EGPA Conference 2014 Berlin
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<strong>EGPA</strong><br />
<strong>Conference</strong> <strong>2014</strong><br />
<strong>Berlin</strong>
Welcome to <strong>Berlin</strong>
e a part of us
Ladies and gentlemen,<br />
Through this brochure we would like to introduce the<br />
<strong>2014</strong> <strong>EGPA</strong> conference.<br />
About 200 policemen and women from all over Europe<br />
and the USA will be taking part in the <strong>2014</strong> conference<br />
in <strong>Berlin</strong>. We will be looking at Eastern Europe –<br />
particularly Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and<br />
Hungary. Russia is to be given a special signal.<br />
I warmly invite you to take part in the conference or<br />
support our organisation.<br />
Be a part of us should be seen as an invitation to<br />
female and male police officers from throughout<br />
Europe who want to work together with us for equal<br />
rights and against discrimination on account of sexual<br />
orientation.<br />
Thomas Ulmer<br />
Federal Chairman<br />
VelsPol-Deutschland e.V.
Patron<br />
Klaus Wowereit<br />
Governing Mayor of <strong>Berlin</strong>
The European Gay Police Association (<strong>EGPA</strong>) is an<br />
international police network for LGBTI (lesbian, gay,<br />
bisexual, transsexual and intersexual) members of the<br />
police force in over 12 different countries.<br />
The network was founded in 2004 in Amsterdam. Since<br />
2005 international conferences have been held in<br />
various European capitals. The <strong>EGPA</strong> is represented by<br />
the Chairman, Hermann RENES, of the Dutch police<br />
force.<br />
*LGBTI (Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transsexuell-intersexuell)
Boardmeeting 2013 Den Haag
In 1994, shortly after Section 175 of the German criminal law code<br />
was retracted, the <strong>Berlin</strong> journalist Jens DOBLER initiated the first<br />
federal seminar in Göttingen which around 30 police officers attended.<br />
The same year lesbian and homosexual societies, often with different<br />
names, were founded in several federal German states. In order to<br />
protect interests on a national level, all the federal societies adopted<br />
the same name “VelsPol” which stands for “Verein lesbischer und<br />
schwuler Polizeibediensteter” (Society of Lesbian and Homosexual<br />
members of the Police Force) and joined the umbrella organization<br />
“Verband lesbischer und schwuler Polizeibediensteter” (Association<br />
of Lesbian and Homosexual members of the Police Force) in 2002.<br />
This enabled work to start on a national level. In order to represent<br />
German interests on a European level, VelsPol Deutschland<br />
(VelsPol Germany) joined the <strong>EGPA</strong>.
VelsPol-Deutschland e.V - Board.
The exchange of knowledge, experience and information<br />
concerning the position of LGBTTI police officers in European<br />
police forces is one of the main tasks of the <strong>EGPA</strong>.<br />
Additional tasks are:<br />
The promotion of international surveys and educational<br />
programmes with regard to the topics that are crucial for the<br />
inclusion and success of LGBTTI police workers in European<br />
police forces.<br />
The promotion of initiatives which help to set up and support<br />
national networks for LGBTTI members of the police force in<br />
their various countries, particularly in Eastern Europe.<br />
Encouraging LGBTTI police workers to support each other.<br />
Compiling training concepts that combat hate crime.<br />
Joining forces with other LGBTTI organisations.
U.S. Embassy Brussels 2013
The <strong>EGPA</strong> board of directors consists of at least<br />
five natural persons from at least three different<br />
European countries and meets on average two to<br />
three times a year.<br />
The most active representatives in the <strong>EGPA</strong> are<br />
at present Belgium, Germany, Ireland, the<br />
Netherlands, Norway, Spain and Switzerland whilst<br />
Austria, Denmark, England (GB), Scotland (GB),<br />
Portugal and Sweden support the cause.<br />
Montenegro, Serbia, Poland and Hungary are<br />
interested in a cooperative partnership.<br />
A LGBTI event is usually held simultaneously in<br />
the same town that hosts the <strong>EGPA</strong> meeting. The<br />
meetings are usually officially opened and<br />
attended by government ministers, high-ranking<br />
police officers and mayors.
U.S. Embassy Brussels 2013
The national member organisations are meanwhile<br />
reliable partners whom national governments and<br />
interior ministers respectively can consult.<br />
In October 2010 the Italian network POLIS<br />
APERTA was founded in Rome.<br />
In March 2011 the network was presented to highranking<br />
Swiss police officers in Zurich.<br />
In September 2011 a Dutch delegation of the<br />
<strong>EGPA</strong> took part in an international conference<br />
“Towards Europe – Towards Equality” for members<br />
of the police force in Podgorica, Montenegro.<br />
In November 2011 representatives of the <strong>EGPA</strong><br />
took part in the international conference “Building a<br />
Queer and Tolerant Neighbourhood” which was<br />
opened by the Governing Mayor of <strong>Berlin</strong>.
