Amazing, amazing, amazing

Amazing Amazing amazing….this conference has given me, and I imagine a lot of people here, creative and innovative strategies on how to tackle Human Rights violations in relation to HIV. I think the quote that will stick with me today, came from Susan Timberlake, UNAIDS lead on Human Rights, where she called for four pillars instead of three to tackle HIV “prevention, treatment, care and discrimination.” Every presentation that I have attended and participated in has mentioned stigma and discrimination which underscores her point. I have heard amazing strategies from people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), legal advocates, service providers and many others on how to monitor and document HIV related Human Rights violations (legal aid clinics in India, PLWHA monitoring and documenting Human rights violations in the Ukraine, and Jamaican MSM working with international NGOs, domestic human rights NGOs to tackle and document homophobic violence). Strategies I hope we can adopt and include in our advocacy efforts to repeal the UK’s policy to deport people living with HIV/AIDS on treatment to countries where treatment is not readily available.

Otherwise I don’t think I have ever been this busy at a conference; I have had 3 presentations and two abstracts and busy writing summaries for Track E (Human Rights) sessions for the AIDS 2008, but I have been made to feel very welcome by the conference organisers and the Mexican people. The photo below is of activists from Housing Works, a black led CBO, highlighting the housing needs of people living with HIV/AIDS

More later………….

Rhon