On December 20, 2025, the term of ECOM’s current Steering Committee expires. Therefore, on September 16, ECOM announced the start of the election process for a new Steering Committee.
ECOM members had until October 16 to submit their candidacies for the elections. We are pleased to present the candidates who have expressed a desire to join the Steering Committee and contribute to the development of the Coalition.
Following the presentation of the candidates to ECOM members, an online forum will be held from November 8 to 14, during which time, everyone will have the opportunity to ask the candidates questions.
Following this, the election of the new Steering Committee will take place from November 16 to 25 during ECOM’s General Assembly.
The election results will be announced on November 28, 2025.
What does ECOM’s Steering Committee do?
The Steering Committee is the Coalition’s strategic management body. Its primary goal is to ensure adherence to ECOM’s mission and oversee the activities of the Executive Director.
The Committee’s primary responsibility is to monitor the implementation of ECOM’s strategy as approved by the General Assembly, and to ensure the organization’s effective and transparent operations.
The Steering Committee is elected for a three-year term. All its members serve on a volunteer basis, pooling their experience, knowledge, and energy to develop ECOM and protect the rights of LGBT communities in the region of Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
We present our candidates:
Aydar Kapasov
Organization: PО “Human Health Institute”
Country: Kazakhstan
Why do you want to be a member of ECOM’s Steering Committee:
I want to continue making changes to the organization and continue to be useful not only in Kazakhstan, but also for the region as a whole. I also wish to gain experience from ECOM. Given the significant changes in the world, the most important thing now is to preserve what we have and strive to improve our results.
What results do you wish to achieve as a member of the Steering Committee:
Create an enabling environment for advancing work in EECA countries, which will allow them to strengthen their positions in supporting LGBTIQ+ people. Provide support and advice, and strive to strengthen the sustainability of the organization and network, which will improve its work.
Artyom Lebedev
Organization: PF “Community Friends”
Country: Kazakhstan
Why do you want to be a member of ECOM’s Steering Committee:
For many years, my work has focused on community development, promoting human rights, and expanding access to HIV prevention services among key populations, particularly MSM and transgender people.
My decision to run for the Steering Committee is based on the conviction that today, more than ever, it is important to strengthen regional solidarity and the role of communities in decision-making. I see my mission as strengthening the voice of Central Asia in ECOM’s regional policy, promoting approaches based on people’s real needs, and ensuring transparency, participation, and mutual support among the network’s member organizations.
As the director of an organization, I’ve grown from outreach work to strategic project management supported by international partners. My work focuses on leadership development, youth engagement, and building partnerships with government agencies and healthcare institutions. We actively collaborate with the Almaty City AIDS Center, youth health centers, and educational institutions, and conduct trainings, campaigns, and programs related to HIV prevention and promoting human rights.
As a member of the Steering Committee, I will be committed to contributing to the development of ECOM’s network through:
– sharing successful practices related to engaging with communities and government partners;
– promoting the interests of Central Asian organizations at the regional and international levels;
– supporting strategic planning processes and strengthening community participation in program management.
I believe that only through dialogue, mutual trust, and participation can we strengthen the resilience of our communities and make ECOM an even stronger, more representative, and more effective network.
Thank you for your trust and the opportunity to be part of the process that is shaping the future of the regional community.
What results do you wish to achieve as a member of the Steering Committee:
My desire to join the new Steering Committee stems from a desire to strengthen genuine community participation and ensure that decision-making processes are more transparent and inclusive.
Working in the field of HIV prevention and leadership development among MSM and transgender people, I feel it is extremely important that the Steering Committee not only represents the interests of network members, but also actively engages with them and listens to their needs.
Specific results I wish to achieve include:
1. Creating sustainable feedback channels between the Steering Committee, member organizations, and communities.
2. Strengthening the role of representatives of key populations in strategic planning and monitoring of the network’s activities.
3. Enhancing the effectiveness of program implementation through the development of experience sharing, training, and technical support for network members.
