Fifth Announcement

[Guest guest]

Fifth Announcement

We are pleased to announce this year's UNAIDS India World AIDS Day's event

called the `Meri Kahani': A cellphone-ka-chamatkar for sexual minorities and

people living with HIV or affected by AIDS.

We know everybody has been trying very hard to get things right but try harder.

It's tough to be short and sweet

This will be a unique event using the latest and most common known technologies

found in your cell phone. The fact that nearly everyone in India has a cell

phone is now well known. But it's also an easy a tool to communicate directly

with millions using its simple technology. All it requires is lot of gumption, a

creative script and your imagination. So read the following and get going.

This World AIDS Day event will reflect the wide diversity of the voices from

communities directly affected by HIV/AIDS and its impact on Society. It in no

way reflects any effort at trivializing or undermining the efforts of people at

risk to organize or mobilize around issues that concern them most – in survival,

in sustenance and in saving themselves during stressful times.

We at UNAIDS will maintain every effort to allow every kind of voice that raises

issues which must be heard to make for a better and more caring society. We will

keep on updating the differing opinions coming from deep within communities

which have been on the frontline of the fight against HIV.

Each entry should use his or hers mobile video recorder or its sound recorder.

Each entry is allowed to make a video or audio clip running between 45 to 60

seconds (maximum) and tell a story of

(1) Stigma or discrimination you faced e.g. when accessing health or related

services, lack of family support, etc.

(2) How you fought it/found a solution for it.

We want important landmarks in your life, innovative solutions and what society

can learn from you. We want real stories of real people. Your face and voice

will make that difference and if you actually get to come down to Delhi, get a

lovely crystal plaque given by a VIP, stay in Delhi for two full days and see

the Red Fort, Rajghat and other interesting places like Delhi Haat or Chandni

Chowk.

Your clip will make history by being part of a whole series of continuous loop

clips. These will be possibly shown on the announcement board in hundreds of

Railway Stations and even on select TV channels, on World AIDS Day on December

1, this year.

What you can do:

Sit down and write what you want to say about the difficult times you've had

since finding out about you sexuality/HIV status: Dress up well, rehearse what

you want to say and do a test run. We would like to know when you first learnt

about your

o Your Sexuality/ Or your HIV status

o The stigma and discrimination you faced in your family/community/hospital

after your coming out

o How you tried to face it to find a respectful place in society.

Speak about it clearly and with commitment, passion and poignancy.

Then upload it as an attachment on the following email address to us

In the main body of the message, you must give your name and address, your

consent to use the clip for public viewing and that you bear full responsibility

for the same. Then you email it to

Merikahaniwad@...

Send the video clip as an attachment.

There will be a panel of five judges to select 10 entries and their decision

will be final.

Each person will be allowed one entry. All entries to reach us before November

20th. 2010

So go for it and Jai Ho

Ashok Row Kavi

TO, Sexual Minorities

UNAIDS, India