Look hot AND fight HIV!
SCORALICIOUS Products with a social conscience
September 2010
Homophobia What’s the problem?
Maternal Health in Peru Parting Words from our beloved
SCORA-D 2009-2010
International AIDS Conference All the latest news
What’s next for SCORA?
Katia Khoury
on fundraising, burnout and training
LeMSIC Transnational Project
IFMSA
The mission of IFMSA
was founded in May 1951 and is run by medical students, for medical students, on a non-profit basis. IFMSA is officially recognised as a nongovernmental organisation within the United Nations’ system and has official relations with the World Health Organisation. It is the international forum for medical students, and one of the largest student organisations in the world.
is to offer future physicians a comprehensive introduction to global health issues. Through our programs and opportunities, we develop culturally sensitive students of medicine, intent on influencing the transnational inequalities that shape the health of our planet.
Imprint Editor in Chief Anny Huang, Australia Editors Mario Fahed, Lebanon Jatinder Narang, USA Helena Tamm, Estonia Design/Layout Anny Huang, Australia Proofreading Mario Fahed, Lebanon Anny Huang, Australia Jatinder Narang, USA Helena Tamm, Estonia
Publisher
International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations General Secretariat: IFMSA c/o WMA B.P. 63 01212 Ferney-Voltaire, France Phone: +33 450 404 759 Fax: +33 450 405 937 Email: gs@ifmsa.org Homepage: www.ifmsa.org
Contacts
publications@ifmsa.org
Celebrity Dear hotties all around the world, Finally the 2nd issue of SCORA magazine is in your impatiently trembling hands ... Maybe you are asking, “What new hot kinky stuff has the SCORA publication team prepared this time?” Have you ever asked yourself how would the MAXIM, Playboy, Cosmopolitan, Women’s Health and all similar posh males and females magazines looked like if they were published by SCORA people? I have not, but Anny from Australia, the editor-in-chief has, and the answer is in your hands. My deep appreciations and thanks go to you Anny for your time, contribution and creativity as well as to the whole team of editors - Mr. Mario Fahed from Lebanon, Mr. Jatinder Narang from India/USA and Miss Helena Tamm from Estonia. Thank you. Let me also please use this public way to congratulate you to your new position in the Team of Officials – the IFMSA Publications Director, it only proves, and I am extremely proud and happy of this, that SCORA members are incredibly talented and skilled and are taking over more and more the IFMSA Officials positions not directly related with SCORA. That really fills me with joy and satisfaction. Firstly I thought I will write this foreword just like the forewords in those posh magazines mentioned above are written. I even tried, but I figured out that perhaps I had never read enough of them to be able to do so. So I even went online to search for some inspiration, but I did not find many relevant things that would help me. So I guess I will stick to my usual style of writing and you will have to forgive me again that I will be a little bit pensive and nostalgic, but I have a good reason for that (as usual )… An incredibly successful SCORA year is coming to an end. We enjoyed two fantastic GAs and IPETs, the International AIDS Conference and Youth Pre-Conference and Women Deliver Conference. We made an intervention in UNAIDS Program Coordinating Board upon which the new SCORA Policy statement on Stigma and Discrimination of PLWHA in Health Care Settings was based. We managed this year to have 3 new transnational projects (DAPHNE, For a Homophobia Free World and Sexperience) and one endorsed (Sexual Education for Sex Workers) voted upon and accepted in the GAs. We have a very promising cooperation with new externals (Ipas) in front of us. I could go on and on with minor and major achievements that all of us together helped to shape and make happen. On the other hand, it is less than a week before I will have to say a goodbye to all of you as the Director of the most wonderful Standing Committee in this solar system and perhaps even in the whole galaxy. However, I am not afraid for the future of SCORA. It will be in the most capable and caring hands of a very good friend of mine – Mr. Halit Aytar – and I cannot imagine a better successor, but still… Very mixed feelings are raving inside of me, because one part of me does not want to say this goodbye. It is funny how without slightest knowledge of what to expect, I took over the position of Director last year October. Back then, I would never
