The ICAAP hopes to bring together 250 or more youth from the Asia and Pacific regions to come together as one and make their voices heard to support the fight against HIV/AIDS. It is crucial that young people voice their opinions on the changes they want to see and be advocates ensuring that it happens. In light of the theme for ICAAP 8 ‘Waves of Change, Waves of Hope’, it is evident that in order for there to be hope, Youth Need to be empowered to successfully combat this pandemic; given access to information, services, support and resources; identified and acknowledged as being key stakeholders in the fight against HIV/ AIDS; taken seriously and given the opportunity to be part of policies and decisions affecting their lives by being given the chance to express themselves and be heard!
Our main goal is to enable young people to effectively call for and carry out sustainable actions to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS among young people, while our objectives are to ensure the participation of at least 250 young people at the 8th ICAAP; Ensure the voice of youth is heard at the 8th ICAAP; Secure support from adults, policy makers and stakeholders for the decisions of youth at the 8th ICAAP.
The main activities that we hope to undertake are as follows:
The Local Youth Forum will aim to sensitize youth about the issues affecting Sri Lankan youth and prompt them to question and evaluate programmes carried out in the name of youth in the region. We hope to target 50 youth per Local Youth Forum to be held in 5 different Districts targeting 5 different vulnerable groups and these youth will be given the necessary skills to champion the cause of HIV/AIDS in their own community. Due to low prevalence in Sri Lanka, youth are unaware of the imminent danger of contracting the virus. They need to be made aware of issues relating to young people’s reproductive health to spur them into taking positive steps leading to the involvement of youth in all efforts to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS in Sri Lanka.
It is envisaged that the Local Youth Forum would feed into the Youth Pavilion, which is the third main youth activity at the congress. The experiences, opinions and needs of the marginalized youth in Sri Lanka will be reflected at the Youth Pavilion, in the form of an exhibition and briefing papers. Objectives of the Local Youth Forum are to sensitize local young people on HIV/AIDS, Build practical prevention skills & act as catalyst to initiate small-scale action plans on HIV/AIDS. The Final Convention would see the participation of young people of diverse backgrounds such as young people in the estate sector; the Katunayake Free Trade Zone and youth displaced by conflict and by the Tsunami.
Asia Pacific Regional Youth Forum: Youth are an integral part of the fight against HIV/AIDS as they are the most infected and affected by it. The main aims of the Youth Forum scheduled for August 18th are to equip and enable young people to effectively navigate and actively participate in all Congress activities while ensuring their voices are heard. It will provide technical information as well as capacity building in Political, Scientific, Economic and Social contexts. It will also be a platform for Youth to highlight Youth specific issues to be lobbied for at the Main Conference and to look at how participants can work towards achieving that goal.
This is a one-day event comprising of 6 sessions and 3 workshops. Registration for these sessions will commence online from June 2007 and will be on a first come first served basis. Sessions include PLWHA and their Rights, LGBTI and sex workers, Gender: Women, children and their fight against HIV/AIDS, Violence against Women, Socio-Economic and Cultural Barriers, Policy and how to advocate for change, Stigma and Discrimination, HIV 101. Workshops include Networking and use of Information Communication Technology (ICT), Effective Peer Education, Lobbying and Networking within the Conference and beyond.
The Youth Pavilion is an interactive youthful space, ideal for young people to review, day by day, the Congress and past declarations in keeping with what they wish to see in future. It is envisaged the youth will use this space to share their experiences and efforts in their respective countries in dealing with issues of HIV/AIDS. Youth speakers or those who submit abstracts will have the opportunity to share them at the Youth Pavilion and voice their opinions. We will provide opportunities for registered youth to electronically submit applications if they wish to share their experiences and work. An ‘exhibition space’ will be available to display past and present achievements of youth from Asia and the Pacific, particularly in combating the epidemic. This will be particularly for those who were unable to secure a place in the Congress poster presentation. While being an excellent opportunity to secure support from adults and donors, this will be an enriching learning experience for all members of the public attending the Congress.
Our Objectives are to Provide space for the voice of youth to be heard; Encourage sharing of experiences and networking among youth and adults; To put youth in touch with donors and policy makers; Introduce new and innovative ways in combating the spread of HIV/AIDS in the region; Highlight issues facing young women and girls living in the region; Encourage adults to support the voice of youth.
The sessions will include: What is the world doing about HIV/AIDS & the role of young people, Youth Creativity, Street Theatre, ICT Tools & Regional Collaboration, Gender Vulnerability, HIV Prevention & Corporate Responsibility, Innovative ways of peer education, HIV/ AIDS Status in Sri Lanka, What’s happening in Asia?, Closer look at the Pacific, Working around Stigma & Discrimination, My sexual rights & the rights of a Positive person, Young People Living with HIV/ AIDS, vaccines & new preventive technologies, Understanding science and HIV/ AIDS prevention & treatment, Innovative initiatives for young people within the region addressing root causes of the spread of HIV/AIDS
For more information on the youth forum, contact the youth coordinator on, youth@icaap8.lk and the ICAAP8 Online discussion forum can be accessed at:
http://www.hostmybb.com/phpbb/icaap8yf.html
