There’s nothing that can’t be done if we raise our voice as one!

On behalf of the National Youth Coalition of Sri Lanka on Sexual & Reproductive Health and its affiliated organizations it’s with great pleasure that, we invite you and your respective organization to be a part of the International Candlelight Memorial Event 2010 to be held at the Galle Face Green on Sunday, May 23rd.

In an effort to raise the bar on Sri Lanka’s response to HIV & AIDS, a group of local organizations,  actively work in the field of HIV & AIDS, Sexuality and Sexual Reproductive Rights (SRH) have come together to form one collective voice! This coalition who have adopted the slogan ‘Together We Are the Solution’ as their mantra, believes in consistent and clear messages in terms of advocacy and awareness on HIV & AIDS, Sexuality and SRH.

Whilst Sri Lanka remains “a low prevalence” country HIV & AIDS infections are on the rise, 137 new infections were reported in 2009. Moreover, if we are to learn the lessons from other South Asian nations like India, a country that has a “low prevalence” of HIV should strive to remain a “low prevalence” country. Awareness, education and advocacy are needed now!

The HIV & AIDS response thus far in Sri Lanka has been focused mainly on most at risk populations (MARPS) e.g. Commercial sex workers, Intravenous Drug users, trishaw drivers, beach boys, etc. however the coalition believes that all populations matter, especially the youth, if we are to arrest the spread of HIV in our country. The marginalization of MARPS, the stigma and discrimination of people living with HIV (PLHIV) results from the silence and ignorance that surrounds issues related to HIV, sex and sexuality.

The coalition wants to go beyond isolated workshops, events that spring up around World AIDS Day, and seeks to challenge the young people and not so young people of our country to LEARN MORE! STAND UP! & SPEAK OUT! To remove the culture of silence and fear that surrounds HIV, sex and sexuality and to move towards and equitable society for all.

With the technical and financial support from FPA Sri Lanka and Standard Chartered Bank in Sri Lanka, Together We Are The Solution is to have its program at the Galle Face Green on the 23^rd of May 2010.

A team of volunteers from across the island will be trained in handling the event and activities, as Together We Are the Solution believes in clear and consistent messaging in their education and awareness programmes. Volunteers will first be trained in Colombo at the FPA Sri Lanka, 37/27, Bullers Lane, Colombo 07 on the 23rd May. The programme at the Galle Face Green will commence at 3.00 p.m. on the 23^rd May culminating with the candlelight memorial at 7.30 p.m. in order to commemorate the people who lost their lives due to HIV and AIDS and was stigmatized as a result of their HIV status.

read the complete press release here

the NYC highly condemn the act of Castle Hospital for Women in Colombo

The National Youth Coalition (NYC) of Sri Lanka on Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights and all the affiliated organizations of the coalition highly condemn the act of the Castle Hospital for Women in Colombo for the unfair and inhuman treatment meted out to the HIV positive person by hospital staff on 19th April 2010.

Issuing a Media/ Press release the NYC also states that, they are greatly shocked and regret this act of the hospital staff and would like to emphasize the fact that, more than anything this act has highlighted the manner a young person being refused access to health care and treatment reflects the future generation of this country being at risk. “Youth are not only the future of this country, but today’s citizens”.

You can download the original state ment here

Youth Statement at the Minister’s Meeting at the 9th ICAAP in Bali

Youth Forum Statement at CSE session with Ministries of Health & Education and UNFPA

In the last two days, over 150 young people ranged from 17 to 35 years, representing over 20 countries, came together in solidarity. The youth group at the second largest AIDS forum in the world, the 9th ICAAP, drafted a collective commitment to increase young people’s stake in programmes and policy processes that impact their lives and their rights.