SCORA-Director Branislav Chrenka have known that I will enjoy my year so MUCH and that I will fall in love with YOU (and I mean all of you and I mean it seriously!). To be honest, when I am thinking now about you SCORAngels, when I was watching you in Canada, talking with you online or just writing e-mails to you, you became like children for me, the most beloved and cherished offspring of this Standing Committee. Without any exaggerations, this was the BEST year of my life and each one of you is responsible for this. THANK YOU thousands of times for this my darlings! The human heart is infinite in its capacity to love and each of you has his or her special place in mine. We learned a lot from each other and the last lesson that I will have to undertake is the lesson of letting go, very often the hardest thing on this world, because we all tend to cling to people, things, relations, etc. We are a clingy human race. Nevertheless, I know that letting go is an extremely important thing to learn in order not to be enslaved by living in the past. Each one of us should learn this lesson. But the lesson of letting go does not mean becoming bitter or killing the love and passion in oneself. On the contrary, if you let go, new horizons and doors will open in front of you and you will feel the wind of change in your face, just like I do now! I am leaving SCORA as its Director, but I am not leaving you. In order to do so, promise me one thing: never feel like a stranger towards me! Whenever you feel that you would like to talk to me, about ANYTHING, do so! Wherever I am and if you are around in the same place, pick up the phone and let me know so that we can meet over a cup of tea or coffee, and I promise to do the same. So take a good care of yourselves and spread the love wherever you go. With a burning love and affection, yours,
Brano P.S. And enjoy reading the magazine ;-)
Event IFMSA at the
International AIDS Conference
International AIDS Conference, the biggest HIV/AIDS event in the world, is organised every two years by the International AIDS Society. This year more than 20,000 people (health care professionals, researchers, politicians, policy makers and decision makers, advocates, activists, communities living with HIV/AIDS…) from more than 193 countries participated in the event. The organisers chose to hold the conference in Vienna, the capital of Austria and a gate to the region of Eastern Europe, to which this conference was dedicated mainly because of the rapidly increasing numbers of young people and injecting drug users affected by HIV in this region.
IFMSA delegation More than 25 people from all corners of the world and almost all IFMSA regions met in Vienna to express the voice of medical students and to present the work of IFMSA and SCORA in the field of HIV/AIDS. Thus we had the biggest IFMSA delegation ever present on such a conference! We were split among the IFMSA stand in the Global Village, other activities held in the Global Village, the exhibition area and sessions held in within the Conference itself. Imene coordinated the whole preparation process and the delegation, with Brano’s contribution.
Youth Pre-Conference (July 14th-17th) The Youth Pre-Conference took place 3 days prior to the main Conference. It brought together 300 youth delegates from more than 90 countries. All of them came from organisations dealing with advocacy, sensitization to HIV topics, the fight against stigma and discrimination of PLWHA, and many other related fields. Our days were divided between “common time” (general sessions and presentations), different sessions, work groups and debates that ran in parallel and the social program during the evening. We tackled the topics of human rights, stigma and discrimination, and basic training sessions on leadership and peer education were held as well. The sessions were facilitated by young participants as well as by people from different United Nations Organisations (UNAIDS, UNESCO, UNFPA…) and other affiliated institutions. Some sessions that we participated in were also very funny, for instance the presentation of different sorts of condoms (Condomize http://www. thecondomizecampaign.org/ ). Did you know that there is a sort condom made from the sheep guts used for contraception (not protecting from STIs)? Eva and David
Event (Sexpression UK) facilitated their own workshop on the evaluation of peer education projects. The Youth Pre-Conference gave us an opportunity to network with youth delegates from all corners of the world and from very diverse backgrounds (journalism, political science, medicine, Youth PLWHA, sex workers…) and to exchange the ideas about our projects.
The Main Conference Spirit of the Conference
There was anger prior to and after the opening ceremony. Thousands of activists marched through the entire venue on the first day (IFMSA among them), waving banners and chanting the slogans of the rally. We have only 5 more years to meet the MDGs, and there is so much more work to be done in the fight for human rights, access to better healthcare services and treatment and in the fight against discrimination. Thus several rallies took place that echoed around the Conference with quite a demanding and exigent tone (slogans being: “broken promises kill”, “refund the global fund”, “sex work is work” and many others). The marching mobs assailed the governmental stands (USA, Canada, France) in the Exhibition area and the presidents (Sarkozy) (I was not proud of being French that time)… The main march took place on July 20th across the main streets of Vienna. More than 15.000 people marched, being joined by Viennese citizens, to claim and demand the Human Rights for all. Annie Lennox’s concert followed afterward.
