More information
Description
The aim of the project "Nothing about us without us: empowering LGBT youth in the fight against bullying" is to enable LGBT young people to actively defend their right to access education without discrimination, strengthen their resistance to bullying by providing improved emotional support services, and actively involve them in advocacy. The project also aims to involve the entire school community in the support network for LGBT students. Project target groups: LGBT students, representatives of the school community, implementing organizations and volunteers of the LGL emotional support platform. After the implementation of the seminars for students on bullying prevention, information days for school communities, an international conference on bullying prevention in Vilnius and a survey of LGBT students, situation assessment and research report, LGBT young people will be actively involved in advocating for the needs of their community. Updating the emotional support platform, ensuring its continuity, involving, and empowering volunteers and disseminating information about the services provided by the platform, will improve existing services to meet the needs of LGBT young people. Organizing an exchange of good practice visit to Lithuania for Norwegian experts, training in the field of bullying prevention, will encourage the inclusion of LGBT young people and raise awareness among partner organizations. It is expected that the proposed project will provide an opportunity for the main target group to participate in events, gain the necessary knowledge, and enable them to contribute to advocating for the needs of their community. The project will also provide an impetus to improve existing emotional support services, promote the inclusion of vulnerable groups, raise their awareness, and foster intercultural dialogue and intergenerational cooperation.
Summary of project results
When LGBT students face bullying, it is necessary to create a support system, increase the awareness of parents, school staff and peers about the harmful effects of bullying on the emotional health of LGBT young people. To improve the situation of LGBT young people in Lithuania it is especially important to adopt good practices of foreign countries, exchange good practices, promote intergenerational cooperation and establish intercultural dialogue, enabling different vulnerable groups to share their experiences and actively defend their rights.
The aim of the project "Nothing about us without us: empowering LGBT youth in the fight against bullying" was to enable LGBT young people to actively defend their right to access education without discrimination, strengthen their resistance to bullying by providing improved emotional support services, and actively involve them in advocacy. The project also aimed to involve the entire school community in the support network for LGBT students.
During the implementation of the project, 10 seminars on bullying prevention were organized for students (253 participants), 10 information days for school communities (209 participants). On 7 November 2023 a conference on bullying prevention was held in Vilnius (66 participants). During the implementation period of the project, a survey of LGBT students in Lithuania (641 respondents), an assessment of the situation, a research report was prepared and presented at the conference. The renewal of the emotional support platform for LGBT students, parents and teachers was also implemented (399 new service recipients), ensuring continuity, involving and empowering volunteers, and disseminating information about the services provided on the platform. The project partners participated in a visit to Lithuania to exchange good practices, in bullying prevention training led by an expert from Iceland, strengthened their abilities in the areas of attracting and retaining volunteers, raising funds, and participated in the activities of international organizations.
- After the implementation of activities No. 1.1 Seminars for students on bullying prevention, No. 1.2 Information days for school communities, No. 1.3. International conference on bullying prevention in Vilnius and 1.4 Survey of LGBT students, situation assessment and research report, LGBT young people became more actively involved in advocating for the needs of their community.
- Implementation of activity No. 2.1. Updating the emotional support platform, ensuring its continuity, involving, and empowering volunteers and disseminating information about the services provided by the platform, improved existing services to meet the needs of LGBT young people.
- Implementation of activities No. 3.1 Exchange of good practice visit to Lithuania, No. 3.2 Icelandic expert training in the field of bullying prevention, encouraged the inclusion of LGBT young people and raised awareness among partner organizations.
- The project provided an opportunity for vulnerable target group to participate in events, gain the necessary knowledge, and enabled them to contribute to advocating for the needs of their community. The project also provided an impetus to improve existing emotional support services, promoted the inclusion of vulnerable groups, raised their awareness, and fostered intercultural dialogue and intergenerational cooperation.
Summary of bilateral results
Representatives of the Norwegian partner organizations "FRI" and "Skeiv Ungdom" participated in partner meetings, during which they gave significant advice on the implementation of activities in Lithuania, and contributed to the quality assurance of the project with their advice. The partnership with Norwegian organizations made it possible to take over the long-term experience of the partners, brought new insights into solving complex problems and made it possible to establish sustainable relationships that will give an impetus to the improvement of the situation of LGBT youth in Lithuania and after the end of the project.