AAC Newsletter Nov-Dec 2011

Issue Nov - Dec 11

Thank you to everyone who supported The Annual AIDS Action Council Trivia Night Extravaganza 2011.

The trivia night was a huge success and it would not have been possible without the combined help of our sponsors, the participants, the volunteers and all those who provided support throughout night and in the lead up to it. I think everyone would agree that Johnathan David was a fabulous MC on the night!

Over $8,000 was raised for the Westlund House Community Development Fund. The generosity from everyone was extraordinary, and helps support community programs and events.

We look forward to seeing you all again at The Annual AIDS Action Council Trivia Night Extravaganza 2012!

This all sounds a bit depressing, and it can be. As a journey, it’s hard to avoid, but it’s progressive and incremental, and not always punctuated by a single defining event. Nonetheless, for many of us there comes a day when we awake and find that our world suddenly has a sun that shines less brightly than we expected it to. But, we keep busy and set aside the little niggling questions about whether this is as good as it gets.

Upfront: Andrew Burry

It seems that a part of the human condition is an unquestioning acceptance that after a certain point in life, the remaining journey is downhill. Perhaps experience teaches us that optimism serves only to make the inevitable disappointment that much keener.

As we grow older, we realise that dreams are born from ignorance, and despair comes from accepting reality.

Jeremy Bentham (1748–1832) was a moral philosopher and legal reformer and founded the doctrine of utilitarianism. According to him, the highest principle of morality is to maximise happiness which he describes as being the overall balance of pleasure over pain. To paraphrase him perhaps simplistically, to be moral citizens we must do whatever brings us happiness at a minimum cost of associated pain. To dream might make us happy, but disappointment might be the painful cost of dreams unrealised. Bentham’s line of reasoning is quite simple: We are all governed by the feelings of pain and pleasure. They are our “sovereign masters.” They govern us in everything we do and also determine what we ought to do. The standard of right and wrong is “fastened to their throne.” continue reading ➠

AAC ANNUAL BOARD AWARDS 2011 At the Annual General Meeting of the AIDS Action Council, President’s Award held on 12 October 2011, the Board was delighted to honour Peter Hyndal the contribution of these individuals within the Canberra Peter is almost an institution himself! His ongoing work with A Gender Agenda community. It is their dedicated contribution that helps the (AGA) and the absolute tenacity with which he approaches that work is extraordinary.

The AAC values our ongoing relationship with AGA in relation to our health Council towards our vision of leading the world beyond HIV. promotion work with HIV and sexual health in our community.

Congratulations and thank you for your wonderful contributions.

Peter Hyndal and AGA have been instrumental in securing, albeit short term, funding for a community space and to run the Strength in Diversity Project – John Davey to build a healthy sex and gender diverse community in the ACT. As a fellow John is a former board member of the AIDS Action Council and the principal grassroots health promotion organisation, we would hope the ACT Government of Herm Legal and Migration Services. He specialises in commercial migration will assist with further funding for the important work they do. and dispute resolution law. He is an active member of our community and a This award is to recognise Peter Hyndal for his ongoing commitment and to passionate advocate for the human rights of people working through the maze congratulate him on the various victories his work has achieved over the past few of the immigration system. For two years John has provided our community and years. While acknowledging that there is still much more work to do in moving members with pro bono legal advice. John was also instrumental in establishing towards gender and sexual identity equality. Thank you Peter! our weekly free legal and migration advice clinic. Congratulations John!

David Widdup Award

Media/Communication Award Kate Evans

Fabulous Members David Mills

David made an enormous contribution to the AIDS Council during the seven years he Reporting on sex work and sex workers, as with HIV, is never easy and one of worked with us, and over the last four years as Manager of Community Development. the first casualties can be fair and balanced information. Earlier this year, SWOP ACT was approached by the ABC to support a 7.30 piece that was produced in This award recognises not only that David was such a valuable team member, but more importantly for the huge additional contribution he made beyond conjunction with the review into the prostitution act. that required in his employment. Although we miss him, there continues to be This award recognises the work that Kate and the ABC did to ensure that the issue much of him still in the organisation. We see it in our style and presentation, our was handled with sensitivity. And, in particular, for recognising that sex workers are commitment to community, our websites and the team that he developed that people and members of our community. Congratulations, Kate ! now carries on his work. Congratulations David!

