HIV, AIDS AND ADVOCACY. BRINGING ABOUT CHANGE IN POLICIES AND PRACTICE AIDSFOCUS.CH CONFERENCE 17. APRIL 2012 BERN

Dear colleagues and friends of aidsfocus.ch

I have the pleasure to inform you that the chairperson of the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) from South Africa - Nonkosi Khumalo – will speak at the aidsfocus.ch conference 2012. TAC is THE AIDS advocacy organisation in the South that succeeded to catalyse action on HIV and AIDS all over the world.

I also have the pleasure to introduce to you other guests from the South who fight successfully on communal and national level with people affected by HIV for their rights and moved a few things: Joshua Mavundu from Zimbabwe, Paulina Alex from Tanzania and Aashish Masih from India.

Take the chance for discussion, sharing of experiences and information, learning from each other and developing synergies in the joint commitment for a future without HIV and AIDS.

See you on 17 April 2012 in Bern! Best regards,

Helena Zweifel Coordinator aidsfocus.ch Executive Director Medicus Mundi Switzerland

Information and registration: http://www.aidsfocus.ch
http://www.aidsfocus.ch

Berne | Support groups of people living with HIV turn more and more into advocacy groups to stand up for their interests and their rights. In Zimbabwe, young people living with HIV who were trained in leadership and advocacy by BHASO (FEPA partner) now dialogue with the government, and whenever necessary, also demonstrate in front of the respective offices in order to get the medication and what is due to them.

The Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) in South Africa has played a crucial role in the country’s AIDS response, and is well known beyond the South African borders as a model of successful advocacy and activism. Since 1998, TAC has held government accountable for health care service delivery, campaigned against official AIDS denialism, challenged the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies to make treatment more affordable and cultivated community leadership on HIV and AIDS.

Advocacy is a key component in the struggle towards an AIDSfree future and the fulfilment of the right to health for all. The aidsfocus.ch conference 2012 will focus on advocacy and open a space for sharing, discussion and joint learning on experiences, visions and strategies to end the epidemic.

“Advocacy is a process to bring about change in the policies, laws and practices of influential individuals, groups and institutions.” (International HIV/AIDS Alliance, Zimbabwe, July 2001)

----------------------------------------------------------- Program:

1. 15 Welcome and introduction
2. 30 HIV/AIDS advocacy stories: Experiences, strategies, impact

Nonkosi Khumalo, Treatment Action Campaign (TAC), South Africa; Joshua Mavundu, BHASO, Zimbabwe (partner of fepa); Paulina Alex, NELICO, Tanzania (partner of terre des hommes schweiz) Aashish Masih, Citizen Voice and Action, India (partner of World Vision Switzerland) and Eduard Grebe, AIDS and Society Research Unit of the University of Cape Town, South Africa.

1. 30 Lunch
2. 30 Workshops: Discussion with the speakers on advocacy strategies and challenges und role of aidsfocus.ch and its partners
3. 30 Panel discussion with stakeholders from Swiss donor agencies, politics and NGOs from South and North

Andreas Loebell (Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation), Yvonne Gilli (Member of Parliament), Nonkosi Khumalo (TAC), Joshua Mavundu (BHASO), Joachim Rüppel (Action against AIDS Germany), Helena Zweifel (aidsfocus.ch/ MMS)

1. 00 Networking apéro

Les partenaires d'aidsfocus: Afro-European Medical and Research Network, Action de Carême, Aide Suisse contre le Sida, Caritas suisse, cinfo, CO-OPERAID, Croix-Rouge suisse, Déclaration de Berne, EPER, FEPA, Fondation Terre des hommes, Fédération Genevoise de Coopération, Gemeinschaft der St. Anna-Schwestern, IAMANEH Suisse, INTERTEAM, Kindernothilfe Schweiz, Kwa Wazee, medico international suisse, mediCuba-Suisse, missio, mission 21, MIVA Suisse, Sida & l'enfant, SolidarMed, Swiss Aids Care, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH), TearFund, terre des hommes schweiz, World Vision Suisse.

http://www.aidsfocus.c