December 2004 Edition

fOCUS HIV/AIDS

The issue’s focus will be on HIV/AIDS. With World AIDS Day on December 1st , this newsletter will highlight some of the work done by OIYP Action Partners in the area of HIV/AIDS. HIV/AIDS is a priority policy area for the OIYP and Oxfam, and there are many innovative and encouraging projects being implemented worldwide. If you would like more information on a particular project you see here or are interested in supporting a project, please email the Voice editor at IYPVoice@sydney.caa.org.au. Next month’s focus will be on Human Rights, with the intent of reporting on work done around the world for World Human Rights Day on December 10th. Please let us know about any work you are doing for human rights, and particularly any ways you commemorated World Human Rights Day. Please also let us know about any opportunities for networking around human rights. We hope you enjoy this issue and welcome any feedback. The OIYP Voice Team

ACTION PARTNER NEWS

Read about positive change and accomplishments by OIYP Action Partners around the world, including within our monthly theme.

Elisha Cliff Ishaku, OIYP 2004 Action Partner, Nigeria

Elisha’s plan was one of three plans with an HIV/AIDS focus selected to receive one of the 29 OIYP Small Grants awarded in November. Elisha’s project aims to spread knowledge about tuberculosis (TB) prevention for those already living with HIV/AIDS. TB accounts for one-third of HIV/AIDS related deaths worldwide. Of the world’s 14 million people co-infected with TB and HIV/AIDS, 70% live in Africa. Elisha will be training 18 young people living with HIV/AIDS who serve on the “Network of Young People Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria” executive committee in Nigeria. These people will then return to one of Nigeria’s 6 geopolitcal zones and run information workshops for youth living with HIV/AIDS in those regions on the importance and knowledge of TB prevention and diagnosis.

William Ong'ala Otundo,OIYP 2004 Action Partner, Kenya William’s HIV/AIDS initiatives operate under the organization “Slums Information Development & Resource Centres (SIDAREC)” in Kenya. It is a community based youth serving organization operating in slum areas of Nairobi. A day before the commemoration of World AIDS Day on December 1st, they wrote to tell us they had scheduled a community procession through Nairobi, threatrical performances with HIV/AIDS messages, Group and individual counseling, and a medical camp for orphans and persons living with AIDS in slums. Food was also provided.

William nonetheless stresses that every day is World HIV/AIDS Day for them, and used the day to highlight the year-round work of his organization in the context of national events! You can visit William’s organization website at www.sidarec.or.ke.

Imane Khachani, OIYP 2004 Action Partner, Morocco

On December 7th, the Moroccan Ministry of Health worked with a number of national NGO’s, including Imane’s organization, the Research and Development Association for African Women, to organize the National Day for Celebrating the World AIDS Campaign 2004. The event was themed “Women and HIV-AIDS.” The Government outlined the state of HIV/AIDS in Morocco before the participants attended four workshops entitled: “Women’s vulnerability to HIV-AIDS infection, ” “AIDS and the Media,’ ‘Communication to fight HIV-AIDS,’ ‘Attending HIV positive women: care, treatment and psychological support.’ Imane presented case-studies of HIV/AIDS positive women in the “Attending HIV positive women” workshop and key learnings from these cases in caring for the women and their newborns. Medical professionals from the maternity hospital where Imane works presented new ways to care for pregnant HIV positive women. This material will be included in sessions beginning on December 13th to inform Moroccan women about HIV-prevention measures.

Patrick Henry Asinero, OIYP 2004 Action Partner, Phillippines

Patrick was chosen as a facilitator in the search for 2004 Bayer Young Environmental Envoys in the Philippines, held in September. Patrick was previously an envoy within this program, which included an all-expense paid trip to Germany to view Bayer’s facilities. To receive the award, he was required to implement a specific project proposal upon return to his community, similar to the OIYP format. At the 2004 event, Patrick presented his organization’s completed project related to the reforestation of Mt. Agad-Agad in Iligan City, located in the Phillippines’ Mindanao region. Those selected as envoys in 2004 were joined by Patrick at Subic Bay, Philippines where they participated in an “eco-camp” to study implications of recently enacted enviromental laws in the Philippines, network with other NGO's involved in environmental work, participate in local tree planting work and learnt about Government projects for sustainable development. Patrick’s involvement with the Bayer Young Environmental Envoys was followed by his attendance at the 5th Phillippines National Youth Parliament in October 2004, where he participated in the Education discussion area.

Shasheen Jayaweera, OIYP 2004 Action Partner, Australia

Shasheen has received terrific news that the UN Development Programme (UNDP) will fund the Youth for Sustainable Futures (YSF) forum for Pacific Island Youth, an event he is co-organizing.