Community Award

Brendan Smyth

Ken Teoh

It has been a rare event over recent years that has not included the support of Brendan Smyth. We have had incredible support from ACT legislators since selfgovernment commenced here in the ACT. This support has avoided politics and instead focussed on our collective need to minimise the social and personal impacts, and transmission of HIV.

For many years the Qwire has been conspicuous at community events around Canberra, and especially at the major AIDS Action Council ones, including the AIDS Candlelight Memorial and SpringOut Fairday. The Qwire as a whole has been previously recognised, but this year we wanted to recognise the extra sparkle that a dedicated and committed musical director makes. Nobody who has seen Ken conduct the group of talented singers can have failed to notice the special energy and enthusiasm he generates amongst both them and the audience. Congratulations Ken!

Stephanie Buckle

John Kloprogge John has for the last few years been at the forefront of the Canberra fight for GLBTI rights, especially the full Federal recognition of same sex relationships and marriage equality. John is motivated by a passion for fighting for people’s rights, fairness and dignity, demonstrated through his work at United Voice ACT, the union that supports cleaners’ rights.

More recently, John has been putting his already stretched energy and resources into helping re-establish a local branch of PFLAG, the Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, which provides a social and supportive network of people whose loved ones are GLBTI. Congratulations John!

We have been notified of a recent increase in infections of Gonorrhoea in Canberra. Gonorrhoea is a common infection; it is easy to test and treat.

What is Gonorrhoea?

Gonorrhoea is a type of bacteria that can infect a person’s penis, vagina, anus, throat or eyes.

Signs and symptoms: It is quite common to have no symptoms. However symptoms can include: • A dry, sore, throat • Itchiness and pain during bowel movement • A clear or yellow discharge from the penis and • Pain or burning when pissing.

If symptoms appear it is usually 2 – 10 days after exposure.

www.aidsaction.org.au

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As well as support, Brendan has always shown great interest in our work and we think that life membership is a fitting way to recognise this and to show our appreciation. Thank you Brendan!

Stephanie Buckle needs little introduction. She spent two decades providing counselling to thousands of clients. More than this, Stephanie represented the heritage of our organisation and our place in community.

As a writer, we have often asked Stephanie to say a few words, but we aren’t doing so tonight. Instead, all we really want to say is “thank you” and welcome to life membership of the AIDS Action Council. Congratulations Stephanie!

Transmission: It is easily transmitted by giving or receiving anal, oral sex and anal play such as fingering and fisting. Touching an infected penis or anus and then touching your own penis, anus or eyes can also transmit gonorrhoea.

Prevention: Using a condom and lube can help prevent infection. It can be transmitted through oral sex or by touching an infected area and then touching your own penis, anus or eyes. Regular testing for Gonorrhoea as part of a sexual health check-up is recommended. Washing your hands with soap and water immediately after sex can help prevent transmission, especially if having sex with multiple partners.

If you’re sexually active, get a sexual health check-up regularly to minimise the risk of complications and prevent passing the infection onto other sexual partners.

For more information visit www.aidsaction.org.au or call Westlund House

02 6257 2855

UPFRONT

meet your

ACC Board Members continuing in 2012 We are very fortunate to have a strong and vibrant team continuing on the Board of the AIDS Action Council into 2012. Between them, they bring years of experience learned in a diverse range of professions, all contributing to our governance and strategic environment. We are delighted to have such a talented Board and appreciate their dedication and love of community.

Scott Malcolm - President Scott was drawn to volunteer on the AAC community board at a time when he wanted to get more connected to the local community and wanted to give something back. He has found the last 5 years of involvement to be a rewarding experience and his small business and Finance background provides a further dynamic to his professional career. His vision is to one day not need the services of the AAC as a cure will be found for HIV but in the meantime he is inspired everyday by the dedicated work of the staff and volunteers at the AAC and their passion for minimising the social and personal impact of HIV in the Canberra community.

