comments2016-03-14T14:49:53.355+01:00Comments on Laura's Rants: Rant about the Pot of Gold at the End of the RainbowLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09346878061754638777noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4468965112709788087.post-56482700881971737592014-09-19T18:56:20.535+02:002014-09-19T18:56:20.535+02:00Hi Ioana,
Thanks! I'm glad to hear -- althou...Hi Ioana,<br /><br />Thanks! I'm glad to hear -- although not at all surprised -- that this is something you are also interested in.<br /><br />I don't think there is any need to be a lawyer, or anything else in particular, for that matter, to be a human rights or LGBT rights advocate. But I do think it is important and useful to make sure everyone gets to help in ways that suit their personality and talents. F and I originally thought about volunterring for an NGO that works in girls' education, but then decided that it made more sense for us to offer the special knowledge and skill we have in law, to add a bit more value than just a pair of hands. It was totally the right thing to do, we got to do some amazing work in Namibia and felt like we made a (tiny) difference. In the case of someone like you, your most obvious relevant talents are in awareness-raising (as you're very good at networking) and event organisation. I have no doubt that many organisations would be DELIGHTED to have someone like you help them.<br /><br />As to these organisations: We've found Amnesty to be worthy of their reputation. They do a great variety of good work. We participate in their urgent actions and support them financially. F used to also do very hands-on work volunteering for their Berlin asylum group. I tried their women's group in Geneva, but that wasn't for me. What's great about them is that if you join, you can specify what you're in particular interested in, and they keep you updated on news and events in that particular area (e.g. LGBT rights).<br /><br />Stonewall is, as far as I know, the leading LGB (but no T) rights organisation in the UK. They do some really good work, e.g. a few recent campaigns against homophobia in sport. Part of the (positive) problem for them, as far as I can see, is that they've been too succesful: UK is one of the leading countries in the world when it comes to LGBT rights. (Hooray!)<br /><br />As to helping people in countries where LGBT rights are less protected (like Namibia), that gets very tricky. Us northeners coming and telling them what to do in their own countries is not always effective in achieving change, but can actually be counterproductive. Understandably that sort of stuff does not go down well in countries that still remember being colonised by Europeans. The only thing we found we could do was to do the legal research and education on their rights -- kind of indirect assistance from the sidelines. The real fight for the rights of Namibian minorities has to be fought in Namibia, and by Namibians.<br /><br />There are of course other big human rights battles closer to home that remain to be fought. Have you thought about the rights of the Roma in Romania, for example ...? You'd be a great ally to them, a fairly powerless minority, as far as I can tell.<br /><br />Share your own views and tips though, I know you have loads of them, such as the no-pressies-but-baskets-for-the-homeless-for-Christmas idea we recently discussed offline!Laurahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09346878061754638777noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4468965112709788087.post-78312538501487835662014-09-12T22:34:23.435+02:002014-09-12T22:34:23.435+02:00THANK YOU! I love this. Please teach me how to get...THANK YOU! I love this. Please teach me how to get more involved with LGBT and human rights issues, without having the fancy law degree. I'm know how to stick to my feminist and anti-bullying guns.<br />Have you seen the second part of the John Oliver interview with Pepe Julian Onziema https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJkiWwMKwSoAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12575032427644930150noreply@blogger.com