This action-oriented forum is to help youth in the Pacific region contribute towards and implement the United Nations’ Millenium Development Goals (MDG’s). The event will be held from January 15

th to January 19th, 2005 in Apia, Samoa. Please visit www.peacechild.org/ysf for more information. Pacific-based youth with action projects related to the UN MDG’s are encouraged to contact Shasheen at shishj85@hotmail.com to discuss your work. Applications for the YSF open in December.

STORY OF MONTH Acting for HIV/AIDS

Awareness on the Indian Railroads

This story, from OIYP2004 Action Partner Piyoo Kochar in India, was chosen not only for its relevance to the HIV/AIDS theme this month, but also to commend the writer for taking initiative in utilizing an uncommon but relevant avenue for her message. Sharing knowledge to curb the effects of the disease do not have to be institutionalized to effect a broader audience. Piyoo was traveling to her new job as Program Coordinator for an organization called ITforChange in Bangalore, India, and this story relates to an experience on her train ride to that city.

It was difficult to organize anything for World HIV/AIDS day since I was travelling on a 2-day train trip from the 29th November till the 1st of December from Jaipur in North India to Bangalore in South India. While I would not arrive in time to be part of any large HIV/AIDS Day activities in Bangalore, I tried to make the most of time on the train. As an afterthought upon boarding the train, I thought that it might be a good idea to talk to my fellow passengers about HIV/AIDS. I decided to go and talk in each of the two interconnected compartments (a total of about 100 people) about the issue. I elicited some very interesting responses to what I said. Based on the interested reactions, I decided to hold a small skit in my compartment on HIV/AIDS on the 1st December morning. I asked for volunteers from among the passengers to play the different characters in my skit, writing a script to address the issue of stigma and discrimination of HIV-infected people. We did a 40 minute skit on this issue ( I know it was long, but there were some really interesting actors amongst the team). Most of the dialogues were scripted (by me) though there was some impromptu acting added by the volunteers. It was a really interesting experience as I had two days in the train with other passengers, who assumed the different roles, for which I literally had to audition them. At the end of the skit, everyone who participated discussed the theme, and I tried to document the reactions and responses as best I could. I was not carrying any pamphlets with me, which I thought was the biggest disadvantage, though I created some leaflets for the passengers, based on the information that I remembered on the issue. Some other passengers wanted to discuss the issue till late into the night, and I even facilitated some one to one and group discussions!

I am not sure if this kind of exercise has been conducted before anywhere! I am also not sure if this episode will have a lasting impact, although it shows one can use

any platform to talk about HIV/AIDS with the public. One’s options are not limited! I will be conducting followup with some of these passengers, given that I would like to evaluate the effectiveness of this exercise. I hope your activities on World HIV/AIDS day were as fruitful and enjoyable as mine. Lets keep talking and sharing! With lots of love Piyoo Kochar OIYP 2004 Action Partner, India PS: If wondered how long my train journey took, it was 45 hours, almost two days. It was my longest and best train journey ever and must say “God bless the Indian Railways

NETWORK AND TAKE ACTION

News from Oxfam or external partners involved in work relevant to OIYP’s aims.

Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS

The Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS (GYCA) is an idea in formation by youth representing organizations engaged in HIV/AIDS work, and its initial task force includes representatives from Global Youth Action Network, TakingITGlobal, Development Partnerships International, UNFPA, Student Global AIDS Campaign, Global Justice, African Regional Youth Initiative, including OIYP Action Partners. GYCA is in the process of creating a global directory of youth HIV/AIDS organizations through an extensive mapping project. This empowered alliance will work together with the organizers of the Toronto International Aids Conference, 2006, to strengthen youth participation and access to the conference. GYCA finished a month-long e-consultation on November 15, with 370 youth using TakingITGlobal technology. The consultation was designed to discern the specific needs and goals of youth leaders and to identify members committed to the development of GYCA and their specific skills. A report of the findings of the e-consultation is currently being put together. GYCA representatives Joya Banerjee (OIYP Action Partner), Mila Gorokhovich, and Sujima Viravaidya were invited to UNAIDS Inter-Agency Task Team Meeting on HIV/AIDS in Geneva November 3-5, to present the proposed framework of the Coalition. Inter-Agency representatives gave their feedback, and UNESCO, UNICEF, and UNFPA will meet with us this month to provide further input, as well as Advocates for Youth and Youth Coalition. For more information or to join us, please visit our temporary website: www.groups.takingitglobal.org/gycaconsultation

 

DECEMBER FEATURE HIV/AIDS

A guest-written story on December’s theme, HIV/AIDS.

This month we feature a story by Alison Wells, the HIV/AIDS Advocacy Coordinator for Oxfam Australia. Her article is about the efforts of Oxfam and the United Nations to tackle the HIV/AIDS epidemic worldwide.