As youth from Brunei, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Japan, China, Philippines, Brazil, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Nepal, Burma, Malaysia, Samoa, Lao, Papua New Guinea and South Korea, this commitment we make, is deeply personal. It is to achieve meaningful youth participation by developing strong adult peer partnerships, increase funding and capacity building for youth led and youth serving initiatives, mainstream human rights in the HIV and AIDS response for all young people, recognize and affirm young people’s sexual reproductive health and rights and eliminate stigma and discrimination amongst young people. And one wonders, what exactly does that mean? As a 24 year old who has been part of this incredibly diverse forum, there is a question that repeatedly comes up in all of our communities. Young people ask about it, in confusion. Parents ask about it, worried. Teachers and Schools wonder what to do with it, communities discuss it, in secret and our governments are still grappling with developing a comprehensive framework to implement it.

Why is sexuality so problematic?

Why as society, are we so scared to address any kind of sexuality education or rights cohesively? What stops us from giving young people complete rather than half baked information that is critical and life saving and that can protect them from disease, empowers them to be informed individuals and that teach them to be respectful to their own needs and desires and to be respectful towards the rights of others as well?

Why is there in all of our countries, this huge gap between what’s happening in our lives and how empowered young people are, to be able to address these issues within their own societies?

Sexuality Education is about young people’s right to know. The arguments based on cohesive Sexuality Education being against our cultural and moral values are invalid and do not justify denying young people the information and skills they need and are entitled to. Exhaustive research studies show that implementing comprehensive sexuality education does not lead to an increase in early sexual activity. Majority of the awareness work we do around the prevention of HIV and AIDS isn’t nearly half as effective as it should have been, because there is this underlying silence that no one will address. And as governments, as leaders, you cannot look away from the fact that young people are contracting HIV every day because they do not have the knowledge and tools to protect themselves. When you take the so called ‘safer route’ and substitute conversations about recognizing multiple sexuality and gender identities, staying healthy and protecting oneself from STI’s and feeling comfortable with one’s own body with conversations instead, about promoting self control and abstinence, you destroy any open space or possibility for conversation between young people and their families and communities.

No religion or society in the world, wants its young people to contract STDs, wants its young women to die in early childbirth or see violating inequalities between men and women. Comprehensive Sexuality Education is a framework that addresses each of these issues. It is not just about how to have sex, but rather about good quality school based sexuality, relationship and HIV education that increases the age of sexual debut and has positive effects on the risk of STIs and unintended pregnancies and attitudes towards people living with HIV.

It is also not automatically covered under the ambit of Reproductive Heath. When we replace curriculums on sexuality education and call them population control, family and life planning, health education, we need to ensure that we are still addressing sexuality as a basic component of human nature, that needs to be integrated in a larger framework of human rights. Young people from Asia and the Pacific commonly identified various gaps and highlighted best practices present in how comprehensive sexuality education was being addressed in their country, some of which I’m sharing with you today:

• Many young people at this forum have highlighted the problems faced with having decentralized governments. There needs to be a standardized approach taken to implement comprehensive sexuality education. Central governments need to be able to dialogue clearer with state governments or provinces, to lobby for a standardized, comprehensive approach that is made accessible not just in government schools, but to out of school youth and those in private and faith based institutions as well.

• We believe that the approaches the ministry of education and ministry of health in each country implement could be aligned to ensure a more effective outcome, making schools a safe space for such conversation.

• We also believe that UN organizations in each country can play a key role in ensuring that this happens, because they have access to spaces of influence with governments that as young people, we do not.

• The importance and need of explaining to young people, condom use as well as negotiating the same was flagged as critical. Young people from Malaysia and India specifically felt that this was lacking in the approach that their governments implemented.

• Youth from Pakistan, Malaysia, Papua New Gunea, Indonesia, Burma, Bangladesh and India felt strongly that comprehensive sexuality education is only effective if the form by which it is taught is without shame or embarrassment and that currently in their countries, a larger focus needs to be made on implementing peer education services, as this makes the information contextualization easier and more age appropriate.

• They also felt strongly that teachers implementing curriculums need to be trained. The Brazilian Government partnership with civil society organizations who have the capacity and infrastructure to be able to do this was a best practice highlighted. We believe that civil society organizations and peer education has greater potential to be able to correctly implement community specific comprehensive sexuality education and partnerships should be encouraged by governments in Asia and the Pacific. Young people from China and Japan endorsed the need for this strongly.