Dr Alan Verhagen – Vice President Alan has a background in teaching, psychology and research and contributes principals of organisational structure to his third year on the board.

He has been a volunteer with the AAC for many years, firstly on the original telephone help and referral service and lately had a guiding hand in developing our online outreach service, Netreach.

He has a strong interest in ensuring we connect with clients with care and consideration while always using appropriate process.

Andrew Grimm – Secretary/Treasurer This is Andrew’s third term on the board and he continues to value the opportunity to contribute to the work of the Council. He is interested in the changing social dimension of the HIV epidemic and wants to support innovative approaches to prevention, regulation and impact-minimisation being pioneered by the Council’s staff. He is a lawyer by training but in his words “seem to have gained enough accounting skills in order to have been trusted with the Council’s accounts!”

Delia Quigley Dee has been a volunteer at the AAC for a decade. The training courses and networking that have occurred through the AAC have been invaluable.

She loves the sense of community amongst the volunteers and staff. Working in countries like Haiti & Sudan has given real emphasis on the importance of the work in the fight against the HIV pandemic.

Dr Nathan Boyle Nathan was first elected in 2010. He has extensive experience in corporate governance, service delivery and research.

Nathan has a long history of involvement with Amnesty International campaigning and advocating for people’s human rights for more than 15 years. He is a trained anthropologist and has worked with Indigenous corporations in Australia and human rights organisations in Thailand.

Being a Board member has enabled Nathan to meet new and interesting people, support an important and necessary community organisation in the ACT, and play a small part in minimising the social and personal impacts of HIV/AIDS

Daryl Evans Daryl was attracted by the Board’s commitment to advocacy, strategic planning and developing sustainability for both individuals and our community.

His education sector experiences in Australia and Vietnam; and providing support for the settlement of refugees in the ACT will assist with the work of the Board.

He wants to play his part in the further development of a highly skilled, healthier and resilient GLBTI community. He had some rewarding experience as a volunteer at the Council over several years, and would like to continue to design, write and deliver training packages especially for men who are attracted to men.

Representative Members Each year the board also invites a representative from Positive Living ACT and a member from the staff to join the board. The representative roles allow direct contribution to strategic issues and planning from relevant perspectives. The Board may also co-opt people to the Board with particular technical expertise to accomplish some tasks.

I extrapolate this simple idea into one where over time we learn to avoid the pain of disappointment by scaling back our hopes, dreams and desires so that we get what we expect to get and become happy at our consistent ability to be proven right.

“Blessed is he who expecteth nothing, for he shall not be disappointed”. Mild misery becomes the new happy when we don’t become disappointed because we learned to expect nothing more.

Almost everything we start in life begins with a promise. A job that will make us rich or successful or noticed. A relationship that will last forever on a solid foundation of love, understanding and respect.

A body that will do the things for us that we need it to.

A world that will always have a special place just for us. And so on. Disappointments are generally slight on their own yet incremental. The job doesn’t work out but that’s OK because I have a loving home to share. I limit the pain of disappointment in one area by increasing my expectation of pleasure in another.

If I am correct in believing that a chain of regret and disappointment can combine to generate a pain that can be avoided most easily by learning to be happy with less, then is this justified under Bentham’s philosophy as being an effective pain minimisation strategy (even if an unconscious one)? Or, in other words, does redefining what happy is become a legitimate way to become happy?

Of the 350 or so people in our region living with HIV, most have accommodated or absorbed the inconvenience and uncertainty of their condition into their lives and as we sometimes hear people in the sector say; “are getting on with it”. This is particularly true for those diagnosed within the last decade. The same is likely true for the very many more people living with, around or in some way emotionally connected to them. These people “getting on with it” are unlikely to know what support and services are available to them. They are unlikely to think of us at the AIDS Action Council at all, and probably even less likely to think of us as a relevant part of their living experience.

Until, perhaps, a day comes when they wake up and feel less able or capable of living a day of diminished promise.

The day, perhaps, when mild misery becomes something that has just become that little bit too dark. Should it only be in moments of crisis that we consider ourselves entitled to seek comfort, support or services?

