By Anders Kungsma
The 1 :1 Democracy Festival brings together politicians, activists and members of the public in an informal and open setting to create a space for awareness and an understanding of issues and challenges faced by different intersectional minorities around the world. At the Festival we will discuss LGBTI+ inclusion but will also create spaces for a broader discussion on inclusion and anti-discrimination. Two large tents will provide space for debates, panels and workshops and there will be an important presence of civil society organizations hosted in various smaller tents.
The 1 :1 Democracy Festival will give participants to the other events the chance to interact with local and international activists and visitors in a less formal setting and provide the space for open discussions about different topics. It will enable everyone to have their voices heard by directly addressing policymakers and give activists a platform to draw the attention of politicians and the public to inclusion related challenges around the globe.
Participants that cannot attend physically will be able to participate through various interactive digital and physical programs.
Hundreds of human rights defenders and activists will gather for the Copenhagen 2021 Human Rights Conference, the most significant LGBTI+ conference this year. The conference is open for human rights defenders and activists, elected officials, academics, NGOs, media, Pride organizers and sports leaders in the field of LGBTI+ rights, and anybody else interested in the more in-depth LGBTI+ cause.
HRH The Crown Princess of Denmark, as Patron of Copenhagen 2021, will speak at the Opening Plenary hosted by Terry Reintke MEP and Phyll Opoku-Gyimah.
Our goal is to include all representations under the LGBTI+ acronym in the program and to be highly aware of intersectionality in our planning. This includes representation in relation to geography, racialization, ethnicity, age, gender, disability, gender identity, gender expression, sexuality, religion and appearance.
The Refugees, Borders and Immigration Summit will have an international focus and target transnational situations and gather a broad audience both digitally and physically. The event will be held in English and interpreted into French, Spanish, Swedish and International Sign Language.
The programme is planned in close collaboration with executive partners Rainbow Railroad, ORAM Refugee, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International with strong support from regional organizations working with the LGBTI+ refugee community and the UNHCR. We are aiming for an inclusive event, covering contemporary situations and discussions, putting people with lived experiences at the centre.
The summit will cover topics such as displacement drivers, pathways, arrival at the destination country, the asylum-seeking process and resettlement also including networking opportunities.
Co-hosts of the summit are the Swedish LGBTI+ policy expert Ulrika Westerlund and Alice Bah Kuhnke, Swedish MEP and former Minister of Culture and Democracy.