Global Village
Accessible to the general public, the Global Village is a unique concept used in IACs that unites and gives space to all NGOs (international, regional, national and local) that ask for it. Moreover there was a Youth Pavilion and several Networking Zones (Youth, Women, Drug Users and Sex Workers) where many sessions were held. The main stage was located in the middle of the Village (with catwalks of transgender people, sex workers, drug users, condom dresses…) and the plenary sessions were always broadcasted live on the big screen above the stage. Several sessions were facilitated by IFMSA SCORA members (Dimitris and Muge in the Youth Networking Zone, and Imene and Halit in the Women Networking Zone).
IFMSA Stand
The IFMSA Stand was strategically situated almost at the entrance to the Global Village within the Youth Pavilion. On the side we put the big SCORA roll-up presenting the global vision of SCORA, together with its activities. The stand was decorated with several posters summing up projects and campaigns in different countries (Turkey,
France…) and a collage with the main theme being Stigma & Discrimination. Few empty spaces were filled with pictures of local activities and projects (such as WAD…). Scratch cards were presented and given out to interested people (hoping that they will be soon translated into English, we submitted the proposal already ;-) ).
Other (youth pavilion, networking zones, conference sessions)
The Youth Pavilion was inaugurated by the Norwegian Princess. There were debates, sessions and training workshops facilitated by the young people during the whole week. Thus we could create our own posters for rallies. The program of the main conference was extremely diverse and complex. Dozens of sessions were running in parallel (divided into 6 main tracks: Track A: Basic Science; Track B: Clinical Sciences; Track C: Epidemiology and Prevention Sciences; Track D: Social and Behavioural Sciences; Track E: Economics, Operations Research, Care and Health Systems; Track F: Policy, Law, Human Rights and Political Science). Several breakthrough outcomes were presented among them the encouraging results of micorbicides (CAPRISA 004 study) – video presentation accessible online: http://globalhealth.kff.org/AIDS2010/ July-20/Safety-and-Effectiveness.aspx
The Vienna Declaration
You surely would have heard about it over the IFMSA servers and maybe your NMO president even signed it. The Vienna Declaration is a statement seeking to improve community health and safety by calling for the incorporation of scientific evidence into illicit drug policies. Briefly it is calling upon governments to decriminalize the illicit drug users in order to remove the stigma linked with drug use, asking for easy access to harm reduction services, treatment and replacement therapy. Due to the lack of space, what is cited above was brought out of the context. That is why we encourage you to read the whole declaration on http://www.viennadeclaration.com/thedeclaration.html and if you feel inclined, you can sign it individually and/or ask your NMO president to sign it on behalf of your whole NMO. We hope we have encouraged and motivated you to take part on this conference in the future. See you then in IAC2012 in Washington, DC. ;-)
- Lucile Espeso ANEMF (France) Translated and amended by: Branislav Chrenka IFMSA SCORA Director 2009/2010 (a.k.a. “The daddy”)
Issue
A ne w mothe r receives inform ation on ex clu sive breastfeedin g in a M a ma wa si in the Ap uríma c reg ion of Pe ru Birth att end ant speak s wit h an expect ant mothe r about the vertica l birth pos itio n in Con dorcan qui, Am azona s, Peru
Maternal Mortality in Peru Our realities and our solutions
Maternal mortality is a very real and tragic problem in our country; it is without a doubt a very important health indicator. It’s also a very disturbing one. In 2000 the maternal mortality ratio was 183 per 100 000 live births in Perú, in 2001 and 2002 the Watanabe study estimated a ratio of 168.3 and 164.2 per 100 000 live births. This indicates slight improvement in the health care cover for women. Nevertheless, some regions within Perú still have staggering mortality ratios; for example in 2000 the ratio in Puno was 361 per 100 000 live births, in Huancavelica 302 per 100 000 live births and in Ayacucho 301. These regions along with eleven others exceed the national ratio. Ten years later, the situation has remained similar. The improvement in the last years has been focused on an institutional level; health care in rural areas is neglected even though they retain the highest numbers of maternal mortality and health problems related to pregnancy, birth and puerperium. The major problem in rural
