ANNUAL REPORT NOV 2011 - NOV 2012
WE ARE
University of Malta LGBTQQI Organisation
www.facebook.com/weareuom weareuom.blogspot.com www.twitter.com/weareuom weareuom@gmail.com
introduction accomplishments activities training financial report an overview of both years
Report layout and design by Romina Tolu
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INTRODUCTION
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hen I joined 7 other students way back in October 2010 to talk about starting an LGBT organisation on campus I wouldn’t have imagined that it would evolve and develop so quickly in what it has become today. When we had met in the famous ‘bat cave’ our conversation was about why such an organisation was needed, and about how it should be presented to students on campus. We agreed that students (and LGBT students in particular) required a space on campus where they could feel comfortable. We also agreed that LGBT students needed representation at University but also beyond. With these thoughts in mind, We Are was born. In the first year it was a small organisation which based it’s activities on 2 aims. The first was that of providing information about sexual orientation, gender identity and human rights in a fun and appealing manner. The second was of having events which would bring students together to relax and have fun. We achieved that with interactive stands, a dynamic Facebook page, and a couple of movie screenings. We also joined MGRM at 3 larger demonstrations: a reaction against the view that persons can be converted to heterosexuality; an activity for the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia; and one of the most successful pride marches ever held in Malta.
That first year was fun, dynamic and a huge learning experience for everyone involved in the organisation. The second year, which this annual report focuses on, saw us grow further, and that brought with it a series of challenges but also a number of important achievements. In looking back over these 2 years the one thing I’ve learnt is that involving other youth and students in our activities is crucial and that emphasizing the importance of relaxed and fun activities is essential. In an increasingly commercialized world which drives us towards competition and ever higher expectations we must never forget that extreme levels of stress should not be considered normal, and that collaboration, human interaction, and the empowerment of youth hold greater value than a list of achievements on paper. In fact the next board of We Are should keep in mind that quality is more important than quantity, and that anything done by the organisation should keep the improvement and empowerment of the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, and questioning youth and students as its central focus. Finally, we must not forget that We Are wouldn’t have grown this much, and had this much impact, without the constant support of all members, the knowledge shared by IGLYO and MGRM, the sponsorship by Wembley Stores, and the funding granted by the US Embassy.
Luisa Tolu Board member 2010 -2012
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ACCOMPLISHMENTS
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here are three achievements which stand out from last year. The first one is particularly important as it demonstrates how strong and effective a movement can become through collaboration and interaction. The last two achievements are important because they lay down a foundation for the organisation to keep on growing.
Demonstration in Hamrun
Last January 2012 an incident was reported in local newspapers which sparked a demonstration in Hamrun. The demostration was organized by MGRM, who were joined by 8 other organizations, including We Are. The significance of the event lies in the fact that although the demonstration was organized as a reaction to homophobic hate crime, other organizations not directly concerned with the rights of LGBT persons joined the demonstration. The demonstration thus became a demonstration to protest against all forms of hate crime, and to ask the government to extend the hate crime legislation to include other potentially vulnerable groups. This legislation was eventually amended so as to meet the suggestions of the organizations present at the demonstration, and that is a victory not only for us and other LGBT organizations, but also for all members of society concerned with the rights and dignity of all.
Securing funding
In 2012 we obtained significant funding (for an organisation of our size) which serves as proof of the relevance of our activities, as well as providing us with opportunity for growth. The U.S. Embassy provided funding for the carnations we bought for the ‘Flowers of Friendship’ activity for the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. The U.S. Embassy also provided funding so that we could invite Jordan Long, IGLYO’s Programmes and Policy Officer, to deliver training to 12 members of We Are.
Senate recognition
The commitment of the board meant that we were able to achieve Senate recognition and as a consequence of that, obtain a shared office space on campus. Being Senate recognized opens up more funding opportunities for the organisation, and having an office space on campus will allow us to further interact and provide safe spaces for our members.
We also became partners with Accept, Romania, for a Youth in Action Exchange project which has been planned for March 2013. This will provide further training to 5 members of We Are and expands We Are’s partnerships and connections to LGBTQ youth and students organizations beyond the Maltese shores.
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ACTIVITIES
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he activities held between November 2011 and November 2012 can be divided under 3 broad headings: social, educational, and awareness raising. The most successful activities were of a social nature, however the organisation is slowly becoming more skilled in the delivery of educational and awareness raising activities.
