4^th - 6^th April 2008-- The Anti-Employment Discrimination Legal Training for NGOs in the South-West Districts, organized by Beijing Yirenping Centre and co-organized by Aibai Chengdu Youth MSM Activity Centre, was successfully held in Chengdu.  More than 30 NGOs from Sichuan, Chongqing, Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi, Shaanxi, Gansu and other municipalities, cities and autonomous areas and including close to a hundred students, attended this training session.  The students included Hepatitis B carriers, people infected with HIV, persons with disabilities and gay students.  There were representatives of cross-sex minority groups, international and local NGO workers, volunteers, social workers and managers of high school social activity groups.  The different ethnic groups of China such as; Han, Hui, Yao, Zang, Bai and Yi were represented.

This training was the third Anti-Employment Discrimination Legal Training class held after Beijing Yirenping Centre had successfully held similar training in the South and the East China areas.  During the period of training, the students learned the relevant laws on protecting equal employment opportunity and rights for the labour force in the new “Labour Law”, “Employment Act” and “Employment Services and Employment Regulations” that came into effect at the beginning of 2008.  After attending the “Labour Law” seminar by legal professionals, and the seminar on the “Handbook on Employment Discrimination and its Legal Safeguard”, the students had separate group discussions on the ways and methods to protect employment, equality, and rights according to the Law.

During this training, the students had the opportunity to listen to Beijing Yirenping’s review and summary of the experience of China’s Hepatitis B Anti-discrimination Exercises.  They listened to the working report of Anti-discrimination of AIDS and Sexual Inclination (MSM and cross-sexual discrimination), by Aibai Chengdu Youth MSM Activity Centre.

Workers and volunteers from different NGOs gave keynote speeches during the training to share their NGO work experience and what they learned whilst carrying out anti-discrimination work.  These NGOs included: Showing Utter Devotion Hepatitis B Forum, Citizen’s Health Status and Education Rights Working Group, Chongqing Municipality Zhong County’s Service Centre for the Disabled, Liangshan Yi Ethnic Group’s Women and Children’s Development Centre, Lanzhuo Zhongde’s Women and Children’s Education Centre, Qingyi Social Work Alliance, Yunnan Hongshan Highland’s Health Education Consultation Centre, Cross China Working Group, International Xiaomuniu China Office and Hong Kong Community Partner Organization’s Sichuan’s office.

Aibai Chengdu Youth MSM Activity Centre gave the students training on “Procedures & Rules” and allowed group practice for the students to gain familiarity with a democratic way of conducting a meeting.

This training has also provided the students with copies of the “Handbook on Employment Discrimination and its Legal Safeguard” and “Collection of Research Papers on Hepatitis B Exchanges” written and edited by Beijing Yirenping Centre.

On 6^th April 2008, we have rounded up two days of rich, vivid, powerful and practical training curriculum.

Translated by Sock Sim Koh

Edited by Natasha Holt