4. Promoting the values of equality, non-discrimination, and human rights in all areas of ECOM’s work.
5. Promoting greater engagement of youth leaders and new forms of communication with communities.
I believe that my experience and commitment to the rights of communities will help ensure that the Steering Committee is more open, stronger, and closer to the people for whom it was created.
Vitaliy Apanasenko
Organization: Youth Public Movement “Partner”
Country: Ukraine
Why do you want to be a member of ECOM’s Steering Committee:
My motivation for running for a second term on ECOM’s Steering Committee stems from the responsibility I feel for the work already begun. Amid global instability and war in the region, we face the risk of reversals and the loss of progress. This is a time when communities are particularly vulnerable and may experience a lack of services, support, and assistance.
I view my second term as both a challenge and an opportunity: to preserve and strengthen what has already been achieved, continue to develop the sustainability of services, ensure access to HIV treatment and prevention, and strengthen advocacy for MSM and trans people at the regional level.
It is important for me not only to advocate for the community’s interests in dialogue with international partners and donors, but also to create conditions for the engagement of new activists, support for young leadership, and to expand the participation of key populations in ECOM’s work.
What results do you wish to achieve as a member of the Steering Committee:
It’s difficult to talk about concrete results when the world is changing so quickly and unpredictably. But that’s precisely why I want to join the new Steering Committee—to preserve what has already been achieved and to ensure that communities do not lose their footing. It’s important to me that services for MSM and trans people remain accessible even during a crisis, that new young leaders join ECOM, and that governments and donors see us as strong partners rather than as “vulnerable.”
Denis Oleynik
Organization: LGBTQ+ group “Coming Out”
Country: Lithuania
Why do you want to be a member of ECOM’s Steering Committee:
My motivation for joining ECOM’s Steering Committee stems from a desire to strengthen the voices of communities working in the region’s most challenging contexts and to help build sustainable, interconnected support structures for MSM and trans people.
Having worked in the field of LGBTQ+ rights and public health for over a decade, I have become convinced that an effective response to the HIV epidemic is impossible without genuine community engagement and an intersectoral approach that addresses human rights, access to healthcare, and psychosocial support as interrelated elements. Today, I lead an organization working in the context of repression and forced migration, and I understand the importance of developing new formats of regional cooperation and digital services to ensure that assistance remains accessible even in times of crisis.
In serving on ECOM’s Steering Committee, I would like to bring my experience in strategic management, building sustainable partnerships and interregional programs, as well as my knowledge of working with Russian-speaking and Eastern European communities, which often remain on the periphery of donor attention and international initiatives.
For me, being a member of the Steering Committee is not a formal status, but an opportunity to influence the Coalition’s strategy, develop solidarity between organizations, and explore new avenues of participation for those whose voices are not yet sufficiently heard.
What results do you wish to achieve as a member of the Steering Committee:
By joining ECOM’s Steering Committee, I would like to focus on strengthening the resilience and meaningful participation of communities, especially those working in contexts where there are restrictions, migration, and repression.
My goals can be divided into three areas:
1. Strengthening regional cooperation.
I wish to facilitate the creation of platforms and tools for sharing experiences between organizations from Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the EU, particularly in the areas of psychosocial support, digital services, and HIV prevention among MSM and trans people. This will increase the visibility of local practices and bridge the gap between large-scale and small-scale initiatives.
2. Developing organizational sustainability among Coalition members.
I plan to contribute to the development of training and support programs for NGOs, including sharing strategic management tools, internal security, data protection, and ethical standards for working with communities. Strong, sustainable organizations are the foundation for a long-term response to HIV.
3. Integrating a human rights-based approach into HIV programming.
I wish to promote an approach in which prevention and treatment are not viewed in isolation, but as part of an infrastructure of dignity: one that includes safety, access to justice, psychological resilience, and social equality.
My key goal is to make ECOM not only a professional coalition but also a space for mutual reinforcement, where each organization’s experience is transformed into a collective strategy for change.
Diana Alieva
Organization: Individual member
Country: Kyrgyzstan
Why do you want to be a member of ECOM’s Steering Committee:
I am an open trans activist, committed to the principles of feminism and social justice, and advocate for the rights of trans people, sex workers, and migrants. I strive to build strong solidarity with activists across the region, which is essential for advancing the interests of our communities at the international level.
