The 7th edition of the Changing Faces Changing Spaces (CFCS VII) conference hosted by UHAI EASHR took place in Kenya from the 19th to the 21st of July 2019 with the theme Visibility, Voice, Freedom. The conference brought together varied voices and activists from the African region as well international donors and funders. The conference also brought together LGBTI activists as well activists working on the rights and protections of sex workers in Africa. With the repealing of Section 164 of the Penal Code in Botswana which criminalised same sex relations, the conference provided the space for a regional and global conversation on strategies, learnings, and approaches many activists may use in their legal processes for the fight for decriminalisation. In addition to, this the convening explored several themes including, but not limited to, digital safety and security in the age of social media and social organising, the importance of arts and activism both regionally and globally, as well LGBTI and sex worker activists owning and telling their own stories, to mention a few.
Iranti participated in a plenary session entitled “Whose Vuvuzela: Media, public and private is both a tool that has been used to tear down and further exacerbate the human rights violations against LGBTIQ and sex workers the continent over but also as a tool to organise in hostile environments”. This panel sought to reflect and explore how the utility of media and may be used in strategic ways to counter dominant narratives on LGBTI people and sex workers. In the session, Iranti presented a component of forthcoming research on the implication and consequences media and visibility have on LGBTI activists, particularly in hostile environments which subject lesbian, trans, and intersex to stigma, discrimination, and violence.
Convenings such as this are important for regional integration, learning from varied contexts, and creating spaces for sharing tools and knowledge not only for organising, but also for sharing survival, wellness, and resilience strategies which create sustainable and practical approaches to activism and organising.