The destination was Toronto , Canada ; the mission: to “make waves” and showcase CRN+ as the “authentic voice of people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean ” at the XVI International AIDS Conference, which was held at the Metro Toronto Conference Centre from 13 th to 18 th August 2006. Discussions on CRN+'s participation started in 2005. For the first time ever, CRN+ would sponsor a delegation of some30 Network staff and members to participate in an International Conference. This would take some effort as CRN+ did not have the funds for such an endeavour.
In early 2006, Yolanda Simon, CEO, and Carol Williams-Mitchell, Deputy CEO, embarked on a resource mobilisation drive to secure the requisite resources for the mission. Securing airfare, accommodation and living expenses for 30 persons, as well as finances to cover a mini-satellite symposium and CRN+ exhibition space was no easy task. Yet, after discussions with the Ford Foundation, the World Bank, the Caribbean Epidemiology Centre (CAREC), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the International HIV/AIDS Alliance (IHAA), the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC), UNAIDS and the Constella Futures Group, the Pan Caribbean Partnership Against HIV/AIDS and the Global Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS, CRN+ was able to mobilise the financial, technical, human and material resources it needed to realise this mission. In fact, CRN+ succeeded in sponsoring a contingent of 28 persons from 16 territories: Antigua, Aruba , Bahamas , Cuba , Dominica , Dominican Republic , Grenada , Guyana , Haiti , Jamaica , Saba, St. Kitts , St. Lucia , St. Maarten , Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago . Another 28 members and staff received support to attend the Conference through International AIDS Conference Scholarships and their National AIDS Programmes.
Briefing meetings with CRN+ delegates were held prior to the Conference to inform participants of administrative arrangements and identify both mandatory and important sessions that should be covered by participants. By the end of the meetings, delegates had volunteered to cover key information and skills building sessions scheduled for the first two days of the Conference. Sessions began on Monday 14 th August 2006 and concluded on Friday 18 th August 2006. CRN+ representatives attended myriad sessions on every aspect of the HIV virus: plenary sessions on epidemiology, advancing treatment and universal access, taking stock of current challenges in the Global Response and GIPA, as well as attending skills-building sessions on the development of proposals to the Global Fund and managing implementation challenges in the Global Fund Grants.
CRN+ participation was not, however, limited to attendance at meetings and skills-building sessions. Two abstracts (out of four submitted) originating from the CRN+ Secretariat were accepted for poster presentation: “Growth of the Caribbean Regional Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS" and “Overcoming Stigma and Discrimination against PLWHA in the Caribbean .” Moreover, CRN+ promotional materials were displayed at the PANCAP and GNP+ booths in the Exhibitions area and at the GNP+ booth in the Global Village. |
and Support; Reduction of Stigma and Discrimination and the Greater and Meaningful Involvement of People Living with HIV/AIDS – GIPA) were presented by a panel of distinguished speakers including Dr. Edward Greene, Assistant Secretary-General for Human and Social Development of CARICOM, Dr. Jacob Gayle, Deputy Vice-President, The Ford Foundation and Dr. Bilali Camara of PAHO. The feature speaker was Dr. Farley Cleghorn of the Futures Group who discussed the relevance of initiating the move towards a Regional Advocacy Agenda. The Symposium was so well attended that there was standing room only, thanks to advance circulation of invitations and direct promotion at the conference venue on the day itself. At the end of the symposium it was very clear that CRN+ had struck a chord especially amongst the membership. It was also blatantly clear that CRN+ knows and has clearly articulated its priorities and areas of focus.
What did we learn from our visit to Toronto and our participation in the XVI International AIDS Conference? Certainly, that our efforts to keep the Caribbean and CRN+, in particular, on the World Stage will require even more energy on our part as donor agencies move their attention away from our region to focus on Africa, Asia and the newly-emerged eastern European countries. That although we come from different backgrounds and different cultures, when it comes to HIV there is very little that keeps us apart. That solidarity and our personal and individual commitment to keeping the fight alive are the way to ensuring that our respective governments keep their promise to us. We all have a personal stake in the struggle against HIV.
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