areas is the lackluster quality in care that women receive. The medical staff fails to provide a happy and safe environment for women to give birth, so these women prefer to give birth at home, which only increases the risk of mortality of both women and infants, especially when emergency obstetric care is required. There are “delays” in health care that contribute to developing the problem in our country, the first one being poor education. Failure to recognize the problem is by far the most important setback in Perú. It forms the shaky basis where the problem begins. Many women are not able to identify a health problem owing to lack of knowledge. Often times, they become aware of it when it’s too late. The second delay comes from the late decision to go to the medical centre; here intervenes the fact that women in rural areas have a terrible concept of the medical staff because they don´t feel well treated there. That could be because doctors and nurses could give the impression of being cold and cruel, or because they use
Issue methods that are very different from what women are used to. The third delay is the geographic barrier. In spite of the fact that in 2000 Peruvian government doubled the number of medical centers and created the Global Health Insurance in 2002, we still need health care for those living in remote areas as it can take hours, even days, to arrive to the health centre. Some of the patients don’t even attempt to make the journey because they don’t own a car or can’t afford transportation. The fourth delay is caused by the medical staff itself owing to lack of experience or knowledge; or more commonly (and sadly) by the lack or materials and instruments in the medical centre. The four delays in the women health attention contribute together to the maternal mortality in Peru, finding a solution for each one is key to improving our health coverage and reducing morbidity and mortality. With the finality being to improve our health indicators, Government and Ministry of Health have created “Waiting houses” or “house for mothers”. This idea is one of the interesting solutions that our ministry of Health is developing in rural areas to make health care better. These houses are temporal lodgings for pregnant women, her small children and one adult person (friend, mother or husband) to support her during the last few weeks of her pregnancy. The objective is to insure a safe and successful delivery process in the local health centre all while respecting their traditions (like the vertical birth position or the use of some teas and plants in the pregnancy, birth and puerperium) in order to prevent maternal and newborn deaths. They can be monitored every day, that way if any complications arise they can be referred to a medical centre with better equipment to treat the problem. The Ministry of health introduced the first House in IlavePuno in 1997 and in 2004 there were 133 “waiting houses” all around the country. They have been created with the participation of the ministry of Health, UNICEF, Europe Union (AMARES Project), CARE Peru, local governments and NGOs. In spite of the widespread and efficiency of the “waiting houses”, it remains underused due to lack of information and the discomfort it brings to some women who hate to be away from home and their older children. It’s important to note that the extended absence of some family members can bring great financial woes to the household because they contribute to the labor force. Other problems arise as well within the houses themselves, mainly the lack of resources particularly food.
Our responsibility is to find these problems a solution. For this kind of services it is important to get national and international sponsors and look for the participation of the communities for economic support of the house, make the communities participate in the development of the service is not only helpful in the economic area, it also favors the use of the service. Supporting the waiting houses needs a multidisciplinary work with the participation of the local government, the medical centers, the community and the family. The Houses should get more financial support from the government, and the doctors should contribute to the plate by raising awareness and sensitivity through workshops and nutrition tutorials. The community must select people to be in charge of the houses, they have to conduct activities to increase resources for the houses (farms, sale of natural products and handicrafts) so the women are productive during their stay there, and encourage participation of the families in activities like housework, or feeding and taking care of the pregnant women. The best way to reduce maternal mortality in Peru is through monitoring pregnant women and giving them appropriate attention in the delivery and in the puerperium. The most common causes of maternal mortality in our country are hemorrhages and infections, both of which can be prevented if care is given on time. It is really important to eliminate the delays in care; the best way to do this is by taking down cultural and geographic barriers that stop women from getting professional attention. How are they going to look for our help if they do not trust us? As doctors, it is our duty to give our patients the best attention ever and in order to do that we should respect our patient´s traditions and beliefs, treat them with esteem and using the best of our knowledge.