World AIDS Campaign 2004 - Women, Girls, HIV and AIDS

December 1st is commemorated each year as World AIDS Day - the day we remember the lives lost to AIDS, the people living with and affected by HIV and AIDS, and the continued challenges confronting the global community in tackling the pandemic. UNAIDS’ latest statistics show that globally: • 40 million people are living with HIV • More than 3 million died in 2004 from AIDS • 5 million people were newly infected with HIV in 2004 To download the latest UNAIDS Epidemic Update, go to http://www.unaids.org/wad2004/report.html Since 1997, UNAIDS have initiated the World AIDS Campaign to call for additional resources and policy change to address the global HIV/AIDS epidemic. Each year’s campaign has a different theme. For 2004, the theme is Women, Girls, HIV and AIDS, focusing on how HIV/AIDS increasingly impacts on women and girls, with the aim of reducing their vulnerability to HIV. To find out more about the World AIDS Campaign and check out useful resources, go to http://www.unaids.org/wac2004/index_en.htm Oxfam’s Work on HIV/AIDS Oxfam Australia, alongside other members of the Oxfam International confederation, is working with local and national organisations to include an HIV/AIDS perspective in its development work while responding to specific needs of communities affected by HIV/AIDS. For example, Oxfam Australia manages the Joint Oxfam HIV/AIDS Program (JOHAP) in South Africa. JOHAP seeks to strengthen the civil society response to HIV/AIDS through supporting integrated community-based services for HIV prevention and care, which include a focus on gender and sexuality and the rights of people living with, and affected by, HIV/AIDS. The Oxfam International confederation also undertakes advocacy at the national and international level for increased financing for HIV/AIDS and health services, increased access to essential medicines, and for governments to adapt their policies and programs to take into account the impact of HIV/AIDS. To find out more about Oxfam International’s work on HIV/AIDS, please visit: http://www.oxfam.org/eng/programs_deve_aids.htm

For more information about Oxfam Australia’s HIV/AIDS work, please go to

http://www.oxfam.org.au/world/hiv/index.html and http://www.oxfam.org.au/campaigns/hiv/index.html To learn more about how Oxfam Australia is responding to the impact of HIV/AIDS on women and girls, go to: http://www.oxfam.org.au/oxfamnews/december_2004/hiv.html

LETTERS TO THE VOICE

Dear OIYP,

 Re: World HIV/AIDS Day in Morocco

In Morocco, the main activities for World HIV/AIDS Day took place in Tanger, the "gateway" to between Africa and Europe, in the north of the country. Sadly it is also a high risk city in terms of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) due to the growing number of tourists and illegal immigrants from subsaharian Africa in this city. The campaign I was a part of was called “E.L.I.S.A, which included free HIV-testing and counseling, and was organised by several local NGOs and financially sustained by the Moroccan Ministry of Health. Many people had the opportunity be blood-screened for HIV/AIDS as well as syphillis and hepatitis B. The positive cases that were detected were informed and immedialty into free antiretroviral therapy provided by the Ministry of Health (a free treatment for all HIV/AIDS cases in Morocco). With love, Imane Khachani OIYP 2004 Action Partner, Morocco Dear Voice, Re: World HIV/AIDS Day message from Trinidad and Tobago To all my fellow partners in this global fight against HIV/AIDS, let it be a day of reflection and renewal as we look again at the great work that has been done and ponder on the tremendous efforts needed for the future. As we focus on the role of our mothers, sisters, daughters, wives, friends, colleagues, co-workers and partners let us also consider, as men, how we have allowed the numbers of infection to rise and pledge again to reduce it. In the Caribbean, the region now recognized in the world as 2nd in HIV/AIDS per capita infection, we are trying to see how we could reverse this tide that seems to try to wash us away.

Your continued effort in this fight is greatly appreciated.

Mobafa Baker

OIYP Action Partner 2004, Trinidad and Tobago

 

Hello OIYP,

Re: World HIV/AIDS Day in Tanzania

We had a busy AIDS day in Tanzania. In addition to a public gathering, I recorded a radio show on Dar Es-Salaam’s Radio Tumaini to highlight the importance of HIV/AIDS awareness in the country.! I received plenty of feedback about the show and am glad a lot of people heard the word. I also included a talk about my OIYP experience in Sydney. The Tanzanian OIYP Action Partners have completed their month long tour of the Tanzanian nation talking about OIYP and receiving advice on the creation of the Tanzanian Youth Parliament. UNICEF, our principal funder, recently received our report. We will reply to you again to update you on our progress with the Parliament.

Kind regards,

Leonard Boniface

OIYP 2004 Action Partner, Tanzania.

Are you interested in writing to the OIYP Voice? Please email letters to iypvoice@sydney.caa.org.au. Please limit your letters to 150 words or less. 

Endnote

If you would convince a man that he does wrong, do right. Men will believe what they see. - Henry David Thoreau

Weeding is as necessary to agriculture as sowing. – Gandhi

We could never learn to be brave and patient, if there were only joy in the world. - Helen Keller

Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goals. - Anonymous