The winds of change came early in the New Year with the departure of the Programme Officer at the Secretariat. In anticipation of this, we actively sought a suitable replacement, which was found in Ms Raphaële Dambo who joined us on February 1, 2004 . There was, therefore, a smooth transition and no interruption in the programme delivery of the SIRHASC project.

At this time, having concluded negotiations with the Center for Disease Control (CDC), and with the support of our auditors, we began advertising for the position of Financial Officer. This had become a priority as a workshop on fiduciary arrangements for all CDC grant recipients was scheduled to take place in Brazil during the first week of March.

On March 1, 2004 , Mr Raymond Romany joined the Secretariat as the Financial Officer. Our attention was now focused on filling another vacant position – that of Communication/Information Officer – which had already been advertised. Ms Trionne Major was selected for the position and she started work on April 1, 2004 . During this time, work was apace on our proposal to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM). The proposal was submitted on April 3, 2004 .

During the second quarter of 2004 the Regional Coordinator and the Chair of the Board attended the 5 th Annual Meeting of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) AIDS Network, CARAN, in Jamaica.

This meeting was significant as some 6-9 months earlier, the Regional Manager of the IFRC and our Regional Coordinator had commenced discussions on how both organizations could work closer together in areas that would be mutually beneficial. In Jamaica , our two delegates met with representatives of both the regional and the international offices of the IFRC and began the planning process on the form that the partnership would take.

In June, CRN+ participated in a regional meeting on stigma and discrimination with a view to highlighting the role of parliamentarians. We also began to turn our attention to commencing preparations for our Annual General Meeting. In addition to CARICOM technical meetings in the context of the GFATM project, we also noted that the end of June was fast approaching. Soon, we would get word on our proposal to the Global Fund.

Our wait was not in vain. On July 2, 2004 we received the news that our proposal to the Global Fund was approved! Even more incredible than the news was the fact that CRN+ is the first civil society organization and indeed the first PLWHA organization in the world to receive approval of its proposal from the GFATM.

Subsequently, we switched gears and the focus was on the 15 th International Conference to be held in Bangkok in July 2004. The AIDS community was filled with excitement. Ms Suzette Moses-Burton, one of our current Board Members, participated on the PANCAP panel.

Also in July, CRN+, in collaboration with the National Association of People with AIDS (NAPWA), conducted the second leadership development workshop for members of the Network. There were 28 participants from 17 islands. The meeting was held in Trinidad and Tobago and culminated in the signing of a Declaration of Leadership by all who attended.

The Regional Coordinator was invited to present a paper at a conference entitled, “The Effects of HIV/AIDS on Women and Girls in Africa and the African Diaspora.” The conference took place in August at Spellman College , Atlanta . By this time, the Secretariat was abuzz with activity for our annual meetings.

September arrived and the entire staff of the Secretariat was engrossed in a fray of activities. The Regional Coordinator along with several members of the Network attended the NAPWA Staying Alive Conference in Atlanta. She then went on to Washington DC for meetings with several donors and partners.

September closed with the signing of a partnership agreement with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to work together on an anti-stigma and discrimination campaign. The signing ceremony was followed by a two-day workshop on how we plan to work together.

On October 1, 2004 , Mr Donn McQuilkin joined the Secretariat as Information Technology Manager, taking the number of staff positions to seven. Shortly thereafter (from October 6 to 8, 2004 ), we held our Annual General Meeting (AGM) and 8th Capacity Building Workshop in Guyana . During the AGM, the new CRN+ Constitution (based on amendments by HRDL Consultant) was approved.

At the Pan Caribbean Partnership (PANCAP) AGM, which was held in Barbados on October 21-22, 2004 , CRN+ announced that it would serve as Principal Recipient for its Global Fund Grant. This decision was endorsed by the Regional Coordinating Mechanism and was the result of long deliberations. Shortly after this meeting, a team from the Secretariat undertook a one-day fact-finding mission to Grenada to evaluate the needs of PLWHA following the onslaught of Hurricane Ivan.

November signaled a marathon of changes as we began preparations for the relocation of the Secretariat's offices in Trinidad and Tobago . This was in keeping with the human and infrastructural development of the Secretariat and the mandates of our Strategic Plan.

In November, also, the Regional Coordinator and the Information/Communications Officer journeyed to St. Kitts and Nevis to join the Board and other members of the Network at the CARICOM/UK High-Level Conference on Stigma and Discrimination, “Champions for Change.”

Finally, World AIDS Day 2004 marked the launch of CRN+'s website, as well as its first Annual Report. A work in progress for some time, the website, www.crnplus.org contains information on the history of the organization, its structure, Board Members and National Networks.

In addition, one can read or download media releases, speeches and copies of our newsletter, Heartline, and find links to regional and international agencies engaged in HIV/AIDS related activities.

A truly exciting and eventful year, 2004 quietly came to a close with reflection on the changes that had occurred and anticipation for the opportunities that await us in 2005.