• Young People from Pakistan feel that the lack of a specific curriculum in sexuality education in Pakistan has led to limited information being made accessible in certain provinces of the country. A study by a recent NGO in the country revealed that sex education being conducted was not age appropriate, it was only in class 12 that many male students are taught anatomy and that often, frogs reproductive systems are used to explain human biology and sexuality.

• A greater effort needs to be made to dialogue with the positive power of faith and religion, as most young people pointed out those, religious texts such as the Holy Quran have clear passages that advocate for recognizing women’s rights as well as reproductive health. However, it is often in the interpretation of these texts and a lack of community understanding on interpreting religious beliefs that biases step in. In Bangladesh, Imams are trained and in Brunei, Christian priests have now been trained to address the HIV response.

• Many young people feel that counseling and testing services are not comprehensive in their countries, services are not affordable and healthcare professionals are judgmental and stigmatize often the services they are offering. In Papa New Guniea, youth pointed out that there is an understanding of the approach that needs to be taken, but simply a lack in implementing youth friendly services and an educational curriculum.

• Youth from Indonesia pointed out that comprehensive sexuality education is seen as an extracurricular activity and is not compulsory learning. We strongly feel that comprehensive sexuality education should be made age appropriate and mandatory for all young people.

• Moreover we are absolutely sure, that a pure abstinence based approach does not work, as it discourages, embarrasses and stigmatizes young people from asking honest, open and relevant questions. A sex positive approach that mainstreams sexuality as part of human rights to HIV is needed. The recent move by US President Obama to advocate for age appropriate comprehensive Youth Forum Statement at CSE session with Ministries of Health & Education and UNFPA. Sexuality education and replace abstinence only education is testament to this. Youth from Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Pakistan, Samoa and South Korea felt that this was a critical factor and were unable to communicate the same to their governments effectively.

• Youth from India highlighted the need to involve young people in reviewing and developing effective models to implement comprehensive sexuality education curricula. We also feel that young people are aware of the cultural sensitivities in their countries and are at times, better placed to develop approaches that are comprehensive yet practical and sensitive to the needs of the community that they will be used in.

It was clear that all 150 young people feel that in each of their countries, there needs to be a significant increase in recognizing diverse gender and sexual identities and addressing gender equity, both in their respective country’s legal and societal frameworks. We believe that you can pretend that an issue doesn’t exist in society and refuse to address it, but if you overlook entire communities of people and their fundamental right to express their own identity, you will only fuel anger. Governments weaken themselves when they do this and they are less respected by their own citizens. As youth, we need to see an increase of positive role models in governments.

Sexuality Education is guided by the principle, that by empowering young people and giving them safe spaces in society where they can ask questions, you are investing in develop a very critical human resource that builds the future and promise of any country. And to our minds, that’s exactly why we are we need to support implementing CSE. We believe these issues are key to empowering young people to protect themselves and that if you give young people their right to information, skills and services and that if you trust rather than judge who you think they are, young people can negotiate high-risk situations more effectively and reduce their vulnerability to a range of issues, specifically, violence, HIV and substance abuse.

We have been working for the past 5 months, through E consultations, skill building sessions, advocacy training to now at ICAAP, developing a special youth corner that hosts an adult and young people commitment desk. This commitment desk is testament to the fact that as young people, we will hold you, leaders, decision makers and governments, accountable to working with us. We hope you will raise the bar by making a commitment that highlights how our governments and ministries believe in investing in young people’s future and their rights and showcase best practices in how we can work together.

A comprehensive sexuality education framework has many benefits. It improves maternal health, integrating HIV and STI prevention, reducing unwanted pregnancies and unsafe abortions, encourages democracy through building critical thinking skills and promotes gender equality by empowering young people and involving young men and boys. Our call to you is to redefine the possibility and potential of how we see and work with young people in our societies.