And what does this to have to do with World AIDS Day?

For the last two years we have focussed extensively on prevention and more specifically on our young people who are being inadequately prepared to live in a world where HIV continues to exist. This year, we have turned our attention to the hidden world of an HIV epidemic where many of those affected live with inconvenience that is often unnecessary, in private to avoid continuing stigma and to some extent isolated through a lack of accessible and practical support.

This year we want to put a more human face on this manageable although chronic condition and commit ourselves to becoming more relevant and useful to the many people living with HIV in our region who are accepting things as they are because they don’t believe they can be better.

We can’t make people happy. But we can be more there for those who want to reach beyond the mild misery that has become all that there seems to be.

www.aidsaction.org.au

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I HEART the 3rd They say good things happen in 3’s. You’ve got triple decker chocolate, threesomes, the Lord of the Rings trilogy, the 3rd day in a long weekend, etc . This SpringOut we see the launch of the 3rd phase of the I HEART Sex, I HEART Condoms campaign.

Back in 2009, we launched our first home grown condom reinforcement campaign since the highly successful ‘Cover Yourself In Canberra’ campaign in the early 2000’s. So making it to the 3rd phase of this campaign in 3 years is really quite exciting for us. We have also been proud of the fact that the development, implementation and evaluation of all of the I HEART campaigns have been of some of the highest quality we have seen, and has provided us with great experience to help maintain this quality in all our future campaigns even outside of I HEART. So what have we done this year? Well there are two major differences this year. One, well, this is the third year in a row that we have been talking with gay guys about the use of condoms and how that using them doesn’t have to be a hassle. The one thing we didn’t do, was actually make accessing the condoms that much easier. So rather than handing out one condom and a sachet of lube, why not make sure they have a little stash?

So we have designed our first ever condom box that has the I HEART Sex, I HEART Condoms logo on it, as well as including 6 condoms and a 30ml tube of lube.

The other exciting difference this year is that all our models, Pete, Dinesh, Jamie and Doug were great sports and thanks to the photographic talents of Keith Jeffers of Keith Fauxtografix, and his volunteer helper at the shoot, Calen, went risqué and all bared a bit more flesh than we have seen in campaigns past.

This has upped the gratuitous sexiness factor of our campaign which the guys have loved in the past phases of the campaign.

So where will you see the campaign? Well we will have it in the usual places – LGBT events throughout SpringOut, Cube, The Ranch and keep an eye out in print and online over the next few months!

HIV Futures 7 HIV Futures 7 is a project of the Living With HIV program at the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society, La Trobe University and is funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aging. The Principal Investigator on the project is Dr Jeffrey Grierson.

The HIV Futures Survey is about all aspects of living with HIV. HIV Futures is an important project - It lets community organisations, services for PLHIV, doctors and government know what it’s really like to be HIV positive. It is about the experiences that PLHIV share and the diversity of real lives. The survey is anonymous and you can take your time to complete it. So make sure your experience counts.

Let us know what HIV is like for you.

HIV futures seven

Making positive lives count The HIV Futures survey is about all aspects of living with HIV. Make sure your experience counts. Complete the online survey or ask your local HIV/AIDS organisation for a hardcopy.

www.hivfutures.org.au Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society, La Trobe University

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You can complete the survey online at

www.hivfutures.org.au If you would prefer a paper copy of the survey, please contact us on

6257 2855 or ask your HIV doctor. www.aidsaction.org.au

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Strategic Positioning. Australia’s role in the response to HIV in Asia and the Pacific: Reflections of ICAAP10 Keiran Rossteuscher

The statement, ‘Diverse Voices, United Action’ was the slogan for this year’s ICCAP (International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific). A noble claim that helps to encapsulate what we are all supposed to be working towards, helping to set the tone for the 5 days of sharing experiences, challenges and learnings from those who are fighting against HIV in our region.

Now I generally find conferences that I have attended on a range of different topics over the years slightly bewildering and otherworldly, a safe little esoteric enclave, where for two, three or more days we are engrossed in discussing minute details of topics most people barely have a rudimentary understanding of. Taking this global, or regional in this case, was an interesting layer to add to the already bizarre environment found in conferences.

