CRN+ - Annual Report 2006

Annual Report 2006

CRN+ 10th Anniversary Celebrations

On 28th September 2006, the Caribbean Regional Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (CRN+) marked its Tenth Anniversary. Established in 1996 with a group of 21 persons living with HIV/AIDS from fifteen Caribbean territories, CRN+ has grown into an internationally recognised and respected organisation of people living with HIV/AIDS. CRN+ held several activities to commemorate this momentous occasion. Celebrations kicked off on Thursday 28th September with a quiet Thanksgiving Service at St. Patrick's Church on Maraval Road , Port of Spain . Fr. Emmanuel Pierre officiated at the service, which was followed by a blessing of the Secretariat office and a sharing with staff, supporters and well wishers. The celebrations of the following week proved to be as enchanting as they were intense. On Sunday 1 st and Monday 2 nd October, there was a meeting of the Board of CRN+ where new interim Board members were nominated for co-option to the Board. This was followed by our Annual General Meeting on 3 rd October 2006. That evening marked the launch of the Trinidad and Tobago Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (TTN+), the newest member of CRN+. TTN+ was born out of a need to unite the community of people living with HIV/AIDS in Trinidad and Tobago . Given CRN+'s role in the formation of the Network it was only fitting that it should be launched at a time when CRN+ was celebration its own humble beginnings. The tenth year of CRN+ brought with it a change in the format of the annual capacity building workshops. This year, the workshop took the form of plenary sessions followed by consecutive working sessions, which mirrored the style of conference programming of the International AIDS Conference. The new format was well-received by partners and members alike. CRN+ extends its heartfelt gratitude to everyone who facilitated the sessions. The evening of 4 th October was a magical one. An Opening Ceremony and Cocktail Reception were held to officially mark the opening of the 10 th Annual General Meeting and Capacity Building Workshop. Held at the Ballroom of the Cascadia Hotel in Port of Spain , this event allowed old friends, partners and supporters of CRN+ to renew their acquaintance. The speeches were poignant and the entertainment scintillating. Speakers included Dr. Edward Greene of CARICOM, Dr. Gottfried Hirnschall of CAREC SPSTI, Ms. Yolanda Simon of CRN+ and the Hon. John Rahael, Minister of Health of Trinidad and Tobago, who gave the feature address. One of the very special events during the celebrations was an Awards banquet which was held under the auspices of Dr. Edward Greene. Four awards were created in memorial tribute to individuals who have made meaningful contributions to the Network through their life's work: The Dorothy Blake Award was presented to the Caribbean Epidemiology Centre (CAREC), in recognition of its excellence in, and long term commitment to, work having a direct impact on the community of people living with HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean. The Keith Andre Sobryan Award was presented to Ms. Claudette Francis, in recognition of her unwavering dedication and devotion to furthering the cause of people living with HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean.
The Godfrey Sealy Award was presented to Ms. Catherine Williams in recognition of her pioneer efforts in the fight against HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean and the Michael D. Fox Award was presented to the Health, Hope and HIV Network of Antigua and Barbuda , in recognition of its outstanding service to its national community of people living with HIV/AIDS. In addition, certificates of appreciation and 10 Year Awards were presented to thirty-six
	HHHN representative (left) receives the Michael D. Fox Award on behalf of the Network
individuals and two organisations (CAREC and UNAIDS) for their distinguished contributions to making a meaningful difference to the lives of people living with HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean region. The period 1-6 October, 2006 saw the coming together of people living with HIV/AIDS from all cultural, social and economic backgrounds to share experiences, to reflect on the past ten years of activism and advocacy and to learn ways of coping with the stigma and discrimination that they face in their own countries. It is expected events and experiences of the 10 th Anniversary celebrations have moved CRN+'s membership toward closer collaboration between regional and country level networks of people living with HIV/AIDS and establishing concrete ways of supporting each other.