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Corner - The World we live in

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Sep 30 2009

First workshop on lesbian rights in Hanoi with Sweden’s support

Representatives from the lesbian community, the media, non-governmental organisations and consultants in the area of protecting the rights of the lesbians, the gay, and the bi-trans – LGBT persons took part in a workshop held in Hanoi on 25 Sept.

Discussion on the contribution of the media to reducing stigma and discrimination against this community was also on the agenda of the workshop.

This is part of the project funded by Sweden to the Centre for Studies and Applied Sciences in Gender, Families, Women and Adolescents – CSAGA to support the acceptance of the rights of lesbians and gays and anti-domestic violence.

In her opening speech, the First Secretary of the Embassy of Sweden, Ms Elsa Hastad said that every one is born with the right to be how ever he/she wants and this is a fundamental right spelled out already in the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights from 1948. The UN convention on political and civil rights, signed by Vietnam in 1982 says no one should be discriminated and it is the obligation of the state to make sure that no citizen is discriminated because of their sexual identity.

Ms Elsa Hastad stressed that Sweden has some experience and knowledge to share with Vietnam in this area and it is Sweden’s obligation to work and support good and brave forces in the society working for the rights of the lesbians like CSAGA. She said: “Sweden thinks that it is of outmost importance to fight for human rights and ensure that human rights are protected both in Sweden and in Vietnam!”

The Swedish journalist and consultant, Ms Kristina Hultman, and the consultant from RFSL (the Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights), Ms Anneli, shared the participants with experience from Sweden and the rest of the world on how to change the community’s prejudice about lesbians, how to reduce discrimination and misunderstanding as well as how to help the lesbian and gay community to become visible and strong.

Also under the project, an exhibition called The Corner – the World we live in was opened at the exhibition gallery in the centre of Hanoi on the same day. Photos on display feature the nature, the people and the daily life through the eyes of the lesbians.

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