There was certainly no lack of diversity amongst the participants – transgendered sex workers from regional Pakistan (Hijar), Catholic nuns from PNG, Clerics from Malaysia, Presidents of Island nations, HIV positive young men, health bureaucrats racking up frequent flyer points, gay men’s health workers from countries that criminalised gay men, groups being ushered around with the help of translators, doctors lamenting the shift towards cultural discussions at the conference, researchers from across the region trying to out-stat one another, and people who were reminiscing about the early days of the first ICAAP gatherings all those years ago (interestingly the first ICAAP was held in Canberra in 1990).

I was not, however, filled with optimism at the opening ceremony for ICAAP10, when it was lamented by one of the speakers that the talk of bringing an understanding of the diversity within the HIV affected communities in our region by listening to the stories of the most vulnerable and often most silenced in these discussions, whilst noble, is essentially the same plea that had been coming from the conference for the previous 21 years. This resigned comment came shortly before another speaker was interrupted by a cleverly organised, yet slightly awkward, protest from within the crowd. If you have ever been to an international HIV conference, you will know that these protests are part of the ‘package’. While they may not be listed in the official program, they are a regular feature and allow particular groups, especially those who may not have the clout to get on to the plenary list of speakers, a chance to highlight to the (mostly) already converted and a few high profile dignitaries. Unless the speaker is aware of the protest, they are often the unfortunate collateral damage in these events. The particular protest was regarding the Free Trade Agreement that South Korea was about to sign with the USA that would negatively affect Koreans access to anti-retrovirals.

Five days spent immersed in discussion about HIV, and not always about gay men, as we are so familiar with the discussions taking place locally, was an incredible experience. Discussions ranged from newer topics such as pros and cons of chemoprevention, through to more well-trod topics such as YKAP (Young Key Affected Populations – that was a new acronym for me) or the inequities in access to HAART across the region. This was one evidence heavy conference though, which I think reflected where the organisers of ICAAP were coming from (Korea has an uncomfortable relationship with community response, being much more comfortable with clinical and empirical work), as well as a sector looking to ensure it was producing ‘legitimate work’ backed by numbers, pie charts and signed off by universities, rather than the ‘fluff’ I am possibly more used to hearing about – the projects, the campaigns, or HOW research participants were engaged rather than just hearing the results of the groups being studied. These topics though were being looked at through a lens I was completely unfamiliar with (that being not just gay men in metropolitan areas), and this I found refreshing. I would wander around the displays of the Asia Pacific Village, where organisations and businesses would have examples of the work done locally and regionally for and by groups affected by HIV, in absolute awe of this work, the innovation, the challenges, and the risks that participants and organisers were often taking by their involvement.

But I quickly, or maybe not so quickly, started realising that there was a voice that I would have thought that I would have heard much louder missing almost all together. Where was Australia? Sure, there were some Australian researchers presenting during the different satellite sessions, but that was usually from work they and their university was involved with in other countries like Laos or Fiji. Where was Australia leading the charge? Where was our demonstration of nearly 30 years of leading the world in our response to HIV www.aidsaction.org.au

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in a region where one country, India, carries 50% of the regional HIV burden, and we have small HIV hot spots such as Thailand and Papua New Guinea, as well as newer emerging epidemics in Vietnam and Fiji? Even AusAID is one of the major sponsors of the conference – surely we have a place in these forums. I mean, why was I there if we didn’t?