- Kattia Lazarte Valencia LORA - LIMA APEMH (PERÚ)
Celebrity
Chronicles of a
SCORAngel Whether it’s scrambling to make event deadlines,
bending over backwards to juggle classes and peereducation sessions or figuring out a way to add more hours to an already overstuffed day, we’ve all experienced the rush and responsibility that come with being an active member of SCORA. Think of this article as group therapy. We’ve chosen a model candidate to give us her perspective on life with wings; wings she never takes off or takes for granted. Meet Katia Khoury, LeMSIC-SCORA extraordinaire, and Assistant to the Training Director in the IFMSA Training Support Division. From her opening words of “awwoohoo hiii” down to every other aspect of her stellar presence, Katia overflows with energy; the kind of energy that allows you to pinpoint a SCORAngel miles away… (We also have another defining trait, which is our ability to make everything sound dirty, but that’s irrelevant). This energy comes from utter and complete dedication to a cause we’ve lost ourselves in. In fact, Katia credits the charitable goals of SCORA as the main reasons for choosing this particular subcommittee over the others. OK, OK, fine, she may have mentioned that she had heard about SCORA having the best working atmosphere, but it’s mostly about it being a charity. Ever since then, she’s found herself a family she loves to
hang out with, one that shares her aspirations to make the world just slightly better than it is without having to approach it from a medical standpoint. SCORA-Lebanon has made a name for itself in the media and public eye through its annual fundraising concert that collects funds to pay for CD4-counts for patients in need. Aside from that, they’re busy all year long with almost weekly Peereducation sessions tailored to the audience, be it students, prison inmates, sheltered individuals, scouts, etc. Naturally – not to go all “cheesy-spiderman lines” on you but – the calling came with its own set of sacrifices: be it social or academic. “Some people find our lifestyle to be too hard core, they just don’t understand why we put ourselves through this. Even I have stopped a couple of times to wonder the same thing”, Katia says. “At one point at the end of the World AIDS Day concert, it felt like too much. The campaign to sell tickets and raise money had burned me out. It’s not just about the stress, it’s about the physical aspect; it’s exhausting.” And that left little time for the people she loves. “In the end, people who love you will get it”, she continues, “they’ll know that I have this or that SCORA obligation that’ll take up what little time med school leaves us”. School wise, the wings take their toll as well. Though she knew all along that it would leave its dent on her grades, she still chose to take
Celebrity
her committee to a whole new level in her 2nd year in medical school no less. “We had our biggest year, with record-breaking fundraisings, transnational projects, General Assemblies in mid-school year”. The latter wouldn’t have been possible if the faculty hadn’t been incredibly proud of LeMSIC’s success. Through their use of the CD4 fund, they realize just how important SCORA is. And so, they gave the students with steady good grades the opportunity to retake exams they’d be missing out during the March Meeting. But all the hard work pays off, while it might not be apparent when you’re in the midst of preparing for a concert for example, the calm that takes over you when all is said and done is exhilarating. “The thought of knowing how well everything was planned, how happy everybody was, how many patients will benefit from the money you made is enough to get you through the day”. It doesn’t have to be a huge public pay-off, sometimes it’s the little things that stand out. Katia recalls an incident where a friend she hadn’t heard from in a long while sent her a message just to thank her for helping a patient who really needed the CD4 count. The pride on her face when she showed me that message exceeds mere words. Besides her role in SCORA, Katia is the Assistant to the Training Support Division Director in IFMSA. She stood
out in the TNT training in AM09’s pre-GA and so was assigned the position before you could say “Holy training session Batman! We got another winner on our hands!”. Her 16 years in the Girl Scouts certainly helped, and even though she reached the highest positions one could attain within the Scouts, she had to give it all up for, you guessed it, tap dancing! (or…um… SCORA, I’m not sure, my notes are inconclusive). “Training New Trainers (or TNT) was a really nice experience for me, I got to meet incredible people from all over the world, and the trainers were fantastic”. The next logical step after becoming an IFMSA certified trainer, was to attend a TOT (Training old trainers), which she did in MM10. TOT gives you the necessary skills to prepare your own TNT, a feat she’s currently working on as she prepares for a regional TNT to be given in Lebanon in July. “Looking back at the AM09, It was a really terrifying time for me! Things were happening so fast!! But LeMSIC was really supportive, and Jelena the Training Support Division Director was ready to put all her eggs in my basket…” All that somehow helped Katia to commit to the position, knowing very well that she was entering the toughest year of her life, or as we call it in the medical community: Med 2. The Training Support Division has been a part of IFMSA for some time now, there’s a huge legacy to inherit and
Celebrity pass on, all while keeping yourself updated on the latest techniques and skills. And when she’s not fighting AIDS or posing for the Oxford English dictionary next to the word “Awesome”, Katia is currently the director of another standing committee. It’s one shrouded in mystery and intrigue, running an underground community that will most likely have my head for even mentioning them: SCOLCA. OK, no, I’m kidding, The Standing Committee on Liquids Containing Alcohol is a one-stop destination for all parties during GA. By the end of our interview, I have started hearing angels in the background, and that made the other 56 voices in my head very uncomfortable. But this was an eye-opening and inspirational interview. Katia made me realize just how much potential and room to grow there is in each of us. Next time you’re angry at the world for not giving enough or for not being charitable enough, remember that there are people as driven as Katia and that you’ve most likely met them at the last SCORA meeting you had. A thought like that is enough to make me believe in humanity again.
