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OGOCHUKWU IBEKWE [ Profil ] |
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IAC Human Rights & HIV/AIDS Networking Zone Announcement
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Jul 11th, 2008 - 05:12:12 |
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Dear friends and colleagues,
At the United Nations' 2006 High Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS, world leaders reaffirmed that "the full realization of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for all is an essential element in the global response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic." Yet, 25 years into the AIDS epidemic, this "essential element" remains the missing piece in the fight against AIDS.
Now more than ever, law and human rights should occupy the center of the global HIV/AIDS struggle. The declaration, Human Rights and HIV/AIDS: Now More Than Ever, published by the Open Society Institute's Law and Health Initiative, and endorsed by organizations from countries around the world, presents 10 reasons why. It is available in many languages, including Spanish, Portuguese, English, French, Russian, Arabic, and Chinese.
Human Rights and HIV/AIDS: Now More Than Ever Declaration
For those of you who have not done so yet, please take a couple of minutes to submit your organization's endorsement of the declaration "Human Rights and HIV/AIDS: Now More Than Ever". The declaration highlights that universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support will never be achieved without much greater action on HIV/AIDS and human rights.
Over 400 organizations have already endorsed the declaration, but we are hoping at least another 100 organizations, especially from Latin America, including at least 35 organizations from Mexico, will have endorsed the declaration by July 28, 2008. The endorsement campaign will culminate in a rally for human rights at the 2008 International AIDS Conference in Mexico on August 7, 2008.
Download the declaration:
http://www.soros.org/initiatives/health/focus/law/articles_publications/publications/human_20071017
Endorse the declaration: www.soros.org/endorsehumanrights (this page is in English only, but endorsing the declaration is very easy and requires only very little knowledge of English; if you have problems, feel free to contact Eleonora Jimenez at humanrightsaids2008 (at) gmail.com who will be able to assist you in Spanish).
International Rally for Human Rights and HIV/AIDS
In addition to seeking additional organizational endorsements for the declaration from Mexico and other countries in Latin America, we invite all those who will attend the International AIDS Conference in Mexico City to participate in the first international rally for human rights and HIV/AIDS.
Participants will gather at 1:30 PM on Thursday, 7 August, in the space in front of the main stage in the conference's Global Village, to demand human rights for all people living with and at risk of HIV, as well as vastly greater attention to human rights in the response to HIV. Among those who have been invited to give keynote presentations and/or to receive a copy of the human rights declaration with the list of endorsements are: Mary Robinson (Executive Director of the Ethical Globalization Initiative and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and President of Ireland), Peter Piot (UNAIDS Executive Director), and Michel Kazatchkine (Executive Director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria).
More info about the rally: www.soros.org/marchforhumanrights
"Human Rights & HIV/AIDS: Now More than Ever" Networking Zone
Finally, during AIDS 2008, exciting events (including hot topic debates, sessions during which rapporteurs will summarize the key human rights events of the day, human rights campaigns, and much more) will take place every day in the Human Rights Networking Zone, located in the conference's Global Village in networking zone 421, right beside the entrance to the food court.
The goal of the Networking Zone is to bring together HIV and human rights organizations to maximize visibility of the human rights concerns of people living with and at high risk of HIV, and to catalyze action on HIV and human rights.
Together with our local partners, Red Mexicana de Personas que Viven con VIH and Ave de Mexico, and together with you, our international partners, we are putting together the zone’s program. Through this communication, we would like to extend a special invitation to you to organize actions and events for the zone. We hope the zone will reflect the diversity and talents of the conference itself, recognizing that all those living with HIV and at most risk -- whether women, gay or bisexual men, prisoners, people who use drugs, or sex workers – share a history of human rights abuse and neglect.
To make it easier for you to propose ideas for our zone, we have chosen several regional, population, and cross-cutting themes. Some of the themes we are currently developing include:
· Human rights and HIV in Africa
· Human rights and HIV in Latin America
· Human rights in prisons and other detention facilities
· Violence and vulnerability
· Youth, human rights and HIV
· Human rights in health settings
We strongly encourage you to submit proposals of activities you would like to organize and feature at the zone using the above-mentioned themes. Activities can include (but not be limited to) the following:
· Hot debates
· Petitions and letter-writing campaigns
· Skills building workshops
· Performances
· Art
· We welcome film and video suggestions too, but may be technically limited to featuring only a few.
Remember that the networking zone will be a busy and lively space! So the best ideas should be catchy, interactive, and appealing to a wide audience, including the general public.
Please contact Eleonora Jimenez and Ralf Jurgens directly (humanrightsaids2008 (at) gmail.com and rjurgens (at) sympatico.ca) if you have ideas for actions, events, or additional HIV-human rights related themes not mentioned here by July 15, 2008.
Many thanks in advance for your support! Please circulate this note widely, encourage other organizations to also demand greater attention to human rights in the fight against HIV by endorsing the declaration and joining the rally, and participate in the events in the Human Rights Networking Zone (Global Village, #421).
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Ibekwe Ogochukwu Alexander,
South East and State Coordinator
Association of Positive Youth in Nigeria (APYIN)
EX-Officio, National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN)
Project Coordinator, Health Link Organization Ekwulobia.
alexodegreat.tigblog.org alexodegreat
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