In October 2025, Alliance Consultancy participated in the ILGA-Europe Annual Conference in Vilnius — one of the largest gatherings of LGBTQI+ activists, human rights defenders, donors, and civil society organisations in Europe and Central Asia. Over 400 participants came together under the theme “Face Forward” — a recognition that movements must stay united, strategic, and resilient at a time of growing political uncertainty, shrinking civic space, and rising anti-human-rights narratives across the region.
Organisers highlighted the realities we all face: democratic freedoms are being rolled back, funding for civil society is shrinking, and anti-rights movements are becoming increasingly aggressive. Trans and intersex communities, migrants, refugees, racialised groups, and other vulnerable populations experience heightened hostility and structural barriers. The conference created a space to reassess strategies, address shared challenges, and build new paths of resistance and support grounded in solidarity.
Across two main thematic tracks — navigating political uncertainty and strengthening the resilience of movements — participants explored how to defend hard-won rights, counter hate speech and misinformation, protect communities most at risk, and sustain activism in a time of shrinking resources. These topics directly intersect with the areas in which Alliance Consultancy works.
For Alliance Consultancy, participation was an opportunity to get to know from the grassroots, and to share our work supporting key and vulnerable populations — including LGBTI communities, people living with HIV, migrants, and displaced people — through innovative approaches such as the Help24 TeleHealth platform. Although our organisation is not LGBTI-specific, our projects consistently apply a human rights–based and intersectional perspective, community needs-based services, ensuring that health, dignity, and safety remain accessible to all.
During the conference, we presented our practical experience with digital and community-driven solutions — including the Help24 TeleHealth Online Clinic, the HelpNowHub platform, Help24 Platform, digital assistant TWIIN, and several regional initiatives by Alliance for Public Health and Alliance Consultancy. Namely, those strengthening HIV preventionand care, mental health support, and access to care for displaced and marginalised groups. We highlighted how these tools improve reach, reduce stigma, and create safer pathways to essential services, even in contexts of war, displacement, and growing political hostility. Our contribution demonstrated how flexible consulting, charitable and community-oriented organisations can complement the work of LGBTI movements by offering expertise, innovation, and sustainable models of support.
At the conference, we emphasised how digital health solutions can reduce barriers and expand access to non-discriminatory services. We also explored how consulting and civil society organisations can contribute to stronger community support systems, cross-sector collaboration, and advocacy grounded in solidarity. Engagement with partners, participation in discussions, and networking with activists from across the region enriched our understanding of emerging needs and strengthened ties for future cooperation.
The conference reinforced a simple but essential message: health and human rights are fundamentally interconnected. Supporting LGBTI people, ensuring access to HIV services, creating safe digital pathways to care, and building inclusive communities all require shared responsibility and long-term cooperation across movements.
“This experience reminded how deeply interconnected our work is with broader human rights struggles. Solidarity, learning from communities, and building partnerships are essential for shaping inclusive and resilient systems of care,”
— Armen Aghajanov, Alliance Consultancy
Alliance Consultancy remains committed to advancing rights-based approaches, supporting community wellbeing, and collaborating with LGBTI organisations and networks. Facing forward means standing together — and we are proud to contribute to a future built on dignity, equality, and collective strength.
