ADVOCACY FILMS ON HIV/AIDS AND HUMAN RIGHTS - A project proposal

ADVOCACY

FILMS ON HIV/AIDS AND

HUMAN RIGHTS A project proposal by the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union

One of HCLU’s four cameras and some optics we use

The Hungarian Civil Liberties Union is looking for donors for its HIV/AIDS program to support the production of advocacy movies Using the already available professional equipment, experience and expertise in film making of the Video Advocacy Program and the policy and treatment expertise of the HIV/AIDS Program we are planning to make films to present the issues of human rights and HIV/AIDS.

The Issue Even after 30 years into the epidemic, human rights of people living with HIV and most at risk populations such as women, young people, injecting drug users (IDU), men who have sex with men (MSM), people in prison, sex workers and migrants are often violated. The aim of the project is to raise awareness to these human rights issues and help the advocacy work of national, regional and global organizations to improve legislation, reduce and eliminate stigma and discrimination, reduce and eliminate barriers to universal access to ARV treatment, HIV-services and services for PLHIV.

Our expertise The HCLU launched its Video Advocacy Program in 2007, since then it has produced more than 350 advocacy films. It has been renowned for its advocacy films in the field of drug policy internationally. The HIV/AIDS Program of the HCLU is working both at the national and European/international level. It deals with the rights of people living with HIV/AIDS at the national level. The head of the HIV/AIDS Program is involved in several European and regional organizations and networks that work on treatment issues and policies at the European level.

Ferenc Bagyinszky, head of the HCLU’s HIV/AIDS program during the filming of the Human Rights March in Vieanna, in 2010

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Topics we would cover

Universal access to ARV medication and treatment of co-infections: Antiretroviral coverage globally – although much progress has been made in the past decade – is still at less than 50%. Some of the regions of the world see the worst ARV coverage, with Europe and Central Asia at 23% and Middle East and North Africa with 10%. The films will document the several reasons that hinder better access to ARV medication: price/intellectual property, political will/corruption, bureaucracy/procurement systems, legal barriers (legislation/treatment and access guidelines).

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Access to services – people living with HIV/AIDS (PLHA): Services for PLHA are either not developed or they are often denied these services including mental health and sexual/reproductive health. The films will document those successful and good examples of services that are provided for PLHA.

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Discrimination and stigma in health care: PLHA are often discriminated in health care. They are denied services due to their HIV-status or in certain regions are provided services on certain conditions. For instance in Africa and in Eastern Europe women are often denied reproductive health services or pre-natal or maternal care unless they agree to sterilization. The films will document these discriminating practices and also show examples of successful advocacy to reduce and eliminate stigma against PLHA in health care.

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Access to prevention and HIV-services for most at risk populations: Prevention and harm reduction services are often denied from most at risk populations. There are many regions in the world where young people are denied sexual education and information and prevention, harm reduction and testing and counselling services are not provided for most at risk populations. These films will document the background of the barriers to these services and also examples of good practices and how they affected the evolution of epidemics.

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Criminalization of transmission and non-disclosure of HIV-status: Criminalization of HIV transmission and exposure is a huge problem mostly in the Western part of the world. The United States, Canada and some Western European countries (Switzerland, Germany, Sweden, Austria, the United Kingdom) have seen many court cases and convictions of non-intentional HIV transmission or exposure. These court cases increase stigma and fear against PLHA and are barriers to prevention and testing efforts in certain countries.

These films will document the legal background and history of criminalization cases including examples of successful litigations and advocacy.

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Funding issues of HIV-services:

Funding for HIV-services has been at risk for many years. Governments, using the excuse of the financial crisis, give less and less funding for NGOs providing HIV/AIDS services and also commit less to international funds (e.g. the Global Fund To Fights AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria). Service providers have to reduce or close down their services that results in uncontrolled epidemic outbreaks, such as the recent case of Romania and Greece. These films will show where decision to reduce funds had a negative affect on epidemics and good practices where efforts have been made to provide funding even in times of financial difficulties.

