Category: Training

December 17 – Breaking the silence about violence

December 17th, 2024 · · Events, Training No comments - Tags:

Today 4 pm US ET – we are acknowledging December 17, 2024 with a webinar entitled Silence, Violence, and Sex Workers Rights, a roundtable discussion put together and moderated by New Jersey Red Umbrella Alliance and supported by BPPP. Come and learn about how we are documenting the rights violations experienced by sex workers and trans folks, how to get involved and how this will end the silence.
Register here —> https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Kw0wSHGiSk6n2gYwA_Swsw

We will be speaking about our research into rights violations as we prepare to hold the US accountable at the United Nations in 2025. Interested in joining the research project? There are many options for participation including filling out a survey, having a conversation, filing a report of a violation, being on a mailing list, joining a working group and/or applying to join our artists cohort. Express interest by filling out this form https://form.jotform.com/rightsnotrescue/join-us

More about today’s moderator – Session moderator N’jaila Rhee is the executive director of NJRUA. N’Jaila is a key member of the coalition preparing a UN report on human violations experienced by sex workers in the US and the policies affecting sex workers worldwide wide. N’Jaila led an enthusiastic team to EXXXOTICA this year providing direct support, harm reduction and information, including two workshops on human rights and arts.

N’Jaila Rhee, ED of NJRUA
Beyonce Karungi

Featuring panelist Beyonce Karungi – Beyonce began her activism with key populations in 2009 and is also involved in efforts to stop violence towards women and girls, to promote sex and sexuality education for youth, and to increase young people’s access to friendly SRHR services across Uganda. At the global level, Beyonce worked with the International Reference Group on Trans Women and HIV, UNDP, UNFPA, UNAIDS, PEPFAR, the Global Fund, and USAID to develop the TRANSIT. Beyonce is currently leading the drafting process of the upcoming UN shadow report on the state of sex worker rights and trans rights in the US and the impact of US policies worldwide.

Jenna Rollins will do a reading and be part of the moderated discussion today on how we are documenting rights violations and ending the silence about violence against sex workers. Sign up here – https://givebutter.com/ivjGxl

Jenna Torres

Sex Workers Unite for AIDS2018

January 10th, 2018 · · Campaigns, Conferences, Training No comments - Tags: , ,

The next International AIDS Conference (AIDS2018) will be held in Amsterdam, July 23 to 27, 2018. The Best Practices Policy Project regularly communicates with our networks to ensure that communities in the US have the most up-to-date information about activities at AIDS2018. If you are from the community of sex workers in the US and need support, please contact us at hivaidsbppp@gmail.com to get information and assistance in regards to applying to attend. Please also view our webinar on how to apply. Sex worker rights advocates interested in health and rights, and creating a presence at the AIDS2018 are encouraged to:

  • apply for a scholarship from the International AIDS Society by February 5, 2018. According to the AIDS2018 website scholarships are for “people from resource-limited settings and communities, researchers, young people, community activists and civil society representatives” which in BPPP’s experience does include sex worker rights advocates. Please note that a “letter of recommendation” is needed to apply. The AIDS2018 website also states that “priority will be given to those whose participation will help enhance their work in their own communities, to those who are able to assist in the transfer of skills and knowledge acquired at the conference, and to those whose abstract, workshop or programme activity submission has been selected.” So, applying to be part of the conference by presenting, organizing a workshop or taking part in the “global village” will enhance chances in getting a scholarship. More details on how to apply for are available AIDS2018 and via the IAC’s webinars online. If you are a representative of the movement for the rights of sex workers in the United States and/or a community organizer for the rights of people in the sex trade and need some help applying or a letter of recommendation, then email hivaidsbppp@gmail.com by January 20, 2018 to see how we might be able to assist.
  • Submit an abstract to present about your work or research by February 5, 2018. The AIDS2018 abstract mentoring program is open to provide support if you register by January 15, 2014. If the AIDS2018 mentoring program is not what you need, please email hivaidsbppp@gmail.com by January 25, 2018 to see how we might be able to assist.
  • Apply to present about your work, organize a workshop or to showcase your cultural works at the Global Village and Youth Program by February 5. If you are a representative of the movement for the rights of sex workers in the United States and/or a community organizer for the rights of sex workers and people in the sex trade and need some help applying then email BPPP hivaidsbppp@gmail.com by January 25, 2018 to see how we might be able to assist.