A participative, affordable, youth friendly, well-implemented comprehensive sexuality education framework is no longer a luxury, but a necessity. In this century, with poverty, HIV, climate change and global recession becoming a deadly reality, you cannot walk away. It is unforgivable, inexcusable and inhumane. As decision makers and political leaders, we need you to choose people over politics and development over silence.

As the youth forum from ICAAP, we believe in the positive power of what young people and decision makers can do, if they work together. We hope we can count on you, in the most meaningful way possible, to lead the change we need to see.

click here for the PDF version of this document

“Empowering People, Strengthening Networks” — 9th ICAAP opens

The President of the Republic of Indonesia, H.E. Hj. Dr Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has officially opened the 9th International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific (ICAAP), which this year takes place in Bali, Indonesia from 9-13 August under the theme “Empowering people, strengthening networks”.

At the opening ceremony, Mr JVR Prasada Rao, Director, UNAIDS Regional Support Team, Asia and the Pacific, has delivered a speech on behalf of UNAIDS Executive Director, Mr Michel Sidibé calling for the establishment of enabling environments and supportive social norms necessary to deliver a future generation free of HIV.

The Congress has drawn thousands of people together for five days of discussion around the AIDS response in the Pacific and across Asia. Together they will discuss a wide range of issues and contexts for the AIDS epidemic in these regions including mobility and migration, injecting drug use, human rights as well as gender.

According to Mr Rao “There will be evidence-based discussion on whether Universal Access can be an achievable goal by 2010 for many countries in Asia and the Pacific. Every facet of the epidemic and the region’s responses are featured in the wide array of session and activities.”

Mr Rao continued, “What is really impressive is that the conference will showcase the immense progress made by community groups, working together and in partnership with government and other partners, in spearheading the response in many countries in the Asia Pacific region.”

Congress Programme

The event, which takes place every two years, is broad in scope as it includes 24 symposia, 32 skills-building workshops, and 75 satellite meetings. Some 349 abstracts have been accepted by the programme committee for 64 sessions of oral presentations, and 1932 abstracts accepted for poster presentations. The other main goals of the event are to empower individuals and strengthen networks in the regions to effectively respond to AIDS.

Young people and women

The Bali Youth Force (BYF), a coalition of youth networks and organizations that has collective representation in all Asia & Pacific countries, encouraged significant youth participation in the 9th ICAAP.

UNAIDS Secretariat and its Cosponsors will participate and lead a wide number of events including the launch of a new report, HIV Transmission in Intimate Partner Relationships in Asia, that highlights the increased risk of HIV infection by women engaged in long-term relationships.

HIV epidemic in Asia and Pacific

According to the Independent Commission on AIDS in Asia (2008), AIDS remains the most likely cause of death and loss of work days among people aged 15 to 44.

An estimated 5 million people in Asia were living with HIV in 2007 according to 2008 report on the global AIDS epidemic. The several modes of HIV transmission present in the region, via sex work, injecting drug use, and unprotected sex between men; make Asia’s epidemic one of the most diverse in the world. The Pacific region’s epidemics are relatively small with an estimated 74 000 people living with HIV across Oceania in 2007.

Sex Ed. Is a MUST! Not just a fuss!

I just returned to Sri Lanka having spent 2 years volunteering at the Thai chapter of the world’s largest youth leadership organization. During this time I was also coordinating a HIV and AIDS awareness program targeting university and high school students in Thailand.

Thailand is well known for sex tourism also has a vibrant MSM (Men who have Sex with Men) community and significant number of injecting drug users. These are the most vulnerable groups among which HIV and AIDS prevalence is at its highest and known as the high risk groups.

Though my work didn’t directly involve dealing with these most vulnerable groups, it did help me to understand the importance of comprehensive education on sexual health at all levels of the system. Let me share with you few examples that highlight this fact.

