In mid-September, members of the AIDOS team travelled to Budapest for a networking and knowledge-sharing mission with Hungarian civil society organisations (CSOs) working to promote gender equality and the rights of LGBTQIA+ people.
The exchange of experiences, best practices and shared challenges proved both rich and productive, particularly in light of certain political developments affecting both countries, which have significant implications for civic space as well as for policies on gender equality and civil rights more broadly.
Hungary is now in a transition phase, following Péter Magyar’s victory last April, which ended 16 years of Viktor Orbán’s government, characterized by shrinking civic space as well as various “anti-NGOs” laws, which have hindered the everyday activities of many organizations. The openess to dialogue brought forward by the new government suggests new opportunities for action, especially in national advocacy, for those organizations that during the last 16 years have developed resilience and adaptation strategies for being able to continue their work.
An important lifeline that emerged clearly from the conversations was the power of networking and support at the European and international level. Pursuing shared goals collectively, while also drawing on existing European human rights protection frameworks, has enabled civil society organizations to continue their work to combat gender-based violence, promote sexual and reproductive health and rights, provide legal services to women, girls, and LGBTQIA+ people, and much more.
In a moment of many political changes and global reinforcing of anti-rights and anti-choice networks, to build alliances and support each other is more crucial than ever for CSOs. Not only to foster mutual learning and the development of joint strategies, but also to build bridges of solidarity among organizations that share similar goals and that, despite operating in different contexts, often face challenges that can seem overwhelming for small and medium-sized organizations. Thus, meeting over a coffee, talking about work but also exchanging words of encouragement, sharing fears and easing them with a joke, becomes a starting point for feeling less alone and for knowing that one can rely on a broad network of transnational alliances built on shared values and common goals.
A great thank you to NANE, PATENT, Emma, and Háttér Society for having shared their time and experience with AIDOS.
Written by Beatrice Mariottini e Valentina Fanelli