Is Australia still part of the regional response to HIV? Australia has prided itself over the years for the leadership it took in approaching a new and generally poorly understood epidemic. Many will now take for granted that the decisions made by so many people that lead to the overall successful response to HIV was politically risky and that many of the behaviours associated with HIV transmission at the time were still largely illegal, condoms were not often easily available, sexual health centres were better suited to family planning and needle exchange programs were unheard of. We have NSPs, AIDS Councils funded to access those that Governments can’t or won’t, gold star sexual health testing facilities and reasonably high testing rates, condoms and safe sex information is available in a range of locations and we don’t (yet) have a Government filtered internet so anyone anywhere can find information if they need it. We have a wealth of information available through specific research institutions around Australia who are funded to understand gay men’s sex lives. Australia has a stable HIV infection rate at about 1,000 people a year, largely isolated to gay men and those who are HIV positive are generally living well – we don’t even talk about AIDS existing anymore in Australia after the introduction of HAART (highly active antiretroviral therapies), most drugs of which appear on the pharmaceuticals benefits scheme. It would be fair to argue from that point that Australia has a right, even an obligation, to lead any discussions, or at least participate in them, about HIV in our region. Or do we?

Australia’s response is now approaching 30 years old and the epidemic is a shadow of what it used to be in public consciousness – I am sure the story is very different if you were to ask someone newly diagnosed with HIV however.

But for many countries in Asia and the Pacific, this is not the case, with the epidemic running through its population, threatening to become the local equivalent of sub-Saharan Africa, or where it is emerging slowly and often awkwardly in countries that always felt isolated from the threat.

It is worth considering some of the issues that are faced by the region, many of which are either non-existent or were dealt with more than 25 years ago: • 40% of Asia and the Pacific’s population is under the age of 15, and the rates of HIV amongst young people continues to rise • 160,000 children in Asia and the Pacific are living with HIV, up to 30% of Vietnam’s street kids are positive • In 2005, 160,000 people were on ARTs (anti-retroviral therapies ), but by 2009, 720,000 had access • Only 30% of PLHIV in Thailand, PNG and Cambodia (some of the highest prevalence countries) have access to ARTs • Many countries are still only limited to access to first generation ARTs including AZT • Asia has better health care infrastructure than Africa, but access to health care is as poor as Africa, with the added insult that most of the drugs that will help these people are produced in the region but are exported out One of the greatest realisations of difference to Australia was that most countries (especially those on or near the Asia mainland) have open or nearopen borders, with massive populations of unregistered migrants, many looking for work in countries marginally more prosperous than their own.

These large yet invisible populations are often rife with HIV and have no means to manage or care for them.

There are complex competing values regarding gay male or ‘men that have sex with men’ communities. Conservative, often predominantly Muslim countries, struggle with traditional sex roles and rules (male adolescent concubinage, sex with other male extended family members), modern Muslim values, as well as social and economic realities (trans women and effeminate males, sex with exchange) and few social or medical services prepared or capable to cope with these issues. Other countries distaste (political or social) for gay men is such that they are often completely ignored from any HIV solution. This leaves an increasing number of gay men who are HIV positive.

Even in Thailand, with its high rates of HIV especially amongst sex workers (male and female) as well as the gay and bisexual population, with some estimates of up to 30% of homosexually active men in some cities, these men have been ignored from the HIV surveillance reports.

Unlike Australia, being Trans (Transgender, Katoey, Warai, Baklas, Hijra, etc) in Asia can be a risk factor for HIV because many more are limited to sex work for a viable income, are marginalised and have poor access to health care, even by their own country’s standards.

Some of these situations are particularly complex, such as the married men who work as female (hijra) sex workers in regional Pakistan.

Institutional human rights violations are far more common. In Vietnam, reports came out of prison staff accessing female prisoner’s medical records so that they knew which women were HIV negative and therefore ‘safe’ to rape. The prison Dr’s are often reluctant to act on knowledge of this abuse. Often sexual health services are designed only for women who are married to access, and those who are not can be reported to authorities or denied access at all, therefore not receiving access to sexual health information, testing, treatment or even condoms.

There are very low condom usage rates. While the numbers vary across the region, even countries with higher standards of living and more progressive LGBT rights have condom usage rates amongst (particularly young) homosexually active men as less than 30% with casual sexual partners. This drops even more when that person is sexually naive, exchanging sex for favours or in a regular sexual relationship.

Many parts of Asia and the Pacific are still developing and rely on international aid, especially to help with their work against HIV. At the moment the region invests US$1.1 billion to fight against HIV, but requires US$3.1 billion to do the work that really needs to be done to most effect.

