Re: Positive Network Board members' HIV status

[Guest guest]

Dear FORUM,

Re: /message/9556

Congratulation Umashanker for being vocal and open about your status.

But it is non of the business of president or head of the positive

network to convince the Board members to make their status open.

Kachchh Network of Positive People (KNP+)should have been made it

clear criteria that only positive speaker and only those who are open

about their HIV status can file nomination for election of Board

Members.

Only one thing you can do is call an emergency meeting of Board

Members, keep agenda, add some Executive Board Member who are vocal

positive speakers and open about their HIV status. This is how you

can have new executive board members who are open about their HIV

status.

In Solidarity

Francis De Melo

Love Life Society

President

e-mail: <francisdmello64@...>

[Guest guest]

Dear Umashaker and the FORUM,

Re: /message/9556

In the PLWHA in Australia the Board decided to have a class

of full membership open only to people who produced evidence that

they were positive. This information remains of course confidential

to the Board of Management at the time that the membership is

accepted.

After that time they are classed as full members and are

the only members who can vote and be elected to governance positions.

They do have quite a number of people who want to actively support

the work of of the PLWHA and we have established a class of

Associate members.

Many of these include the parents, relatives and friends of those who are living

with the virus. They don't have voting rights but they can be co-opted to serve

on Committees and other delegated positions.

The basis of determining the status of the potential member for full

membership is a countersignature on the application form signed by

the appplicant member's treating doctor and all memberships are

ratified as they are received by the full board members as an item

of business on each meeting agenda.

Of course the information is kept confidential to the Board members.

Perhaps such a constitutional amendment may assist your group to

ensure that only those members living with the Virus get to be

elected and make decisions for the KNP+ association.

Best wishes in your endeavours.

I hope to be free to visit India again in the new year when my source of

retirement income becomes portable and hope you can stay in touch if there is

any way I can help.

Geoff Heaviside

Brimbank Community Initiatives Inc

Melbourne Australia

E-MAIL: <geofheav@...>