Focus

A Happy New Year to everyone and welcome to the January 2007 edition of Voice.

 The beginning of this year marks the start of the countdown to the 2007-2010 OIYP Program.  In April 300 new young people from around the world will join the OIYP network.  These young people, like the current action partners, will have a vision for a better world and will be committed to working with others in their communities to achieve that vision.  From April until October they will prepare to come to Sydney for OIYP residential event, OIYP Kaleidoscope 2007. Rest assured that the Oxfam staff in Sydney are gearing up for a busy lead up to the event that brings 300 young activists from around the globe to Sydney for the first phase of the partnership program.  While no amount of preparation can ready you for the exciting times fuelled by energy, enthusiasm, late nights and exuberance of 300 youth leaders working on halting the root causes of global injustice the team is doing their best with the ground work to ensure a smooth lead up.  The program team will be busy creating a program to help action partners learn from each other, engage with key global issues, gain skills and plan for their future work in their communities. The logistics team are already pounding the pavements seeking out venues  and recruiting a team of volunteers to support action partners in their preparations for Sydney so that OIYP Kaleidoscope 2007 is the smoothest and most action packed OIYP face to face event yet.

 So what’s new in 2007?

 After a worldwide search for the new generation of OIYP action partners will be announced in April. Check out our website www.iyp.oxfam.org or contact the OIYP team for application kits if you or someone you know in your community would make a great action partner and would be able to contribute to the network of activists working for positive social change through the OIYP network. Only 2 weeks to go – applications close January 31, 2007.

A Global Force for Change: By April there will be 900 OIYP action partners in the network. We think it is fairly exciting that there is such a strong and diverse group of young activists spread across the globe who are able to talk, share, learn, lobby and support each other to achieve their vision for a more just world.Your turn?  Edit Voice

In 2007 we will continue to have the OIYP Voice guest edited by Action Partners making it totally reflective and packed full with information and ideas for you. We would like to invite Action Partners (individuals or groups) to guest edit editions of the newsletter, in this way making OIYP Voice truly the voice of the network.  Guest editing an edition of OIYP Voice would involve collaborating with Mary to source Action Partner updates, generating stories on a defined theme, communicating with members of the network and co-ordinating sharing of knowledge and reflections on experiences.  

If guest editing sounds like an exciting challenge which you would like to take on, please email Mary at maryj@oxfam.org.au

STORy OF THE MONTH

December 1 – How are you keeping the promise?

Screenings of the Wizard of Oz, candlelit vigils, fundraisers and youth theatre. Our Action Partners have been busy keeping people talking about the issue of HIV/AIDS and holding governments accountable to their commitment to the MDGs.  Oxfam International supported the Word Aids Campaign message of “Keep the promise” relating of course to the MDGs. Oxfam’s 2 key demands for the day were ‘4 million more health workers´ and ´Access to medicines for all´. Here are some ways that OIYP Action Partners have been working to ‘keep the promise.’

One Year after ARV decision

 Contributed by Chukwumuanya Igboekwu, MD. OIYP2004 Action Partner from Nigeria.

 During the World AIDS day celebration on December 1, 2005, the Government in Niger State in Nigeria made a commitment to complement the Federal Government AIDS Treatment Program in the state through starting an antiretroviral treatment program. The government committed itself to providing 1000 People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs) with antiretroviral (ARV) medicines. This commitment was as a result of the unrelenting advocacy we undertook in collaboration with other coalition partners campaigning for access to essential medicines for all PLWHAs living in the State.

 As often the case with other policy pronouncements, implementation did not follow immediately. We were also unrelenting in putting maximum pressure to see that action is taken in this regard. It took months before the next step could be taken. However despite all the bottlenecks, it seems things are beginning to move slowly in the right direction.

 During the second quarter of 2006, the state government in collaboration with the UNICEF field office commenced a Prevention of Mother to Child transmission (PMTCT) program in two of the general hospitals at Kontagora and Minna. All pregnant mothers in these two localities now have free access to voluntary confidential counseling and testing which has been integrated into antenatal services.  All pregnant mothers that test positive are enrolled into free antiretroviral treatment.  To date, thousands of women have benefited from the program.

 Presently the government is in the process of collaborating with Family Health International to extend free antiretroviral treatment program to the rural areas. I am also very happy to announce that the rural hospital where I work as Community Physician has been selected as one of the treatment centers for the program. This will go a long way in bringing hope to PLWHAs residing within the rural communities.

 Although the present situation as far as ARV access is concerned is far from being universally available all parts of the state, we feel that at least our advocacy effort is beginning to yield returns. I know that we still have a long way to go in achieving our advocacy goal of universal ARV access, but the situation is gradually changing in the positive. The government is also beginning to realize that it is their responsibility as ‘duty bearers’ to strive toward realizing the right to the highest attainable standard of health for all citizens, especially those who cannot afford healthcare costs. This is part of their (government) ‘right to health’ obligations as articulated in the various international human rights frameworks which Nigeria has ratified.

Theatre and Health Education

Marabu Etuati OIYP 2004 Action Partner from Kiribati

‘Nov to Dec 2006 were a very busy months for the theatre group in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, Health Education Unit. For your information during the two months campaign one more positive HIV/AIDs bravely came forward and showed himself to the public, more students, and youths groups during the camp.

 The closing of the campaign the theatre group witnessed a closing ceremony which involved the high ranking and officials from Government/Embassy in the country. The closing ceremony highlight the lighting of candles for the 21 out of 51 AIDS victims died in Kiribati.

 The Theatre group did involve in public shows and also hired by big companies to promote their products and as well as introduce the HIV/AIDS programme.’