HIV and AIDS Reflection
by Rassel Chisango

It is my pleasure once more to share my thoughts on this crucial topic, HIV and AIDS, with all of you amazing and youth, youth workers and young professionals across the globe.

I wanted to use this article as an opportunity for us to reflect on the World AIDS Day (December 1) theme: "Stop AIDS - Keep the Promise".

I recently attended the Voluntary Services Overseas - Regional AIDS Initiative of Southern Africa (VSO-RAISA) Conference on Stigma and Discrimination, in Pretoria, SA. There, VSO-RAISA advisory board member Professor Kelly noted that mankind seems to be getting used to living with HIV and AIDS devastations. As an example he sighted the ever-increasing number of Youth headed households.

The Professor also discussed "otherisation", a feature of AIDS-related stigma and discrimination, which is the strong tendency to regard HIV and AIDS as problems belonging to someone and somewhere else. For instance the north might "ease" in their response to HIV and AIDS viewing it as a problem of the south, as it is the hardest hit region in the world.

With such sentiments in mind let's ask ourselves where are we as individual beings or youth for youth associations; Where are our friends, our families, our companies, our governments, our networks,our "purely" development oriented NGOs, in the fight against HIV and
AIDS that has been going on for more than two decades?

Do we have any contributions, however small, that we are making? That is if we ever promised to do something. If there is, how are we fairing? Are we genuine activists or advocates, or are we mere gold-diggers and fake development zealots plundering HIV and AIDS resources at the expense of the infected and affected? The latter is the type that is motivated to occupy crucial decision-making positions by things other than the passion to deliver with no clue what it means when it is said that HIV and AIDS is a Global Crisis,an unprecedented developmental challenge!

Surely that's not what we promised when we got on to the HIV and AIDS battlefield - however if that has been the issue we can all start again. Lets re-orientate our minds this year-end and make life-saving resolutions to deliver effectively or, better still, to pave the way for others.

I've heard some uninformed policy makers at conferences, meetings,camps, launches, wrap-ups, workshops etc, grumbling and mewing over the under-utilisation of HIV and AIDS resources!

Funny, isn't it? I hear some youth, who have an action and results oriented roll out program for HIV and AIDS prevention and mitigation hovering around their heads, trying to find where these resources are lying idle so they can put their ideas into action as well. However,
what our dear policy-makers fail to realise is that it is "one thing to fend for a family and another to feed a family".

I agree HIV and AIDS resources might be there in some constituencies,but what procedures and steps need to be taken for instance by youth AIDS service organisations whom we always hear at the end of most of the prevention programs as having been the backbone for success in such initiatives.

As IYPHAN we make our World AIDS Day promise to stand-up and advocate for investment in and nurturing of youth talent, creating an enabling environment for effective youth participation and sustainable use of HIV and AIDS resources. This is in addition to the already mentioned IYPHAN vision, mission and objectives, which you can find at http://projects.takingitglobal.org/YP-HIV-AIDS.
Please join us if you subscribe to these goals. Together we are invincible!

As you join IYPHAN and make your promise this World AIDS Day,remember that "the challenges are immense but by no means insurmountable, where there is a will there is a way and that tough times never last but tough people do!"

Compliments of the Season, Merry Christmas and a prosperous '06.
Rassel is the coordinator of the International Young Professionals HIV&AIDS Network (IYPHAN) and can be contacted on rasselchisango@iypf.org
This article is taken from the IYPF's November / December 2005 Newsletter. To subscribe go to www.iypf.org and sign up through the subscription box.