Strengthening the capacity and access of MSM and other groups to HIV services and paralegal assistance, national advocacy, interaction and communication in the interests of MSM/LGBTQ+ communities
The project is implemented in cooperation with the NGO “100 PERCENT OF LIFE” with financial support from the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and consists of 2 strategic areas: Human Rights Protection and Advocacy.
Human Rights Track
The direction of human rights protection in our organization is not only a response to violations, but also systematic and proactive work to create a society without discrimination, violence and stigmatization. We focus on supporting those who are most often defenseless against prejudice and legal barriers – representatives of MSM, LGBTIQ+, people living with HIV, youth, women and other key communities.
What paralegal assistance provides?
⁃ We provide a prompt professional legal assessment of the fact of a violation of rights;
⁃ We advise on existing solutions to restore violated rights and on further actions to resolve them;
⁃ Our network paralegals draw up primary legal documents with further support or referral for free primary or secondary assistance;
⁃ We provide primary psychological assistance.
Who are paralegals?
These are people who do not have a specialized legal education, but who have undergone special training and can provide high-quality primary legal support in cases of violation of rights. The name with the prefix “para” was chosen by analogy with “paramedics”, who also provide primary care. Only in our case, this assistance is legal. Our team consists of over 150 paralegals from all regions of Ukraine.
All support provided by the paralegal network is provided free of charge and confidentially on a “peer-to-peer” basis. For example, teenagers, under the guidance of a professional lawyer, communicate with the same teenagers, but who have undergone special training in providing primary legal assistance. And with representatives of the MSM/LGBTQ community, representatives of the union itself, who also have the necessary knowledge and skills, communicate with them both offline and online.
For over 6 years, we have been building national paralegal support networks operating throughout Ukraine, except for the temporarily occupied territories. We created the first one from scratch and worked with two networks (a paralegal support network for MSM/LGBTQ and a paralegal support network for adolescents facing the HIV/AIDS epidemic), and then shared this experience with all other key communities vulnerable to HIV.
In addition, our project team is engaged in monitoring offenses and educational and awareness-raising activities.
More detailed information about paralegal networks can be found on our pages on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok:
https://www.facebook.com/paralegals.ua
https://www.instagram.com/paralegals.ua
https://www.tiktok.com/@paralegals.ua
Download the DATACHECK app to get legal help: Google Play and App Store
Contact us if you have any questions or if your rights have been violated:
Coordinator of the paralegal networks of the NGO “ALLIANCE.GLOBAL”:
Yevgen Bilotskyi, e-mail: ybilotskyi@ga.net.ua.
Paralegal network managers:
MSM/LGBTQ+: Vitaliy Tanasiichuk, tel.: +38 (068) 421 63 77, e-mail: vtanasiichuk@ga.net.ua
PLHIV: Mykhailo Kharin, tel.: +38 (063) 663 92 45, e-mail: mkharin@ga.net.ua
Advocacy Track
In the context of a protracted war and increased vulnerability of key communities, the advocacy direction of the NGO ALLIANCE.GLOBAL is aimed at creating a favorable legal, political and social environment for men who have sex with men (MSM), and more broadly, LGBTIQ+ communities. The main goal is to eliminate legislative barriers, overcome stigma and discrimination, as well as ensure sustainable access to quality HIV services and the protection of human rights.
The organization’s advocacy activities cover both national and regional levels. The focus of this work is promoting changes to regulatory and legal acts, in particular those related to expanding opportunities for HIV testing by non-medical workers within public organizations, official recognition of self-testing, and ensuring the possibility of providing pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) through NGOs. Particular attention is paid to reforms aimed at introducing registered civil partnerships for same-sex couples, as well as other inclusive initiatives in the field of legal regulation, in particular in combating hate speech and hate crimes.
The central element of the implementation of the advocacy direction is the activities of the National LGBTI Consortium #LGBTI_PRO, which unites key organizations representing the interests of LGBTIQ+ communities. Under the leadership of ALLIANCE.GLOBAL, the consortium ensures unity of positions in interaction with state authorities, participates in the formation of policies and strategies in the field of health, European integration, security and human rights, and also acts as the organizer of key national events, such as the annual National LGBTIQ+ Conference. Within the framework of this platform, roadmaps for the implementation of rights, freedoms and security of communities for the next year are formed.
In parallel, active work continues to develop the potential of the communities themselves – through training, mentoring, media campaigns, involvement in advisory bodies and participation in international initiatives. Considerable attention is paid to establishing a strategic dialogue with state structures, parliamentarians, relevant ministries, as well as international partners, in particular the UN, the European Union and the Council of Europe, and others. In the current conditions, international advocacy is of particular importance – it not only helps to convey the voice of communities to global players, but also contributes to the formation of external pressure for the adoption of critically important decisions at the national level.
Counteracting hate speech, hate crimes and discrimination remains an integral part of the work. The organization monitors public space, documents cases of violations, interacts with national regulators and conducts counter-advocacy actions in response to discriminatory initiatives. At the same time, efforts are aimed not only at reaction, but also at proactively forming a positive information field around the topics of equality, inclusion and public health.
Thus, the advocacy component of the NGO ALLIANCE.GLOBAL is a strategically built and comprehensive process that combines work with the regulatory framework, government structures, communities and international partners. It ensures not only improved access to HIV services, but also the creation of conditions in which MSM/LGBTQ+ people can live with dignity, safety and equal rights – even in times of war.