During the Human Rights March in Vienna, 2010

Planned activities • Production of minimum 10 films per year • Participating in international/regional events for film production • Field visits for film production • Cooperation with partner organisations: identifying topics, interviewees, distributing films (social media, websites, meetings), creating joint advocacy plans

Interviewing HIV/AIDS activists in Vienna, 2010

Benefits of the project These short films represent an important advocacy tool in the world of YouTube and social media as they reach masses of people who are not reached by long reports on human rights and access issues, and as such besides being excellent source of information, they can also be used as tools of advocacy by national or regional organizations. Partner organisations may hold public screenings or disseminate DVDs with our films.

The possible outcomes • Raising awareness on issues of human rights and HIV/AIDS • Helping advocacy initiatives of national, regional and international HIV/AIDS organizations • Promoting the rights of PLHA • Changing legislation and policies discriminating PLHA and most at risk populations • Reducing stigma and discrimination against PLHA and most at risk populations via information • Promoting the work of national, regional and international HIV/AIDS organizations

This graphic was provided by the UNAIDS PCB NGO Delegation for the video spot we produced for them

Potential partners would be • European AIDS Treatment Group (EATG) • AIDS Action Europe (AAE) • Network of Low HIV-Prevalence Countries (NeLP) • Eurasian Harm Reduction Network • Middle East and North Africa Harm Reduction Association (MENAHRA) • Global Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (GNP+)

HCLU staff involved Márti Mészáros – cameraman, editing 80 hour/month Ferenc Bagyinszky – HIV/AIDS program,

interviews, editing 80 hour/month Andrea Polgár – administration 16 hour/month Rita Bence – Patients’ Rights program, legal expert 16 hour/month István Gábor Takács – Video Advocacy program, support, no budget required Balázs Dénes – Executive Director, support, no budget required

Balázs Dénes, head of the HCLU, and Ferenc Bagyinszky, head of the HIV/AIDS program starting an interview at the AIDS 2010

Michel SidibĂŠ of UNAIDS, Julio Montaner of IAS and Michel Kazatchkine of the Global Fund protest together in Vienna, in 2010

What we filmed so far in the topic of HIV and AIDS? The following videos were produced from the budget of other programs of the HCLU. Our future project would produce films like these from its own dedicated budget.

The Now More Than Ever Campaign The campaign calls for the endorsement of the Human Rights and HIV/AIDS: Now More Than Ever joint statement. For the campaign HCLU produced 68 short films based on 26 interviews of international experts and activists from the HIV/AIDS field. We also produced two longer films, about why human rights are so important in the fight against the HIV epidemic, and why it is important for human rights to get attention at international conferences.

International experts on HIV/AIDS and human rights

March for Human Rights in Vienna at AIDS 2010 The film was shot during the March for Human Rights at AIDS2010 World Conference that mobilized 20 thousand people in Vienna and was screened during the closing ceremony of the conference.

We also helped the “Here I am Campaign“ with three video testimonies of PLWHA about how the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria saved their lives.

We Can End AIDS – March in Washington DC Thousands of activists marched for human rights & economic justice during the XIX. International AIDS Conference, to the White House. The organizers of the march identified 5 demands: to tax Wall Street and stop cuts to AIDS services, to aid housing and lift the ban on syringe exchange, to provide full access to services for women and LGBT people, to make Big Pharma accountable and to stop the criminalization of PLWHA, drug users and sex workers.

During the march we asked the demonstrators how they see these issues.

Branding film for AIDS Action Europe The HCLU helped produce the branding video for AIDS Action Europe, by using the footage provided

by AAE members.

Creating a Video Spot for the UNAIDS PCB We produced the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board NGO Delegation a video spot for its 2011 Report with regards to HIV strategies and related laws and policies.

Joyce Kamwana, interviewed for the “Here I am” campaign

Protesters at AIDS 2010

Broken Promises Kill – Fully Fund the Global Fund This short film by HCLU, was produced during AIDS 2010 International Conference in Vienna where activists, advocates and experts protested and explained how the Global Fund crisis threatens HIV services all over the world and affect millions of lives globally.

Harm Reduction Videos The HCLU Drug Policy program created hundreds of advocacy films about drug policy, HIV/AIDS and Harm Reduction. Many call the HCLU “Chroniclers of Harm Reduction.

DRUG reporter www.drugreporter.net

Please support our work to amplify the voice of people who protect Human Rights in the fight against AIDS! Contact: Ferenc Bagyinszky Head of HIV/AIDS Program Hungarian Civil Liberties Union bagyi.feri@tasz.hu

Hungarian Civil Liberties Union. 2012