Thoughts of an activist

1. Dear Marta, hello or better said.. olá! You were a participant in the ”Human Rights for All!” TC in Trasmulas, Spain. Why did you choose to be a part of this project and what is your connection with the topic?

I choose to participate because I knew Morgane, from the Portuguese sending association (Associação Faísca Voadora), previously and it seemed like a great opportunity to experience something different and hopefully invigorate my own personal activism. Besides being part of the LGBTI+ both by gender and sexual orientation, I also volunteer for a local association focused on trans and non-binary rights.

2. What was your favorite part of the training course and why?

My favorite parts were the digital storytelling workshop and also the reflection groups. The workshop because Idán, as a trainer, was incredibly supportive and created a great space to brainstorm ideas and be creative, despite the great time restraints, and I feel like it made me a lot more confident instead of worrying that my groups' work would not be enough. The reflection groups were special as a space to take a breather, and focus a bit more on my emotions and all the different things to process. Talking about human rights can be hard because you are thinking about lots of violence and discrimination and trying to combat that can give you a lot more stress and anxiety, so beyond feedback on the workshop itself it was also good to take a step back and reflect on my own experiences with the group.

3. What is the one piece of information which made an impact in your mind and heart?

The bravery and courage of the group mates from the Balkan countries, who are still struggling with so much violence and attacks, and yet they keep up their amazing work. Striving for better laws (or new laws in most cases), dealing with massive opposition, and being visible in societies where being queer is still massively repressed and seen as bad. I was aware of the differences in the rights of LGBTI+ communities between western/central Europe and Eastern Europe, but to connect more with these beautiful and strong people humbles me and makes me appreciate even more the activists which have fought before me for queer rights, both in my country and globally.

4. What changed in your life after this project?

At a more individual level, it definitely renewed my energy as an activist. It made me see that we do have strength in numbers and that not everything is horrible despite being an uphill battle. But I also feel like I made great connections, both personally and in activism, and I'm sure I will keep up contact with some of these people and hopefully do other great things together!

If you are interested in this topic and would like to connect with the organizers or the participants, feel free to contact us anytime:

• Alexandra-Ioana Simon – German participant (simon.alexandraioana@gmail.com)
• Marta Cardoso - Portuguese participant (martaisabelcardoso@gmail.com)
• Intercultural life – hosting organization (info@intercultural-life.com)
• Associação Faísca Voadora - faisca@associacao-faisca.pt
• TransMissão: Associação Trans e Não-Binária - transmissao.associacao@gmail.com

This Training Course has been founded by the Erasmus+ project.

*Photo sources: Marta Cardoso, Alexandra Ioana Simon.