- Mario Fahed LeMSIC Lebanon
“The thought of knowing how well everything was planned, how happy everybody was, how many patients will benefit from the money you made is enough to get you through the day.”
What’s Next for SCORA? It is difficult to fathom that a year has passed already in the world of SCORA! If you haven’t caught up with the news yet, at the August Meeting 2010 in Montréal, Canada, the SCORA leadership for the next year was voted upon. And the results?
SCORA Director 2010-2011: Mr Halit Aytar (TurkMSIC Turkey) SCORA Liaison Officer 2010-2011: Mr Ionut Cobec (FASMR Romania)
Congratulations to Halit and Ionut! We are all looking forward to another enjoyable SCORAlicious year with the both of you! And of course, many millions of thanks to the SCORA leaders for 2009-2010, Brano and Imene. We really appreciate all the work that you have put into making SCORA the best Standing Committee in IFMSA yet again! All the best with all of your future endeavours, and of course, stay in touch!
Issue
Homosexuality is not the problem.
Homophobia is. Any kind of discrimination because of race, religion, sexual orientation or any other condition is unacceptable. Homophobia is any fear, prejudice, aversion, antipathy or rejection towards homosexuality, bisexuality or LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual) people. It includes all kinds of discrimination, such as laughing, making fun, insulting, physical violence and in some countries even murder. As any other kind of discrimination it seeks to dehumanize a large group of people, to deny their humanity, their dignity... As IFMSA members or simply as future physicians, we must live by setting the example. We’re supposed to be people with human quality, we must help, take care and accept all patients no matter what their sexual orientation is. IFMSA has taught us to coexist and accept people from different countries, cultures and religions. We’re a federation that unifies people, not the other way around. I invite you to take the time to reflect on this terrible situation. It’s amazing that even in the 21th century we continue to have this kind of attitude. If we were capable of getting over racism, macho-ism, why not do the same with homophobia? If it isn’t acceptable to discriminate because of race, or gender (isn’t our past president Silva a woman?) why do we keep tolerating discrimination because of sexual orientation? Please help us eliminate the hate and discrimination and eradicate homophobia! Homophobia affects all of society, not just LGBT people. It’s time for us to make a difference. If we want to see a change we must start individually, in order to see a difference around us. We’re all human, and we all have the right to live a decent, and fully-fulfilled life; the right to freedom of expression, which includes our sexual orientation without being afraid of being a vic-
tim of rejection, slandering ,or discrimination. If you have homophobic attitudes inform yourself! Information is the best way to prevent homophobia. Remember we can all fight against homophobia, regardless of your sexual orientation. You don’t need to be gay to fight against it, just as you don’t need to be black to fight against racism. Homosexuality is not the problem, homophobia is.