Currently, I have extensive access to the transgender community and activists not only in Kyrgyzstan and Russia, but also across the CIS. I can confidently say that many representatives of trans communities, the SW community, and activists have placed their trust in me.
I am well acquainted with the context of trans people’s lives in the EECA region, I know the needs of my community, and I am confident that my knowledge will be useful if I continue my work in the SC.
What results do you wish to achieve as a member of the Steering Committee:
1. Implementation of ECOM’s Strategic Plan.
2. Development of partnerships/networking.
3. Fundraising/finding donors.
4. Advocacy/Combating the antigender movement.
5. Increasing visibility/Representing the trans agenda.
Mika Okinova
Organization: MTU IRIDA
Country: Estonia
Why do you want to be a member of ECOM’s Steering Committee:
I am submitting my candidacy for ECOM’s Steering Committee because I believe it is important for queer activists from Central Asia to be represented on this body that makes key strategic decisions. My experience working in Kyrgyzstan helps me understand local contexts, challenges, and community needs that are not always reflected at the regional level. Participating in the Steering Committee is an opportunity for me to contribute to the organization’s development.
What results do you wish to achieve as a member of the Steering Committee:
My goal is to ensure that regional contexts and the needs of LGBTIQ communities are reflected in the organization’s policies, programs, and priorities.
Rabi
Organization: “Queer Association – Temida”
Country: Georgia
Why do you want to be a member of ECOM’s Steering Committee:
As a social worker and project manager at “Queer Association Temida”, I have witnessed how regional solidarity can transform communities that are surviving in the face of daily pressure. Temida has been a proud member of ECOM for several years, and through this network I’ve seen how collective action can shift both policies and mindsets.
My motivation to join the Steering Committee comes from a deep belief that people most affected by stigma and structural violence should have a seat at the table. I want to bring the lived realities of trans and queer people in Georgia and the South Caucasus — where resilience often replaces protection — into ECOM’s regional decision-making. I want to strengthen bridges between local activists and regional structures so that our strategies are rooted in care, dignity, and mutual accountability.
What results do you wish to achieve as a member of the Steering Committee:
If elected, I aim to help ECOM become an even more accessible, community-driven and responsive network. My focus will be on three key results:
1. Empowering smaller member organizations through mentorship, resource-sharing and organizational resilience support.
2. Integrating trans-led and community-based perspectives into ECOM’s policy, research, and advocacy priorities.
3. Building stronger cross-border cooperation among activists in the South Caucasus and Eastern Europe to respond collectively to health and human rights crises.
Oleg Eryomin
Organization: NGO “Spring of Help”
Country: Georgia
Why do you want to be a member of ECOM’s Steering Committee:
Part of my life has been devoted to ECOM, and it is very important to me that ECOM remains a visible organization and responsive to the challenges that constantly arise in our region. My experience and knowledge of the situation in the countries of our region will be useful for ECOM’s improvement and sustainability.
What results do you wish to achieve as a member of the Steering Committee:
Our region is currently going through very challenging times, negatively impacting the safety of the LGBTIQ+ community. There is an urgent need to develop new areas of cooperation with countries committed to protecting human rights in order to enable members of the LGBTIQ+ community, who are persecuted or at risk of persecution in their own countries to receive protection when they migrate. Programs to assist and help such migrants adapt need to be developed. I see that ECOM is doing this work, but as a member of the Steering Committee, I am ready to promote its scaling up.
I will also advocate for the continuation of advocacy work to reduce discrimination with the governments of those countries that persecute LGBTIQ+ people and continue to tighten legislation.
Significant cuts in funding for HIV and human rights programs are also a challenge for ECOM, and I would like ECOM to promote the need for such programs to donors and actively participate in their implementation.
