My suggestion for Symposiums at 7th ICAAP

[Guest guest]

Dear Friends,

I have made the following suggestions to the secretariat of 7th ICAAP as

possible topics for symposiums in the 7th ICAAP. This is based on a

consolidation of the various ideas that I have received from many of you and

I wish to take this opportunuiity to thank you all as well. I cut and paste

my mail below. I shall post later my suggestions made for workshops and

other sessions.

Regards and Happy New Year 2003

Aditya Bondyopadhyay

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Dear Secretariat,

I ahve been in Contact with many groups and Organisations and have

solicited their views on what issues they would want to see included

in the symposia for the ICAAP. A lot of organisations have replied

beack and I have compiled a list of the topics on which a possible

symposia can be held. I am including the same for your good office:

Thank You

Aditya Bondyopadhyay

Member IAC

THe List for symposia:

1. Commumity based comprehensive care for HIV+ people within their

settings, especially in resource deficient geographies.

2. Is there a state responsibility to provide ARV and other

treatment; Seeing this also as a first world obligation and an

international human right to life issue.

3. Mainstreaming HIV/AIDS training for prevention intervention, and

Care, with National Health Policies and Projects; Not treating HIV as

something that is seperate from the mainstream health concerns.

4. Children's vulnerability and care needs.

5. Developing a crisis response to deal with the economic and social

impact of the HIV Pandemic; Case in points: HIV orphans, loss of

economic activity and production, increased pressure on national

budgets, marginalisation of communities and their oppression,

legislative change and discrimination.

6. Management of infected waste, especially in resource poor settings.

7. Legal and policy frameworks that create discrimination, increases

vulnerability, and impedes HIV Interventions. Case in points: Issues

of marital rape, laws/policies on MSM beghaviours, laws against sex

work, criminalisation of drug use, laws providing mandatoy testing,

lack of legal safeguards against discrimination, etc.

8. Role of Gender in increasing vulnerability amongst males. How

gender variant males who do not conform to strict norms of

masculinity are at greater risk in traditional settings.

9. Sex work is work, requiring due recognition, protection, and

respect.

10. Role of religious leaders in spreading the message of prevention

in traditional settings.

11. Can a policy that encourages abstainence as a prevention tool be

successful?

12. Global AIDS initiatives cannot be successful unless local

communities are involved, a non-moralistic attitude to all-

encompassing involvement and inclusion.

13. Protecting the rights of lesbian, gays, taransgenders, and

bisxual persons as a HIV prevention strategy anmongst them.

I do hope that the secretariat will consider these ideas for the

symposium in a favourable light.

Thank you

Aditya Bondyopadhyay

E-mail: <adit@...>