Social Events
Our social events aim to bring youth and students together in a fun and relaxed environment where they can express themselves, and their individuality, without fear of exclusion. We provided these relaxed and inclusive environments through the organisation of nights out, a picnic, friendly sports, movies and weekly open meetings on campus. Each of these was successful as they brought together between 6 and 15 people depending on the event. The constant attendance of members serves to indicate that such activities should remain central to We Are’s activities. Wembley Stores sponsorship in kind helped as it provided us with food and drink.
Educational Activities
Organizations Day at University, 5th to 7th March We Are took part in Organisation’s Days organised by KSU. We had a stand on Quad where we had an exercise to encourage dialogue and challenge stereotypes. ‘What Makes a Man, a Man?’ and ‘What Makes a Woman, a Woman?’ were two questions we posed to passer-byes via a life-size silhouette. Students were encouraged to sketch or jot down their thoughts; however once the specifically biological differences had been put down, many people were at a loss of particular differences. This developed into discussions about the societal construct that is gender. Students were also invited to stand in front of our flag with a message and the #occupyhate poster. Diversity Day at MCAST, 29th April We Are joined MGRM and stepped into the MCAST campus following an invitation to participate in their Diversity Day. It was an opportunity to observe and speak to students about the purpose of LGBT organisations.
Human Library at GCHSS, 11th May The Sociology Department at GCHSS invited us to their human library. Daniel and Gaby attended and spoke to about 50 students in all. All appeared genuinely interested in hearing our stories and learning from our experiences. The event allowed us to deal with some misconceptions about gender roles and stereotyping and made a difference in the way people view certain situations. Education was brought up time and time again, some non-LGBT people insisting that it should start from primary school. Trans issues and misconceptions about bisexuality were also discussed in detail and students were also willing to share their own perspectives and experiences.
Awareness Raising
Apart from creating spaces where students and youth could feel at ease, and having stands with a more educational purpose we also raised awareness through specific demonstrations and through the use of online tools. Social media, in particular Facebook, has proved a useful tool to spread articles and websites of interest, and our page received an average 1000 views per week. Throughout the year we also participated in a demonstration in Hamrun, had an interview published on the Sunday Circle, had a stand for human rights day on campus in March, and handed out carnations during IDAHO. Having been supported by the US embassy we were able to afford 100 carnations, thus enabling us to have conversations with 100 different students on campus. We also participated in the Pride march and published a number of press releases.
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TRAINING & CAPACITY BUILDING
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e Are’s long term vision of contributing to the creation of truly inclusive educational institutions can only be achieved by strengthening the capacity of the organisation and providing training which will be of benefit in the long run. For this reason another focus in 2012 was that of ensuring the board and other members receive adequate training in SOGI (sexual orientation and gender identity) issues, non-formal education, and the running of NGOs.
Building Together: IGLYO’s Capacity Building Tool, Ongoing
As a member organisation of IGLYO, (International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer Youth and Student Organization), We Are was invited to participate in a pilot run of their online capacity building tool. In 2012 we completed the first phase; an organisation assessment to analyze our strengths and weaknesses.
Training on creating workshops, November 2012, Sponsored by the US Embassy Twelve members attended a training we organized which was led by Jordan Long. This two day training developed the participants’ knowledge in workshop creation, and delivery, and will serve as a foundation for future non-formal workshops We Are can organize in 2013.
Queering Green Theory Seminar, Croatia, April 2012
Luisa attended a seminar organized by the Federation of Young European Greens. The seminar involved sessions on LGBT rights in the Balkans, trans rights, LGBT rights in Croatia pre EU accession and discussions about the intersections between ecological and queer movements. It provided We Are with more opportunity for networking and ideas for topics to tackle locally.
Love me Gender: gender equality seminar, Introductory workshop on sexuality and Belgium, June 2012 gender, September 2012 Oriana attended a seminar about gender diversity Luisa and Gaby, who had attended conferences on behalf of We Are in 2011, organized a workshop for members to introduce concepts relating to sexuality and gender. The one day workshop was facilitated by Colette Farrugia Bennett and saw around 15 people attending.
and different forms of acceptance, she leart about different energizers and how to fund a project. It gave our member information which we could use for our educational campaigns and projects. Gender and acceptance are two focus points for We Are.