Rishat Azikhanov
Organization: Institute of Public Health “Iridium”
Country: Kyrgyzstan
Why do you want to be a member of ECOM’s Steering Committee:
For our organization, participation in ECOM’s Steering Committee is an opportunity to continue contributing to the development of a regional response to HIV based on the principles of community, equality, and sustainability. During our years of cooperation with ECOM, we have seen how coordination, exchange of experience, and mutual support between countries strengthen the capacity of community organizations and improve the quality of services for community representatives. We strive to further develop these processes, strengthen regional solidarity, promote the interests of Central Asia in strategic decisions, and ensure that the voices of the region’s communities are heard at all levels—from national policy to regional platforms. My motivation is based on the conviction that a sustainable response to the epidemic is only possible with the active participation of communities and partnerships between civil society, government, and international organizations.
What results do you wish to achieve as a member of the Steering Committee:
In the new Steering Committee, I plan to focus on three key areas. First and foremost, I plan to strengthen the role of Central Asia in ECOM’s regional policy, ensuring that the specificities and real needs of our countries are reflected in the Coalition’s strategies and initiatives. The second area is improving the quality and effectiveness of programs targeting MSM and trans people by sharing practical tools, introducing innovative approaches to testing and support, and expanding the participation of communities themselves in decision-making processes. My third priority is developing the sustainability of community organizations, including institutional, financial, and personnel capabilities, to ensure their contribution to the fight against HIV is long-term and systemic. The main goal is for the Coalition’s work to deliver measurable and tangible results for communities, and for the Steering Committee’s decisions to be based on the real-world experience and expertise of countries in the region.
Rustam Zhantasov
Organization: Public Foundation “Human Rights Center “Glotion”
Country: Kazakhstan
Why do you want to be a member of ECOM’s Steering Committee:
The organization I represent, like many LGBTQIA+ initiatives in the Eastern Europe and Central Asia region, has faced a serious crisis in recent years, especially this year. We, the LGBTQIA+ community, have had to survive, mobilize our resources, abandon many planned initiatives, and revise our strategies. We work under stress and fear every day: daily announcements from members of parliament about banning propaganda and introducing administrative penalties. And even in these circumstances, ECOM has become a safe haven and an institutional support system for many in a context where space for civil society is shrinking at the national level.
Unethical competition within the community reveals a lack of resources and weak mechanisms for collaboration. This is a challenge for ECOM, one I want to address: how to maintain trust within the community and ensure that we fight not against each other, but together against repression.
ECOM faces a dual task: on the one hand, to at least maintain the status quo and opportunities for initiatives in the region, and on the other, to actively resist the further shrinking of the space for human rights activities.
I see ECOM’s Steering Committee as an opportunity not to give up and succumb to a sense of learned helplessness. Instead, I surround myself with others like me—strategists, perhaps optimists and optirealists—and work together, not resigning ourselves to the status quo, but doing everything possible to advance the human rights of LGBTQIA+ people in our region.
My experience in advocacy, monitoring, legal protection, and documenting human rights violations shows that even in the face of restrictions, it is possible to find effective response mechanisms. Even if everyone says it’s futile and pointless, I, as someone who is unyielding, will still use all available mechanisms to protect human rights. I believe this will greatly help the Steering Committee.
I believe my strategic thinking and ability to see long-term scenarios can be useful for the work of ECOM’s Steering Committee. Choosing what’s most important in a crisis and abandoning even the most important activities if, with existing resources, they won’t advance the strategic goal—that’s what I can bring to the Committee. It’s important for me to help the Coalition strengthen its institutional sustainability, strengthen support for member organizations, and develop new formats for cooperation in these challenging times. I want ECOM to remain a place where we work together to find solutions even in times of crisis, and where we leave no one behind.
What results do you wish to achieve as a member of the Steering Committee:
1. Drawing on 10 years of project management experience—from fundraising and team building to monitoring, evaluation, and reporting—I want to contribute to the expert review of ECOM project applications and sub-grant initiatives. My experience writing large-scale proposals for USAID and the European Commission will allow me to improve the quality of submitted and implemented projects through advice, comments, and feedback, making them more competitive and effective.
2. Recognizing that long-term strategies are becoming less realistic in the current situation, I would like to propose and promote an approach with a combined planning horizon: a detailed strategy for 1-2 years and scenario planning for 3-4 years. This will allow ECOM to maintain flexibility and resilience even in times of crisis.
