From October 5th-7th October, the Victory Institute team and the Solidarity Foundation were organized the fourth and final training session as a part of our larger LGBTIQ Political Leadership Academy program in India. Over the past seven months, our program participants participated in four module leadership building training where they were equipped knowledge on human rights mechanisms, political structures in India, documenting hate crimes and effective messaging for successful advocacy.
The fourth module was on ‘Electoral Campaign Techniques’, where LGBTIQ leaders from India went through intensive training on electoral campaign techniques including successful modes of community fundraising.
In this training session, Victory supplied participants of the Leadership Academy with the tools and expertise indivisible from carrying out a successful campaign. Specifically, the participants learned about creating and maintaining a campaign plan, forming a campaign message, cultivating voter relationships, crafting a public image, and building necessary coalitions. Trainings such as these are paramount to the equality work that the Victory Institute and Solidarity Foundation are doing to help further LGBTIQ representation in India within all areas of government.
By guiding LGBTIQ leaders on how to run for public office and having them become elected officials, we can ensure that India’s vulnerable LGBTIQ community will have a seat at the table and a voice that will speak for them when their rights and lives are under attack. Representation is power and we here at Victory are excited to see where our trainees will go from here and will be following their progress closely.
Moving forward, Victory Institute and Solidarity Foundation will be working together with select number of participants from the academy to train them through an intensive fellowship program where they will work with elected officials, party offices and government departments to get hands on experience with policy making. The fellows will also be paired with mentors who have been working in the field of advocacy, human rights and civic participation to guide them through their fellowship.