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FINANCIAL REPORT WE ARE Income and Expenditure Report for the year ending 31/12/2012 Notes
Euro
Euro
Receipts Grants
1
1116.6
Donations
1
186.42
Total Receipts
1303.02
Expenditure Grants
2
-352.50
Flowers
-100.00
Mobile Phone
-45.00
Food Miscellaneous
-142.98 3
-63.47
Total Expenditure
-703.95
Surplus for the Year
599.07
WE ARE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION as at 31/12/2012 Current Assets Bank
809.99
Cash
4.95 814.94
Capital
Overall the organisation has a stable financial flow when one considers the relatively young age of our organisation and the fact that we are a Not for Profit organisation. This year was the first time we applied for a grant in the name of the organisation and we should look to maximise such opportunities in the future.
814.94
I recommend putting in place a system where by the donation box is always present at WE ARE events and is only opened by two people who count the money together and both sign off on the amount received. The board should also consider the organising more fund raising events, in order to ensure the financial stability of the organisation.
Paul Caruana Turner Treasurer
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FINANCIAL REPORT-NOTES Notes 1. Grants A. Basis of preparation The Annual Financial Report (AFR) is prepared on cash basis, that is, income is recognised upon receipt of cash and expenditure is recognised when expenses are paid. Non-cash items like depreciation, provisions and accruals should not be included in the AFR. B.Grants (Received) The grants received were made up of the following: US embassy Grant MGRM
1,016.60 100.00 1,116.60
C. Donations These are made up of donations collected during various WE ARE events held throughout the year. It may be in the interest of the orgnisation to establish procedures for how donation box is opened and its contents checked so as to avoid issues of fraud. 2. Expenditure A. Basis of preparation The Annual Financial Report (AFR) is prepared on cash basis, that is, income is recognised upon receipt of cash and expenditure is recognised when expenses are paid. Non-cash items like depreciation, provisions and accruals should not be included in the AFR. B.Grants (Expenditure) The grants received were made up of the following: Jordan’s Flights Jordan’s DSA
-322.50 -30.00 -352.50
3. Miscellaneous expenses include the below: Mobile Top Up
5.00
Mobile Top Up
10.00
Printing
10.75
Printing
2.35
Puppets (football prizes)
16.58
Purchase of Cash Box
11.29
Bracelets
7.50 63.47
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OVERVIEW OF OUR 1ST YEAR NOVEMBER 2010
We Are is born! We make ourselves known by publishing our first article on Insite
JANUARY 2011 We keep up our presence through another stand on campus
MARCH 2011
Training for the board at MGRM’s Rainbow weekend
MAY 2011
Gaby participates in a conference on non-formal education in Romania. We take part in a IDAHO event, a kiss-in and a demonstration against the words of Gordon Manche. We also screen a number of movies.
DECEMBER 2010
Our first ever stand is a stand for World Aids Day, we follow up with a ‘Wish Tree’ on campus
FEBRUARY 2011
Taking it outside campus with the party ‘Just Dance’ Enticing students with cookies on Organisations Days
APRIL 2011
A very successful Human Rights Week Mina and Chris expand their knowledge about LGBT students at a conference in Edinburgh, Scotland.
JULY 2011
We take part in our first pride event, and manage to obtain a series of books on Queer Studies for the library
OCTOBER 2011 We take part in our first freshers event and meet many new students and members at a Sunday brunch.
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OVERVIEW OF OUR 2 YEAR ND
NOVEMBER 2011 DECEMBER 2011 Queermas; a christmas event
FEBRUARY 2012
Luisa participates in a conference on capacity building and represents We Are at ILGAEurope’s Annual Conference
JANUARY 2012
Protest + Sunday circle article
Social events and organisation days
APRIL 2012
Picnic over the holidays, Luisa represents We Are at a seminar on Queering Green theory, and we set up a KPS Subcommittee about LGBT rights
MARCH 2012 Human rights day on campus, Diversity day at MCAST and Human Library at GCHSS
MAY 2012 JUNE 2012
IDAHO sponsored by the US embassy, sports activities, movie screenings and finally obtaining Senate recognition
Oriana represents We Are at a Youth in Action seminar in Brussels, and we send letters to Maltese MEPs
JULY 2012 SEPTEMBER 2012
We organise an introductory workshop on sexual orientation and gender identity, obtain an office on campus, and start participating in a IGLYO Capacity Building programme.
NOVEMBER 2012
Taking part in our second pride event, and holding more sports activities
OCTOBER 2012 Freshers week, more sports events and joining the KPS Equal Opportunities Subcommittee
Delivering a workshop with Jordan Long (IGLYO) on non-formal education. Organised thanks to funding from the US Embassy
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