Guest guest Posted August 26, 2008 Report Share Posted August 26, 2008 Dear Forum Re: /message/9242 I am glad to see none other than Ashok Row Kavi refer to the debate on GIPA's as 'disgusting'. Thank you Ashok for standing up for people like my self who have long wished to join the main stream, but have stayed away only because as you high lighted " The whole issue of HIV is now becoming an industry for those who have got into it for the perks " . From day one, starting with testing to the day I finally took control of the issue my self NGO's failed me on every count. I was sitting in HIV+ chat rooms 4 days after testing positive on the net for want of basic knowledge as the NGO that had assisted in testing failed to assist me. People like my self are willing to step out and assist, but decline coming forward only because off all the bureaucratic baloney. Finally HIV + people have to take over the total outreach for positive people including its prevention and control. I still have to collect my medicine every month with my 'human rights' violated with ART centers decorated like an X'mas tree. Let NGO's raise funds but let it come to a stop there. Those funds then need to be handed out to networks run exclusively by positive people. NGO's claim they need highly skilled staff and so must offer salaries equal to other industries. So be it, I have sat in my city, hob knobbed with the local network, spoken to representatives from an International Foundation saying that we should work to peruse goals, but have failed till date to move forward. I am ex army, have worked in a senior management position for a multinational, but my failing as I know it is that I am 'clean'. Some one who will work for the cause not the money. Some one who will question, question, question, some one who will demand irrefutable results. At the end of the day it's some ones hard earned money given for a purpose. The current debate on selection of GIPA's only goes to show how shallow the position is. No chance of self asserting focused people like my self need apply because we would never be permitted to work the way we know we should. After all, what about all the experts? And then they call the post " Greater Involvement of People living with AID's " . Where is the involvement? The current scale offered is 15000/- add to it the latest Govt hike. What more can you hope to get other than an 'Anguta Chaap " , well may be Class 3. The seven figure salaries are reserved for the NGO types, the Goliaths of our field. This is my way in establishing the building blocks for my entry into the mainstream. I know there are others who feel the same way as I do. I am tired to see organizations claiming undying services provided to positive people while in reality eating off our plates. Sincerely Kumar e-mail: <kumar.captretd@...> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 27, 2008 Report Share Posted August 27, 2008 Dear FORUM, Re: /message/9203 Congratulations to Mr.Kumar, You have finally opened this debate to everyone who cares for the HIV prevention program in India. Let me clarify my position and where I come from. I am an open homosexual activist and my background is media and communications. After my coming out i discovered that was a wrong thing to do as it definately blocked my career prospects. But that was okay because i finally struggled to find freinds and a support structure to function as a community based organisation. Just for your infomration, the Humsafar Trust is one of the few community based organisation of open middle class homosexuals which has not split or had internal bickerings that had led to any violent contradictions. Even the " children' who we have expelled from here are doing very well thank you, despite them fully accepting their lack of ethics in functioning as responsible community members. The Humsafar Trust has now a positive peoples group of a little over 200 homosexuals who are HIV positive. It is called the Safe Sailors Club (SSC) and also provides to HIV+ women with assistance and urgent referral systems. We never thought GIPA would be a problem because Humsafar Trust provides a huge range of services that reach out way beyond HIV related health services. For example, trauma and sexual distress services; few NGOs seem to be providing them but we do because that affects the way homosexuals behave and function in our heteorsexual society. Health services for HIV+ employees are just ONE of the services that are necessary. I am surprised that nobody in this country thought of providing reproductive and sexual heath services for women above 55, for example. Not even our public hospitals provide services for older people (Gereatric Services) because this country only does lip service for people who really need help. In any case, there is nothing special we need to provide HIV+ people that others don't need. I am a severe diabetic who got TB twice in my life. I have hypertension and numerous other diseases. I am so frightened of handling those issues every day that I have not dared to go for HIV testing. Out of my 18 close gay friends i consider as " family " 15 have already died of AIDS and that is not because they did not have money but because they were too busy and afraid while dealing with their sexuality. So who exaclty is bothered about GIPA? We at Humsafar are simply because if we don't handle problems of sex,sexuality and gender, we cannot handle HIV, TB or any other health related issues either. The human beings I know around me are nothing but primates who do not seem to be able to consider working together to handle this issue that now confronts us all. Let me end with a little story here. We at Humsafar Trust have an in-built human resources policy that was drafted by our Board of Trustees in 2001 -- everything being equal, a new applicant for a job gets priority if he is HIV positive. We have it written in our Hhman Resources Policy in very bold letters if any of you come and see that a minimum of 20 per cent of our recruits must be HIV+. Now the joke is that our head of counseling department started laughing at me for this policy. When I asked her why she was laughing she said: " Sir, why make such lofty policies. You have now more than 20 per cent staff here who are HIV+. Only thing is that as chairman you are too bothered about this policy and your confidentiality clause because everybody here knows how many and who are HIV+ " . So wittingly or willfully, our policies for supporting our HIV+ gay brothers has led to our having nearly 50 per cent or more HIV+ staff. And it is reflecting very much on our functioning because so many are always sick or not able to report for duty. But we manage because we don't make a big thing about GIPA. Our brothers here are just as good or bad as we are because we all are special people who need help. That is what GIPA is all about. ly, I don't think we need a network or numbers of people teaching us anything special to live; we are learning to live like that every day -- and to die with dignity also in that process!!! Thank you for reading this Ashok Row Kavi e-mail: arowkavi@... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 4, 2008 Report Share Posted September 4, 2008 Dear Forum, Re: /message/9274 In 1986, one virus comes in human being and present scenario approx 2.5 million people infected through this virus in India. Previous experience to control HIV/AIDS epidemic in India support all stakeholders, civil societies, government and PLHAs network. On health, social and economical level, PLHAs and their families is the one directly affected through this HIV/AIDS epidemic. They lossed their dignity due to stigma and hope of life. PLHA run this journey under the roof of PLHA network and participation in the prevention of HIV in India. In corporate GIPA in national strategy and so many discussions for the criteria of GIPA coordinator is good sign for the right direction of the NACP-III programme. GIPA strategy should be supportive for mainstreaming HIV/AIDS issue in proper manner for reaching at grassroots level at village. Goal of GIPA " to PLHA enjoy equal rights and live with dignity and peace with other members of society " . Same vision Ashok Pillai started PLHA network movement in India with people living with HIV. We clear believe that movement never die because of understanding develop due to epidemic always create force for movement. Willingness to work for the cause always born by the dedication, this is seed of network movement because virus directly hitting our life. GIPA coordinator is the only opportunity for PLHAs for equal participation in HIV/AIDS programme in India. Thanks & warm regards, Naresh Yadav (President, UPNP+) Uttar Pradesh Mb: +91 9415324329 E-mail: labmart@... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 7, 2008 Report Share Posted September 7, 2008 Dear FORUM, Re: /message/9203 I have been working closely with sexual minorities and sexworkers health and rights issues for the past 15 years. I am HIV negative and identify myself as a bisexual/queer. It would haven been better to ask for certain skills/knowledge (reading, writing etc..) instead of graduation as a criteria for the GIPA coordinator's post. I am very confused about the other requirement i.e. not being part of any network. At the outset it looks discriminatory. And if one looks at the sorry state of affairs in PLHIV networks (particularly INP+ and their state network) this may be a better idea. This may even benefit PLHIV who are marginalized within the powerful PLHIV networks including sexual minorities, sexworkers and women. Why most of the leaders of the INP+ and their state networks are men? Why we don't see sexual minorities, sexworkers and PLHIV in these positions? When sexual minorities and sexworkers are recognized as the most at risk for HIV infections why there is very little or no space for them in the main stream PLHIV networks? Under these circumstances expecting them to address the needs of sexworker/sexual minority PLHIV is meaningless. I have heard about large scale corruption in some of the state networks. I have also heard about sexual harassment of women by their male colleagues in some of these networks. These are not just allegations but there seems to be enough proof. Again the INP+'s policy of affiliating only one state network and state networks affiliating only one district network to them is discriminatory too. What prevents INP+ and their state networks to affiliate more than one network from a state/district? When most PLHIV networks are not inclusive and are controlled by heterosexual non-sexworker men, can their members really represent the interests of all PLHIV? In Solidarity Manohar Manohar Elavarthi E-MAIL: <manoharban@...> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 8, 2008 Report Share Posted September 8, 2008 Dear FORUM, Re: /message/9339 In response to the message posted by Manohar Elarvathi on selection criteria on the post of GIPA coordinator, We from Tamilnadu Networking people with HIV/AIDS (TNNP+), a state level network affiliated to INP+ with nearly 35,000 members with MSM, TG and CSW and widows as members of our network like to provide correct inputs and information to the forum members about INP+ and its affiliated state and district level networks. We have our vision and mission, which is to improve the life of all PLHA living in INDIA. The focus of the network is to advocate, build the networks and provide access to treatment and services for anyone living with HIV/AIDS in spite of their case, colour, orientation, gender, profession etc. If you have been closely associated with INP+ and you will be able to know who our Decision making authorities have been since its inception, you will be interested to know, since we always give preference to Sexual minorities and sex workers But, since we are not particular of how the members got infected and particular about the history of any member we are not particularly in the Tags and names you give them and we we will not discriminate on any of these grounds Do you know there are many working and member of INP+ who have not disclosed themselves as sexual minorities or sex workers due to various reasons and we have to be mindful of their contribution too. INP+ is a renowned organization, and it serves many thousands of PLHA and never gives incorrect information in such forums. About your question on affiliation- We are ready for voicing our rights on behalf of PLHA all over INDIA in oneness- we are always open to any PLHA to be a member of our network- Partition of small networks when traced through history would mostly be the member of INP+. Some people out of selfish gain and selfish attitude and not transparent in governance and finance would have started another network- they are no other people but our people straying from our mother organization INP+ and not willing to abide by the governing principles at our umbrella network(our Home). We believe that the standards and protocols we have developed for strengthening the PLHA to improve their quality of life is worth and perfect. About male domination and harassment- we would like to state that the news heard is absurd and unbelievable. At INP+ and its affiliated State Level Net works (SLN) and District Level Networks (DLN) there is equal women representation in the board and decision making body and in state and district level networks there have been a significance increase in the number of Presidents who are Women Living with HIV/AIDS. You are always encouraged to learn more of INP+ from their website and their annual reports or from the decision makers in INP+ or their SLN. Please don't make generalized statement with no authentic proof. With kind regards Karunanidhi.G e-mail: <tnnpplus@...> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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