The Coalition for
Sexual and Bodily Rights in Muslim Societies (CSBR) is pleased to announce the
2nd CSBR Sexuality Institute
2009 to be held between August 8th and 16th 2009 at
the American University
of Beirut (AUB) Faculty of Health Sciences in Lebanon.
The Institute will bring together leading NGO representatives, researchers,
practitioners and policymakers for a holistic interdisciplinary program
combining history, theory, research and politics of sexuality with
applications of advocacy, and fieldwork. The CSBR Sexuality Institute is
designed as a comprehensive curriculum on sexuality in Muslim societies with
an in depth discussion on the research on the linkages between sexual and
reproductive health and rights.
Background
“I would summarize the experience I had
at the CSBR Institute in one word - that is: LIBERATING. The novelty of this
[CSBR’s] discourse in our socio-cultural context is certainly one important
aspect, but more importantly, the silence that our society harbors around
sexuality has become so “normal” that we often forget how integral it is to
our existence and well-being.” (Mahrukh Mouhiddin, BRAC
University, Bangladesh)
The realization of
sexual and reproductive health and rights is an integral part of gender
equality, development and social justice. However, sexuality continues to be a
contested site of political power struggles across the globe. Increasing
global militarism, conservatism, and nationalism over the last decades
provoked a serious backlash on sexual and reproductive health and rights, both
at the United Nations level, as well as on national contexts. In Muslim
societies, many issues around sexuality remain a taboo, while human rights
violations in the domain of sexuality continue to be legitimized through the
misuse of religion, tradition, and culture. Given the current polarizations,
it is more pertinent than ever to strengthen critical insight, further
research, enhance knowledge and capacity on sexual health and rights, and build
an inclusive and affirmative discourse on sexuality in Muslim societies. As
such, the CSBR Sexuality Institute provides a unique opportunity to create a
better understanding of sexuality in Muslim societies and further the efforts
to advance sexual, reproductive and bodily health and rights.
The first CSBR Sexuality Institute took place on
August 16-23, 2008 in
Malaysia, bringing together leading
sexual rights activists, academics and researchers from 14 countries
throughout Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Composed
of lectures, discussions, group work, roundtables, panels, site visits and
film screenings, the Institute offered a comprehensive overview, while also
engaging participants’ own experiences around sexuality.
Aim
“In face of the rise of the so called
fundamentalism or hard line Islamic revivalism, the Institute gave me the
basic paradigm to see and analyze how we take position in order to challange
the repression.” (Dwi Ayu, Komnas
Perempuan, Indonesia)
The Institute is
designed to advance participants’ knowledge, understanding, research and
advocacy skills for sexual, reproductive and bodily health and rights, while
strengthening their theoretical background and analysis of sexuality in Muslim
societies and introducing CSBR’s holistic and affirmative discourse on
sexuality. To this end, the aims of the CSBR Sexuality Institute are:
- To
further knowledge on the multi-dimensional and intersecting aspects of
sexuality, health and rights;
- To
develop a deeper theoretical understanding of sexuality through a
historical overview and analysis of current debates and research at the
global level;
- To provide a comprehensive and holistic
understanding of sexuality in Muslim societies through a discussion of
the history, legal frameworks, research, and current discourses;
- To
enhance participants’ sexual and reproductive health and rights advocacy
skills on national and international levels;
- To
increase participants’ capacity as leading advocates, practitioners and
researchers on sexuality issues at national, regional and international
levels.
About the Coalition for Sexual and Bodily Rights in Muslim
Societies (CSBR)
“At the CSBR Sexuality
Institute, in a nutshell I understood that sexuality was about the right to
pleasure, right to self determination and right
to bodily integrity.”
(Sai Jothi, ARROW, Malaysia)
Founded in 2001, the
Coalition for Sexual and Bodily Rights in Muslim Societies (CSBR) is an international solidarity network of organizations,
and academic institutions working to promote sexual, bodily and reproductive
health and rights as human rights in Muslim Societies. CSBR includes members
from Algeria, Bangladesh,
Egypt, Indonesia,
Jordan, Lebanon,
Malaysia, Morocco,
Pakistan, Palestine,
the Philippines, Tunisia,
Turkey, and Yemen.
Women for Women’s Human Rights (WWHR) – New Ways (www.wwhr.org), the co-founder of the
Coalition, acts as the international coordination office of CSBR. As the only
international network working on sexual and bodily rights in Muslim societies,
CSBR has played a pivotal role in terms of advocacy, activism and research on
sexual and bodily health and rights in the Middle East, North Africa, South
Asia and Southeast Asia.
CSBR
has succeeded in creating an alternative discourse and progressive spaces
around sexuality and sexual rights in Muslim societies. Advocating to
eliminate customary practices and discriminatory attitudes related to women’s
sexuality, such as honor crimes, sexual violence, marital rape, sexual
harassment, discrimination based on sexual orientation, restrictions on
women’s mobility, forced/early marriages, CSBR has catalyzed and supported
advocacy efforts on national levels, such as supporting campaigns for penal
and civil code reform in countries like Turkey, Morocco and Palestine, while
also working at international platforms and the UN. CSBR has pioneered the
very first international meetings on sexual and reproductive rights in
countries such as Lebanon and Tunisia, where previously sexuality was not an
issue for discussion, and launched international campaigns and actions on
sexual rights and freedoms, human rights violations, reproductive rights, and
the right to organize in many countries, including Malaysia, Lebanon, Egypt,
Pakistan, Palestine, and Iran.
More
information on CSBR is available at http://www.wwhr.org/csbr.php.
Organization of the Institute & Faculty
“From experience I have learnt that
most people who claim to work on sexual rights area often limit their area of
focus to the so-called ‘popular areas’ – HIVA/IDS, women’s rights,
adolescents’ rights, STIs etc. Rather than adopting this narrow approach to
the teaching of sexual rights, the Institute broke new ground by adopting a
holistic approach to the teaching of sexual rights.” (Ebenezer Drojaye, University of the Free
State, South Africa).
The Institute is
designed as an intense 6 day participatory training with 20 participants. The
language of the Institute will be English. Travel and accommodation costs for
the participants will be covered by the Institute. The faculty will consist of
CSBR members with expertise on given topics, and internationally renowned
experts in the field of sexuality.
Issues addressed
will include a conceptual and historical framework of sexuality and sexuality
research; contemporary discourses and debates around sexuality and sexual
rights in Muslim societies; shariah
and sexuality; sexual diversities; sexuality and human rights; sexuality
education; sexual and reproductive health; HIV/AIDS; youth sexuality; sexual
health and rights advocacy. The Institute will also incorporate sessions focused
on application and experience-sharing including a session on CSBR; roundtables
featuring participants’ work on sexuality; and a panel with Lebanese
activists.
To apply please complete the application
form below and return it with a C.V. to csbrinstitute@wwhr.org
by 10 May 2009.