Re Cancellation of 7th ICAAP. Critics are being warned !

[Guest guest]

Dear Forum,

Ref: Mr. Dennis Altman's message warning the critics of the cancellation of

ICAAP to AP-Rainbow.

Dennis, this is the second time I have seen you warn people about what they

may or may not say on the net.

The internet belongs to all of us. Moderation is in the hands of the list

owners. Please do not try to be censorious because this little black duck

doesn't sit well with that kind of minder mentality.

The HIV-AIDS epidemic affects some of us more than others. The playing field is

far from level.

I have no problem with Kobe hosting the conference but they have failed to

do so and the postponement determination is just not acceptable without

exploring alternatives. I am glad that the fiolk there seem happy to

maintain some momentum, so am I. Now let me tell you what I heard about why the

Cochin offer might not have been acceptable. That there were not enough 5 or 6

star hotels to accommodate the VIP's.

It was also my understanding that the University of Kerala might have in

fact made a proposal and that it wasn't responded to. I will follow up that

rumour myself.

If a large number of representatives who are positive are in fact encouraged

at regional conferences such as ICAAP then the venues should be in places

where the greatest number can be offered places which seems to suggest using

less money on expensive accommodation and using affected countries as hosts

where the exchange rate might be more effective for donors.

I have enjoyed conferences in Universities using student accommodation and

employing students to manage defined tasks. This of course also exposes the

student community to the nature of the conference as well so it has a better

penetration in the directions where it might matter.

I agree that this conference requires a lot of work. It can also attract a

lot of willing volunteers who, with proper training, will be as effective

anywhere else in the world besides the places where this conference has been

held previously. I don't agree with Ashok R Kavi's view that Indians are

incompetent organisers. That is not my experience.

I cannot and will not remain quiet about the very necessary requirement for

satellites to form around pressing issues before the end of 2005. I have

determined that the Bangkok conference is in fact an international HIV/AIDS

conference and ICAAP is regional. Even regionally we don't engage every

participant group which is why the Pacific Island people felt the need to

hold a mini ICAAP in their region after the 6th ICAAP.

Maybe the real question is to define more clearly the purposes of ICAAP so

that agendas are not so defined by just the abstracts offered. I am

disappointed that Japan is too fearful of SARS whilst Hong Kong has just

said that all is well again. I wonder what other virus strain might be

looming by 2005.

I have an even bigger question, and that is who holds the copywrite for

ICAAP's. What is ASAP as it apears to be responsible for maturing the ICAAP

baby and how accountable is that agency to the greater involvement of

positive people and their issues? Who elects/appoints ASAP? In my thesaurus

ASAP stands for As Soon As Possible which is a rather nice title for an

Agency that could hold the keys to greater capacity building in the region,

as an example to the world.

You might note that I am posting my responses into the egroup

because that is where most of the people whose life interest is in HIV are

regular readers. AP-Rainbow is also important as a group representing same

sex attracted and transgender-intersex readers in the Asia Pacific region

but, unlike the landscape where we both come from, this group is under

represented statistically in the AIDS statistics so I think it is important

for these issues to be fully canvassed across the spectrum of stakeholders.

Now I feel more relaxed.

Geoffrey

E-mail: <gheaviside@...>