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The President of Fiji, Epeli Nailatikau, said that there was not enough courage, leadership or political will in the region and that often a lack of awareness of the issues that faced PLHIV and at risk communities, capacity to act and a lack of accountability created a perfect storm of ignorance and inaction. It is worth considering though that had HIV not come to Australia until the last decade, if the political will would have been there to act as we did during the 80’s.

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These complexities do not, however, mean that all is lost for the region. There is great work being done across the spectrum of societies, some of which even possibly shames the efforts here in Australia in their successes.

Thursday 24

I had the fortune of going to visit some HIV services in Busan Province. While many services seemed more rudimentary than those here in Australia, especially the community clinics, or descriptions of the treatment of people who are diagnosed with HIV, it surprised one of the organisers of the tour when she asked what I thought of their services and I responded that for iSHAP, their gay men’s drop-in service, that I was envious of it. When quizzed further I explained that there was no similar funding in the ACT and that we, unlike them, did not have access to rapid testing of HIV. This surprised the organiser as she had assumed that because I was from Australia that we would have world class facilities for working with our own at risk communities, and rapid testing in Asia is commonplace, even standard in some areas.

Thursday 24

Saturday 26

Monday 28 Nov To Thursday 1 Dec

December

Youth led and oriented projects were, as always, featured in the conference.

Thursday 1 Some organisations such as Youth Voices Count and YouthLEAD are working with young people to help make changes within their communities as well as becoming the new leaders within the region to affect change. YouthLEAD came out of ICCAP9 in Bali as there was such an emphasis that year on youth that a Wednesday 7 regional network of young leaders came out of it. When they showed a map of the countries that were engaged in this project, there was a big circle around all of those countries, and there was Australia, awkwardly and uncomfortably detached from the map. This was a stark visual depiction of how disconnected we really are to this regional response, and that – possibly rightly or not – we Saturday 17 are being left out intentionally.

The experience of participating in the conference, and the sometimes gaping maw between participants was most starkly highlighted when some Australian delegates used the question time in one of the sessions as an opportunity to bring their very metropolitan Australian views inappropriately to a presentation about the earlier mentioned married Hijra. It made me wonder what right we had to come and comment on the virtues or faults of projects being done halfway around the world with some of the most marginalised groups. Does our position here leave us open to a sense of entitlement to criticise those who are still learning? Are we prone to dismiss the work of so many if it is not of a standard we would have ourselves should we be doing the same? The exchange that afternoon was mortifying. It demonstrated to me all the reasons why Australia just needs to learn to shut up and listen.

STRIP Sexual Health Clinic 10am – 12pm Westlund House SpringOut Pride Awards 7pm-late, Teatro Vivaldi STRIP Sexual Health Clinic 6 – 8:30 pm The Ranch @ Fantasy Lane Arse Class 10am-3pm Westlund House STRIP Sexual Health Clinic 10am – 12pm Westlund House AAC Legal Clinic 6pm Westlund House AIDS Awareness Week Launch STRIP Sexual Health Clinic 6 – 8:30 pm The Ranch@ Fantasy Lane STRIP Sexual Health Clinic 10am – 12pm Westlund House Positive Living Stall for World AIDS Awareness Week Canberra Hospital

World AIDS Day Community Breakfast Westlund House PSN end of year BBQ 6pm (for members, friends and guests of Positive Living ACT only) International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers

Office closes over Christmas break from Friday, 23 December - 4pm Office reopens on Tuesday, 3 january 2012, 9am Emergency contact during Christmas break : 0403 416 040

Does Australia have a role to play in the regional response to HIV? Certainly.

We have resources and we share those when it is asked of us. But in forums such as ICAAP, I think that Australia values more from listening and reflecting on where we ourselves have come from, and where our neighbours are going to, as well as how. My appreciation for the global epidemic is forever changed because of my fortune of attending ICAAP. I am reinvigorated and have a new appreciation of the challenges that are present, as well as those that have been overcome. There is a wealth of knowledge and ideas at our finger tips, if we are prepared to look, listen and learn. www.aidsaction.org.au

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