Once when conducting an awareness raising workshop at a high school for kids approximately 15 years in age, I invited two students to volunteer to show how a condom should be worn using a dildo.  One of them suggested that how to do it was to first unroll the whole condom and then to push it down the dildo.  I couldn’t help but react with a big ‘OUCH’ at the thought.

Later on, I received an international volunteer from Sri Lanka to help run the program in Thailand and at the age of 24 a fresh graduate from University he did not know how to put on a condom properly never mind being able to educate others.

Both these people represent the educated middle to upper middle class considered at low-risk when it comes to dangers such as HIV and AIDS.  But yet they also haven’t received proper education on sexual health and associated topics.  Isn’t that something everyone has to deal with? Isn’t it part of basic education to be given?

Thinking back actually, I myself haven’t received formal education related to topics on sexual health and might be naïve as them if I had not received training on these topics during my years as a volunteer.  In fact I remember that our health studies teacher being a lady did not want to cover even the basics for all-boys class and instead just sent the notes to be read out to the class by a student.  May be things have improved since then? May be not?

Sexuality is especially a big change for a teenager and they should receive education how to handle these changes in their lives and the risks associated. It’s about time to give importance to this topic and make it part of the formal education system rather than just letting high school gossip be the means of education.

To make this happen we need to be innovative in how we bring up topics that are cultural taboos even in modern day society. Use of delivery tools such as games, drama, simulations, multimedia, etc. can play a big support for educators.  Personally, I believe that peer educators who as youth with the correct knowledge and delivery skills can be a very effective means of reaching out to the youth on these topics.

Let’s move forward to ensure that each teenager receives education on sexual health and rights that they are entitled to by calling for comprehensive sex education at schools nationwide. Sex Ed. Is definitely a MUST, not just a fuss!

–          Suchith Abeywickrame

Formally the President of AIESEC in Sri Lanka, Suchith Abeywickrame was almost a graduate of the University of Moratuwa. Suchith volunteered his time, giving leadership to AIESEC at different levels locally and internationally. He was in Thailand during the last two years mentoring the young adults to take up leadership to strive for a better world.

The Sex-reality Workshop for Young People

As a part of COLOMBO PRIDE 2009 organized by EQUAL GROUND in collaboration with the National Youth Coalition on Sexual Reproductive Rights, we are organizing a workshop on “The Sex-reality” on the 4th of July 2009, from 9.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m. at Equal Grounds.

For reservations or more information please feel free to contact:

Milinda Rajapaksha (National Youth Coalition) on 077253307

Nigel de Silva (EQUAL GROUND) on 011-5679766

Or

Email Milinda: milinda.rajapaksha@gmail.com

For more information about the Colombo Pride see the EQUAL GROUND website

THINK WISE

THINK WISE champion and Sri Lanka captain, Kumar Sangakkara, talking to youngsters at a love Life project, South Africa, about HIV and AIDS awareness.

Sri Lanka cricket captain Kumar Sangakkara, along with Virender Sehwag of India, South Africa’s skipper Graeme Smith, Australia’s Nathan Bracken and Isa Guha, a member of this year’s ICC Women’s World Cup-winning England team, will champion the campaign “THINK WISE” during the event, which began The Oval, London on Thursday 4 June to launch a new HIV initiative ahead of the ICC World Twenty20 2009. This leg of the campaign will aim to confront a lack of education and awareness about HIV and the stigma associated with the virus. The announcement builds on a long-term partnership between the ICC, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), UNICEF and the Global Media AIDS Initiative (GMAI) that for more than five years has reached out to the cricketing community to fight the global AIDS crisis.

“THINK WISE” started its journey to tackle the lack of education and awareness about HIV, as well as the potential stigma and discrimination associated with HIV and AIDS can lead to increased vulnerability to HIV infection.  The ICC has been working with its partners, UNICEF, UNAIDS and the Global Media AIDS Initiative (GMAI) over a number of years to help tackle these issues and encourage healthy decision making by children and young adults.