IDAHO-<strong>Conference</strong> 2013 Den Haag
December 2011 saw the participation in the<br />
international conference “Joining Forces to<br />
Combat Homophobic and Transphobic Violence in<br />
Europe” which was opened by the Dutch Minister<br />
Marja van Bijsterveld and Secretary of State Fred<br />
Teeven.<br />
In March 2013 the European Gay Police<br />
Association (<strong>EGPA</strong>) assisted at the “International<br />
Day Against Racism and Discrimination.<br />
Rainbow Cops Belgium, the American Embassy<br />
and the US Mission to the EU discussed the topic<br />
“Tackling LGBTTI Discrimination in the<br />
International Policing Context and Promote<br />
Protection of LGBTTI Rights Europe-wide”. Here,<br />
<strong>EGPA</strong> board members and partners discussed<br />
how collaboration with police associations in<br />
Romania, Serbia, Croatia, Poland and Finland etc.<br />
could work and how LGBTTI networks could be<br />
founded in these countries.
Reception by the Irish President 2012
In May 2013 the <strong>EGPA</strong> took part in the<br />
international IDAHO <strong>Conference</strong> “International Day<br />
against Homophobia” in Den Haag. Training<br />
programmes used by various countries in their<br />
fight against hate crime were presented and<br />
improved in workshops. The <strong>EGPA</strong> delegation was<br />
met by Queen Maxima who acquainted herself<br />
with the work done by networks.
Meeting with the Queen of the Netherlands 2013
2004<br />
Amsterdam<br />
Founding of<br />
the network<br />
2005<br />
<strong>Conference</strong><br />
Stockholm<br />
2006<br />
<strong>Conference</strong><br />
London<br />
2008<br />
<strong>Conference</strong><br />
Barcelona<br />
Support from the<br />
Spanish Minister of<br />
Justice, the town of<br />
Barcelona and the<br />
Catalonian police<br />
2010<br />
<strong>Conference</strong><br />
Vienna<br />
Patronage. Minister<br />
of the Interior Maria<br />
Fekter, Presentation<br />
of the hate crime<br />
concept in<br />
cooperation with the<br />
Vienna police<br />
2012<br />
<strong>Conference</strong><br />
Dublin<br />
Reception with the Irish<br />
President. Active<br />
support for the<br />
conference from the Irish<br />
police Garda (Irish police<br />
force) which was also<br />
attended by high-ranking<br />
police officers.
The <strong>EGPA</strong> <strong>Conference</strong> <strong>2014</strong> will take place from<br />
18.06. – 21.06.<strong>2014</strong> in <strong>Berlin</strong>. Up to 300<br />
participants from throughout Europe and the USA,<br />
including high-ranking government officials and<br />
representatives from the police, are expected to<br />
attend.<br />
Participants will stay at the Hotel Motel One, An<br />
der Urania 12/14, 10787 <strong>Berlin</strong>. Lectures and<br />
workshops on the topics of hate crime, the<br />
situation of LGBTTI people in Europe and the<br />
world will be held at the nearby conference centre<br />
URANIA in Kleiststrasse 13-14, 10787 <strong>Berlin</strong>.
Topics planned:<br />
- Handling of homosexuality in Eastern Europe (e.g.<br />
Poland, Czech Republic)<br />
- Hate crime in Eastern Europe<br />
- Hate crime in Germany and problems detecting it<br />
- Homosexuality in the police in five continents<br />
- Racism in Hungary. Homophobic violence in Europe<br />
- Presentation of the help centre for those with samesex<br />
lifestyles to the Public Prosecution Department,<br />
<strong>Berlin</strong>.<br />
- Homosexuality in the working world.
18.06.<strong>2014</strong><br />
Opening<br />
19.06.<strong>2014</strong><br />
<strong>Conference</strong><br />
20.06.<strong>2014</strong><br />
<strong>Conference</strong><br />
Closing<br />
ceremony<br />
Registration for the conference will start in January <strong>2014</strong>
With regard to sponsoring<br />
possibilities, please turn to us<br />
at: VelsPol-D e.V., Postfach<br />
311543, 10645 <strong>Berlin</strong>.
If you wish to<br />
advertise on our<br />
website<br />
www.egpa<strong>2014</strong>.com<br />
with an advertising<br />
banner or your own<br />
logo, please contact<br />
us.<br />
Should you wish to support<br />
the conference by making a<br />
donation, please make<br />
payments to:<br />
VelsPol-Deutschland e.V.,<br />
donation account number<br />
325 32 42, bank sorting<br />
code 100 700 24<br />
(IBAN:<br />
DE58100700240003253242)<br />
BIC: DEUTDEDBBER
News media representatives should please contact<br />
the conference office by telephoning:<br />
+49-152-26055577 or sending an<br />
email to: info@egpa<strong>2014</strong>.com<br />
For accreditation it is necessary to present a valid<br />
journalist pass.
www.egpa<strong>2014</strong>.com<br />
Within the framework of the conference we are<br />
celebrating 20 years of VelsPol and 10 years of <strong>EGPA</strong>.<br />
Furthermore the VelsPol Diversity Prize will be<br />
presented at a celebration.<br />
Legal responsibility for the website:<br />
VelsPol-Deutschland e.V.<br />
Postfach 311543<br />
10645 <strong>Berlin</strong><br />
Stand 02112013