When Cyclone Ditwah triggered a nationwide emergency in Sri Lanka last November, KIOS moved quickly to channel extra funding to three trusted local grantees. Through our grantees, help could reach people living in remote areas and those often left outside mainstream relief. Here’s what was achieved, and why locally rooted response mattered. A Climate Disaster […]
KIOS will be launching an open call for applications for civil society organisations working on human rights issues in Sri Lanka at end of May–early June. The focus will be on the three thematic areas of the current strategy: The call is scheduled to open at the end of May–early June and will remain open […]
A week ago, on November 28, Sri Lanka was struck by one of the worst natural disasters in its history. Cyclone Ditwah brought torrential rains, floods, and massive landslides. Thousands of homes have been destroyed, roads and bridges have collapsed, and entire regions have been cut off from communities – and from aid. President Anura […]
Today is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, which also is a start to the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, a global campaign that runs until December 10th (Human Rights Day), which has a focus of ending gender-based digital violence this year. We asked from our grantees to share […]
Manoj Thushara is a Sri Lankan human rights defender who has dedicated his life to advancing the rights of sexual and gender minorities. He is the founder and director of the LGBTQIA+ organisation Équité. Équité has grown into one of the leading LGBTQIA+ organisations in Sri Lanka and now focuses on strengthening the LGBTQIA+ movement […]
Since 2019, Équité, a grassroots LGBTQIA+ organisation in Sri Lanka, has been working to transform the experiences of young queer people across the country. Backed by KIOS from the start, Équité launched the Changemakers Project — an ambitious initiative designed to empower LGBTQIA+ youth, build safe spaces for connection and support, and increase the visibility […]
The field of development cooperation and humanitarian aid is undergoing a profound transformation. The United States’ decision to freeze USAID funding is just one part of a larger global shift where long-term development, human rights, and support for civil societies are being sidelined. At the same time, increasingly visible anti-rights rhetoric—promoted by figures like Donald […]
What is it like to advance LGBTIQ+ rights in a country that is still recovering from political turmoil and civil war? This is a situation where KIOS grantee Èquité is working on building up the LGBTIQ+ movement and trying to build bridges rather than walls between the nation. Èquité started working as an informal group, […]
During Helsinki Pride Week LGBTIQA+ activists from the Global South will give their own perspectives of the situation in their countries. On Wednesday 28 June activists from Kenya and Sri Lanka will be live on Instagram. On Thursday 29 June there will be a live screening of the documentary Under the Kenyan Rainbow and a discussion with activists from different parts of Africa in Helsinki.