The International AIDS Conference is a very large event and can be daunting. Sex workers have organized protests and actions about specific issues at the conference over the years and have demanded change from the conference itself. If issues emerge that you want to talk about or if something concerns you as a community organizer for the rights of sex workers and people in the sex trade then email hivaidsbppp@gmail.comat any time in the run up to the conference and we will do our best to connect you and to hear what you have to say.

Why attend? Globally and within the US sex workers organize to address the impact of HIV/AIDS. Even though criminalization and stigma compound the impact of HIV on the sex sector, community based organizing, peer lead programs, harm reduction and grassroots research lead by sex workers are extremely effective. Sharing the achievements of sex worker communities and providing accurate information about what sex workers need in terms of services and policy are two very good reasons why representatives of sex worker rights organizations attend the International AIDS Conference. Sex workers also converge on the conference because it is one of the very few opportunities for folks to spend time with their colleagues from all over the world, to forge new connections, to learn and to inspire. We have supported sex workers attendance at International AIDS conference for more than a decade and are here to help.

US Sex Worker representation at AWID

August 31st, 2016 · · Press Release, Training No comments - Tags: ,

The 2016 forum for the Association of Women in Development will be held in Costa do Sauípe, Bahia, Brazil, September 8 to 11. The forum’s theme is Feminist Futures: Building Collective Power for Rights and Justice.

The Best Practices Policy Project is supporting two sessions. The first will extend our human rights work on the Universal Screenshot 2016-08-31 03.05.21Periodic Review (UPR) beyond our borders to inspire similar campaigns by sex workers and allies in Brazil.  The session “Working the Universal Periodic Review: Advocating at the United Nations for sex worker and trans rights” will describe how community groups can engage with the Universal Periodic Review and how this process allows the issues central to the rights of sex workers and transgender people to attention globally and to bring change in country. This is a vital training giving the forthcoming UPR of Brazil in 2017 (shadow reports are due in February 2017 to the Human Rights Council). This session will take place at Ala Mar – Vera Cruz 1-2  on September 9th, at 4.30 pm. Speakers include Penelope Saunders, Monica Jones, Laura Murray and Brazilian colleagues.

We are also proud to support “Not Your Rescue Project: film and performance from the sex worker rights revolution-our reality, visions and collective power.” The purpose of this session is to use community materials, film, performance and presentations celebrating the activism of sex workers to engage in lively discussion with a diverse audience. The session will be introduced by PJ Starr with a special guest appearance by The Incredible, Edible Akynos and Brazilian colleagues. Session will take place at Ala Terra – Sao Tome 1-2  on September 10 at 2.30 pm.

In addition to these sessions Monica Jones has been invited to participate in the Black Feminist pre-conference, Penelope Saunders will visit Rio to work on a collaborative project with Brazil’s Prostitution Policy Watch and Brazilian sex worker groups, and Akynos will present a burlesque workshop in Rio on September 3rd.

AkynosBrazil

National Leadership Training Institute

July 2nd, 2010 · · Capacity Building, Training No comments

The first National Leadership Training Institute was held in Washington, DC from October 25 to 27, 2007. The Institute brought together 25 emerging and experienced leaders working for rights to share human rights based skills to work for  justice. The Institute model is an intensive series of classes that will help new and current leaders understand activism, organize for change, work to change images of sex workers in the media and much more. Since the first Institute was held in 2007 other organizations have drawn on the experience to host regional and national trainings. If this is something you would like to find out more about please email us at psaunders… at…. bestpracticespolicy.org or consult the handbook we created in 2008 and updated in 2010 compiling all the steps we took to hold the first National Leadership Training Institute in 2007.