HIV/AIDS and the Arts Workshop (Kolkata)

[Guest guest]

Dear Mallika and All,

[This message is in reponse to the posting from Mallika Jalan, Kolkata about the

proposed USIS Workshop on " Arts and HIV/AIDS communication].

Hello and I would be grateful if this information could be posted to me as well,

because I have an international arts coalition called ActALIVE whose members use

the arts to address HIV/AIDS, and we have Indian members! I am at

kaippg@.... This is an excellent and exciting piece of news, and I

have heard recently from a Kenyan rep of the People's Health Movement that he

met a number of Indian and Asian groups using the arts in this manner when he

attended the World Social Forum in Mumbai recently.

I have cc'd my own coalition members and others whose info I have gathered. Here

is some which should be helpful, and I'd love it if you and all would be in

touch! Many thanks and yours in dramatic dreams on creative themes, Janet

Feldman, http://www.actalive.org

1) India Institute of Young Aspirers

Contact: iiyi@... (Manish Kumar)

http://www.iiyi.org

2) Dorcas Research Center for Education, Art, and Culture

Contact: AISWARYA_RAO@... (Dr. Aiswarya Rajyalaxmi)

3) Niraj Sanghai/Ideas Unlimited

Contact: sanghainiraj@... (Niraj Sanghai)

http://www.rangbahar.com

4) INSA-India (they don't have a website, but here's an article about their

work with games, stories, and music to address HIV/AIDS in rural areas)

Contact: insaind@... ( Pereira)

http://www.comminit.com/pdskdv112003/sld-9114.html

5) Blossom Trust ( " EduClowns " )

Contact: blossomtrust@...

http://www.kit.nl/specials/html/td_theater_groups.asp (this is the website for

the Royal Tropical Institute in the Netherlands, and they have a number of

terrific theater-for-development listings here)

6) Gram Bharati Samiti

Contact:gbsbsk@... (Bhawani Shanker Kusum)

7) Ramchandra (a filmmaker)

Contact: sonk@...

8) World Social Forum (they might have some contacts)

contact: majlis@...

http://www.wsfindia.org

9) Freedom Foundation

contact: freedom@... (Ashok Rau)

http://www.freedomfoundation.org

10) Catholic Relief Services

contact: drashok@... (Dr. Ashok Agarwal)

11) Chennai Film Industry

contact: aabinand@... (Shyamala Ashok)

12) UNDP Asia/Pacific

contact: pramod.kumar@...

http://www.youandaids.org (a great article from November 24, 2003 about Indian

painters beginning an HIV/AIDS campaign)

13) Krosswindz (a music group which just played during One World Beat 2004 in

Kolkata) contact: tukiguitarman@...

(Vikramjit Banerjee)

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/8/krosswindz.htm

Janet Feldman

kaippg@...

Why Wait? Move to EarthLink.

[Guest guest]

Dear All,

Greetings from Point of View.

In response to the workshop on " Arts and HIV/AIDS communication " following is a

brief overview of our work.

Point of View aims to promote the points of view of women through a sustained

and creative uses of media, art and culture.

We use a dual strategy in our work: a broad strategy of promoting the overall

concept of women's rights.Our first program launched in 1997 was a national

photo exhibit exploring the concept of independence from the point of view of

women (In Black And White). More recently we organized India's first

international women's film festival (Made By Women) to showcase the talent and

vision of women filmmakers. (www.madebywomen.org). These are two examples of our

initiatives.

We also work on programs that are issue-specific, with a focus on marginalized

or second-generation issues. One such program has been our media initiative on

HIV/AIDS.

· Positively Women: The initiative has two components: a public service spot and

a booklet documenting the experiences of women and men living with HIV.

Few women have the social space or sanction to develop a sense of self - an 'I'.

But a lack of self usually means that women are unlikely to take cognizance of

'themselves' at risk. Protecting the husband, of course. The daughter, yes. But

protecting the self is just not a concern, let alone a priority. Feeling safe -

an ad campaign to persuade married women to protect themselves from HIV.

XX/XY - a booklet highlighting the voices of twelve women and two men living

with HIV. These voices tell us how HIV affects women and men on a day-to-day

basis - in their daily lives, in their closest relationships, in their family

interactions and in the life choices they make.

You could contact us at pointofview@... (Bishakha Datta, Program Director)

Our website www.pointofview.org is currently being revamped.

Cheers,

Bipasha

Point of View, Mumbai

E-mail: pointofview@...