The Alliance of Youth CEOs work on HIV and Young People

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The Alliance of Youth CEOs work on HIV and Young
People

• Annual Meeting of the IATT on HIV and Young
  People
• 15 17 APRIL 2009
• Andrea Núñez Argote, World YWCA Young
  Professional for 2009

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Backgrounds

• The Alliance of Youth CEOs is made up of the
  Chief Executive Officers of the following
  Organisations
• International Award Association (The Award)
• International Federation of the Red Cross and Red
  Crescent Societies (IFRC)
• World Alliance of YMCAs (YMCA)
• World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts
  (WAGGGS)
• World Organisation of the Scout Movement (Scouts)
• World YWCA

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The Alliance

• Since 1996, the six organisations realised that
  their movements had great potential for joint
  advocacy work for and with young people.
• Currently, the Alliance, in partnership with
  UNICEF, runs a wide variety of programmes and
  initiatives to respond to youth and HIV.

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Challenging youth

• The International Award is an exciting
  self-development programme available to all 14 to
  25 year olds.
• The Programme has now spread to 126 countries.
• Over 6 million young people worldwide have taken
  up the Award challenge.
• The Award is about individual challenge, not
  about reaching specific standards set by someone
  else.
• Young people who participate in the Award
• - Discover what they are made of
• - Make an impact on their community
• - Develop a set of life skills.
• - Most of all, they have fun!

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Life skills for better living

• IFRC is a humanitarian organisation that exists
  to improve the situation of vulnerable people,
  providing assistance without discrimination and
  promoting humanitarian values.
• ICRC has been involved in the response to HIV and
  AIDS since the mid-1980s by

• - Coordinating and supporting local efforts to
  reduce the spread of infection.
• - Providing essential care to the maximum number
  of PLHIV.
• - Advocating for the availability of all needed
  drugs including antiretrovirals.
• - Carrying out youth peer education initiatives
  in schools and in the community.

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Forum for young activists

• The YMCA is a worldwide ecumenical, voluntary
  movement, for women and men, and especially young
  people.
• YMCA developed a global forum on HIV and AIDS
  with nearly 100 young people and HIV activists
  which seeks to empower youth and communities to
  work together in mobilising resources for HIV and
  AIDS programmes that are sustainable,
  community-based,
• gender-sensitive and youth-focused.
• Publications

• - HIV and AIDS The Initiative and Response of
  World YMCAs
• - Building Compassionate and Caring
  Communities YMCA Strengthening Response to HIV
  and AIDS.

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AIDS Badges for scouts

• WAGGGS provides dynamic, flexible, value-based
  non-formal education programmes, relevant to
  girls needs.
• WAGGGS focuses its response to the pandemic by
  tackling the root causes of HIV with education
  and awareness projects to help women and girls
  take control of their sexual health.
• The AIDS Badge Curriculum is a programme where
  girls earn a badge by undertaking activities on
  prevention, stigma and discrimination, care and
  support.
• Publication
• Action on AIDS Booklet

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Media, youth and HIV

• Scouts contribute to developing young peoples
  full potential to help build a better and
  peaceful world of autonomous, supportive,
  responsible and committed persons, who play a
  constructive role in society locally, nationally
  and internationally.

• Scouts respond to HIV and AIDS through peer
  education programmes, awareness campaigns and
  activities, aiming to halt and reverse the spread
  of HIV.
• Africa Scout Radio broadcasts programmes that
  educate communities on issues related to HIV and
  AIDS.

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Young women leaders

• The purpose of the World YWCA is to develop the
  leadership and collective power of women and
  girls around the world, to achieve human rights,
  health, security, dignity, freedom, justice and
  peace.
• Young women in the YWCA movement are committed to
  fulfil the World YWCA goals.

• Through leadership activities, training centres,
  sex education programmes and other work in local
  communities, YWCAs around the world have built
  self esteem for women to negotiate safer sexual
  relationships, practice acceptance and inclusion,
  and provide support for caregivers, orphans and
  people living with HIV.

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The Alliance A common approach to youth issues

• Youth involvement, youth leadership and youth
  centred initiatives and activities
• Access to full information of reproductive
  health, sexuality and HIV
• Availability of safe and positive spaces for
  youth to explore and discuss the issues (i.e.
  girls only spaces or camps, boys spaces) and
  understanding and supporting accompaniment with
  adults
• Access to treatment, counselling and other
  services for HIV positive young people
• Advocacy (visible through the YWCA, but could be
  strengthened)

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Recommendations to IATT/YP

• Continue to review the opportunity for effective
  participation of young people
• Ensure access to quality resources for youth-led
  initiatives and organisations
• Use modern technology and other means of
  communication that reaches young people
• Incorporate more youth diversity

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THANK YOU!