THINK WISE champion Graeme Smith

By working with the champions and the partners, the Think Wise initiative aims to: Raise awareness about the AIDS epidemic within the cricket community, Reduce stigma and discrimination surrounding the disease and experienced by those living with and affected by HIV and Help prevent new HIV infection by encouraging informed decision making through targeted education and outreach.

The Think Wise partnership seeks to educate cricket players, coaches, commentators, broadcasters and volunteers about the AIDS epidemic, particularly around prevention, and deliver these messages to fans and the media through major ICC events. The partnership has also embarked on piloting community based cricket for development programmes.  During 2009 the Think Wise partners will be identifying high risk areas and local organizations which will deliver cricket-based HIV prevention and life skills education.

The Think Wise Champions help us to inspire and educate youngsters by giving up their time to help deliver key messages about HIV and AIDS.

THINK WISE champion Kumar Sangakkara says that, “Being socially responsible is really important for me and the cricket community. Initiatives like THINK WISE are vital if we are to address issues around HIV and help empower young people to make informed decisions as they grow up. I am sure that the THINK WISE partnership will continue to expand and that the global cricket community will continue to support this campaign.”

THINK WISE champion Graeme Smith added: “I have seen firsthand the impact that HIV has had in my country. I hope that cricket fans and youngsters around the world can respect the power of the disease and also those living with HIV. By making informed decisions we can help reduce new infections and develop strong communities.”

THINK WISE champion Isa Guha

THINK WISE champion Isa Guha says: “HIV isn’t someone else’s problem. It’s important that cricketers are not only leaders on the pitch but are also leaders off the pitch. I hope that I can encourage girls and young women, in particular, to make sensible life choices.”

You can also see Kumar Sangakkara, Graeme Smith, Isa Guha and Virender Sehwag giving their inspirational thoughts on yahoo.

HIV/ AIDS and globalization

I walk in to one of the famous modern looking colleges in Sri Lanka. We have only a handful, and the one I’m talking about is pretty famous for American degrees. However, generally we tend to see students from the wealthiest families in town coming in and out of this building. I had a class on HIV/AIDS and globalization for a group of 21 students who think they are the signifiers of modernity or probably Americanization.

I started the lesson asking what they have heard about HIV/AIDS. One of the students replied “a decease”. Further explaining I admitted it as a global decease of which infected rates are comparatively high in poor countries that particularly lack developed health systems. Roughly 40,000 Americans are infected every year. In 2007, UNAIDS estimated more than 1.3 million Americans are living with HIV/AIDS. Additionally, 33.2 million people worldwide (with 2.5 million newly infected), 22.5 million people in Sub Saharan Africa, 4.0 million in South and South East Asia, 1.6 million in Eastern Europe and Central Asia are HIV positive or have AIDS.

My methodology of teaching is through questioning; therefore I posed my second question from the class. What is HIV and AIDS? What does it mean? Surprisingly none of those ‘posh’ looking students knew about it. Hmmm!! Ok! Two years back when we were conducting HIV sensitizing workshops for young people all around the country prior to the 8^th ICAAP young people in Vavuniya, a conflict effected area knew what it meant. They didn’t have access to internet, they didn’t travel all around the world for semester breaks or most of them wouldn’t have sat for GCE Ordinary Level. Yet, they knew ie. I finally had to explain. Here I go! AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) is an incurable disease that destroys the patient’s immune system. AIDS is caused by infection with HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus). HIV is transmitted through bodily fluids. People can become infected by HIV through sexual contact, by using needles that are contaminated with the virus, or by coming into contact with infected blood. The immune system of a person infected by HIV becomes weaker over time, and the person is less able to fight off infections; this process can take months or years. The final stage of HIV is the development of AIDS. As their immune systems collapse, people with AIDS become increasingly vulnerable to infection by a variety of life-threatening diseases.

You can find more articles on HIV and AIDS, like “a global epidemic”, “be yourself, but know your risk; HIV is deadly”, “HIV doesn’t kill people, but people does – based on a true story”, “Is AIDS a poor people’s disease?”, etc.