LGBT friendly cities project kicks off in Albania

17 July 2014 – PINK Embassy / LGBT Pro Albania held today the first LGBT themed training with high representatives of six municipalities from across Albania. Directors of key sectors, from municipalities of Tirana, Durres, Elbasan, Korca, Vlora and Shkoder as well as representatives from the People’s Advocate and Commissioner for Protection from Discrimination were present in the training.

This is the first activity being implemented by PINK Embassy in the framework of the Project “Improving the lives of LGBT people at the local level”, in collaboration with the People’s Advocate and Commissioner for Protection from Discrimination and supported by the European Union. The project aims to increase the knowledge and expertise of Municipality officials, local NGO’s, media, schools and other institutions of the six above cities, in order to increase awareness of their respective communities on LGBTI rights.

The experts, who were coming from a long and valuable experience with human rights and work with different vulnerable communities received detailed information of LGBTI* definitions, problems and issues such as gender, heteronormativity, intersectionality, hate speech and crimes, anti-discrimination legislation, positive examples etc.

The experts themselves made a valuable contribution in the training with their knowledge. In their own evaluation they deemed as very important the realisation of awareness activities, lectures, presentations and campaigns with public administration officials and representatives from other interest groups and institutions. They also considered as important the activities that will take place in their own cities.

In the last 12 months, PINK Embassy held working meetings with the Mayors of the Municipalities of Durres, Elbasan, Korce, Tirana, Vlora and Shkodra and met with their full support to start the implementation of this project. Part of the project will also be studies and research on the situation of discrimination and bullying in high schools and conducting trainings with teachers and psychologists of the above mentioned cities.