3. I will promote the idea of moving away from subjective recommendations from ECOM members when electing new members, and instead focus on the results and achievements of candidates. This will help reduce the risks of gatekeeping, unethical competition, and tension within the community, and will strengthen trust and transparency.
4. My M&E skills will help the Committee effectively perform its key function – overseeing the implementation of programs.
5. Through my contacts in international organizations, human rights institutions and networks, I will be able to contribute to the strengthening and development of ECOM partnerships at the national and international levels.
While I specialize in advocacy, human rights, and organizational development, rather than health and HIV prevention, I hope that as a team we can cover all areas of competence so that the Steering Committee remains an effective and strategic body.
Theo ExitExists
Organization: Initiative group TrAM – TransMigrants of Baltic
Country: Baltic countries
Why do you want to be a member of ECOM’s Steering Committee:
I would like to represent the voices of trans people in exile, migrants, and refugees in the Baltic states, and better understand how to unite migrant communities with local ones in joint efforts against homophobic state policies.
What results do you wish to achieve as a member of the Steering Committee:
The Latvian Parliament will not pass transphobic and homophobic laws recently proposed by a coalition of right-wing parties. HIV organizations in the Baltic states will collaborate with LGBT+ organizations and provide assistance to the most vulnerable migrants in the areas of HIV and STI prevention and social issues. LGBT+ youth in the Baltic states, both citizens and migrants, will be provided with sufficient HIV and STI prevention tools (condoms and PrEP).
Yuliya Familyeva
Organization: PО “GO PARTNER”
Country: Ukraine
Why do you want to be a member of ECOM’s Steering Committee:
I believe ECOM’s resources and programs are of great importance and have a positive impact on the LGBTIQ+ community, particularly the trans community of Ukraine, which I represent. I believe my experience, insider knowledge, and expertise can be instrumental in taking into account the interests of both the LGBTIQ+ community of Ukraine as a whole and the trans community of Ukraine in particular, for optimal planning of program activities and decision-making by the Steering Committee.
What results do you wish to achieve as a member of the Steering Committee:
Ensuring the provision of necessary and effective programs to protect rights, health, gender and sexual diversity to LGBTIQ+ people in general, and trans people in Ukraine in particular.
Yuri Yoursky
Organization: Individual member
Country: Estonia
Why do you want to be a member of ECOM’s Steering Committee:
I am applying to join the ECOM Steering Committee because I believe this is a critical moment for the organization and our regional movement. In a rapidly changing and often shrinking funding landscape, ECOM plays an essential role in ensuring that LGBTQ communities remain visible, resourced, and connected.
I want to contribute my experience in organizational sustainability, strategic development, and resource mobilization to help ECOM strengthen its resilience and adapt to new realities. I have spent recent years working on global and regional funding dynamics for LGBTI movements and believe I can support ECOM in navigating these shifts, diversifying resources, and positioning itself as a strong, trusted voice in our region.
My motivation comes from a deep belief that ECOM’s mission is more relevant than ever — and that with the right adaptation strategy, the organization can emerge from these turbulent times even stronger, more sustainable, and more community-driven.
What results do you wish to achieve as a member of the Steering Committee:
As a member of the Steering Committee, I want to contribute to strengthening ECOM’s sustainability, expanding its donor base, and increasing its resilience in the face of funding challenges. My goal is to support the development of a long-term sustainability strategy that helps ECOM diversify its resources and position itself more effectively among both traditional and new donors. I also hope to enhance the organization’s governance and accountability, ensuring that ECOM continues to be a credible and community-led voice for LGBTQ in the region.
At the same time, I see value in building stronger bridges between ECOM and regional as well as global networks, so that the organization can play a more visible and influential role in shaping the HIV and human rights agenda. Overall, I aim to help ECOM not only adapt to this turbulent period but re-emerge from it more connected and more vocal network.
We invite all Coalition members to review the candidates and participate in the vote at ECOM’s upcoming General Assembly.
Your vote shapes the future of the Coalition.