Destination – Equal Rights – from 2011-12-01 to 2012-09-31

The start of the project: December 2011

Duration: 10 months

Number of volunteers: 2 (Ola from Poland and Anna from Finland)

How EVS looks like this year in LGL?

During the last three years we have been a hosting organization for 5 programme volunteers, sharing experience and making use of mutual learning. Our EVS programme is open to all young people who wish to work with international issues of young lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons.

Volunteers who come from a different cultural and social environment have the possibility to experience the Lithuanian way of living and cultural and social aspects of the local community. Through LGL’s daily work and activities, volunteers can experience and gain a deeper understanding of the social-political changes which our country is going through.

How about tasks?

Our two volunteers Ola from Poland and Anna from Finland are involved in administrative tasks of international LGL youth projects and assist the Coordinator of LGL’s Youth Group and LGL’s team of local volunteers. Among other things our volunteers: help to implement international youth projects, help and assist the Youth Group Coordinator in organisation of film screening, game evenings and other social activities, develop ideas for future projects and activities of LGL, help on communication and exchange of information with international organizations and partners, such as ILGA-Europe, IGLYO, ANSO, EP Intergroup on LGBT rights, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, ILGA, FRA etc.

Of course we also take care of the personal development of our volunteers, which is why we leave them space for their own projects and ideas that they would like to implement in the Vilnius community. During this EVS programme ourvolunteers Ola and Anna decided to run the Queer Screen project during which their show movies about cross-dressing and moderate discussion with young people from Vilnius.

volunteer_annaName: Anna

About the volunteer: Originally from England and Finland, I have lived in Vilnius for over two years and am part of LGL’s international team, working mostly on communications and events such as IDAHO and Baltic Pride. I am passionate about defending human rights and combating prejudice and discrimination of LGBT people. Working for and with the LGBT community with a team of committed activists gives me motivation to continue reaching for the goal of equal rights for everyone. Before joining LGL I graduated from the University of Tampere in Finland and worked in various communications roles.