- Patricia Vázquez Rivas
Event Lebanese-Polish (And now Jordanian)
Transnational Project W hat happens if a SCORA member is left alone in a room? As you might have guessed, they will think about sex. What would happen if 2 SCORA members are left alone in a room? They will talk about sex. What would happen if three or more are left alone in a room? Then, they will come up with a project about sex. Then, what if that room is in the MM10? We’ll end up with a very nice Transnational Project (TNP). It is funny but this is exactly how LeMSIC-SCORA and SCORA Poland came up with the Lebanese-Polish Transnational Project. Lebanon was starting its peer-education program and needed to have peer-educators trained and the Polish had a well-established peer-education program and were willing to help. So, it happened and there was an exchange of experiences. However, the war in 2006 in Lebanon and the events that were subsequent to it gave the TNP a big blow but did not destroy it. Even during the war a peer-educator from Lebanon left for Poland for training. It wasn’t easy but a dim flame of life kept the TNP alive till March 2010. During the March Meeting (MM) in Thailand, SCORA Poland, LeMSIC-SCORA and IFMSA officials met in a “secret and dark” meeting where they discussed that the TNP is no longer necessary as Lebanon now has an excellent team of peer-educators. However, such a nice spring of action shouldn’t go to waste and so the TNP was expanded. Now Lebanon would train other countries to peereducate in a sort of “pass it over” way and Jordan was the prime candidate. As the idea concretized back in Beirut, the preparations started and ideas rushed into the scene in order to improve the TNP and to sustain it. In the end, it was decided that a little spice wouldn’t hurt anyone and the framework of the TNP was chosen to be a camp outdoors so that we’ll have an adventure together with the Jordanians while helping SCORA-Jordan rise and become a peer-education hub. The project placement was in Beit-Mery which is a very nice village in the mountains, north of Beirut. Everything was set for the big day: the campsite “La Vallée du Nomade”, the program for the workshop, the fun social program, transportation (which is extremely important since I was coordinating it :P). Local SCORA trainers were giving the workshop sessions, and
“The penultimate day included sessions on homosexuality, improvisation, lots of fun games as well as tips and tricks on how to avoid potential mines in peer-ed sessions. That nights’ social program included a campfire with a BBQ dinner à la Lebanese!”
amongst them you might know the former SCORA-D, Samer Abi Chaker, the current Assistant to the Training Director, Katia el Khoury, as well as the LeMSIC NORA and the co-RA for the Eastern Mediterranean Region Karim Masri. Since it’s a long drive from Amman to Beit-Mery, our Jordanian group arrived slightly disoriented and it took a while for them to settle in and relax. In the morning, after a nutritious breakfast, the program started with an introduction to peereducation and a sample peer-ed session given by our veterans. Since this is a very important part, it took most of the day. In the evening, we left the mountain landscape of Beit-Mery to head to one of the oldest coastal cities in the world, Byblos. There, we toured the city and shops, took some very nice pictures and had a stop at one of the hip restaurants. It was a welldeserved break after a long day. The real deal started the next
Event
“... such a nice spring of action shouldn’t go to waste and so the TNP was expanded. Now Lebanon would train other countries to peer-educate in a sort of “pass it over” way and Jordan was the prime candidate.”
morning: back-to-back sessions of all the elements of a peereducation session: the anatomy, the menstrual cycle, puberty, STIs, contraception etc. Even though it would seem like torture, the sessions were designed to be entertaining, filled with fun games and energizers. As the sun went down, we headed to the legendary downtown of Beirut where we “barhopped,” had a few drinks and as the evening ended we went back to the Vallée du Nomade for a restful nights’ sleep. The penultimate day included sessions on homosexuality, improvisation, lots of fun games as well as tips and tricks on how to avoid potential mines in peer-ed sessions. That nights’ social program included a campfire with a BBQ dinner à la Lebanese! The Jordanian group surprised us with a very funny and very original segment of Jordanian culture which included a typical Jordanian wedding, a “guess the Jordanian expression” part and many jokes that left the audience laughing their heart out to the starry sky. Later, marshmallows were roasted on the campfire and an
aborigine dance around the fire, orchestrated by the former SCORA-D, was performed for a harmonious closure. But, the workshop was not over yet. The next day, everybody left Beit-Mery to head to the American University of Beirut (AUB) where the new peer-educators would now give their first peer-ed session to a group of university students. As expected, SCORA-Jordan was brilliant at it and their session went very smoothly. Certificates were distributed and farewells were bid. However, this looks like a start of a long and fruitful cooperation between both of our countries. From perfect strangers to good friends. Viva SCORA ;)
- Nicolas Khattar LeMSIC Lebanon
Shopping
Products that fight
HIV/AIDS
If just looking good isn’t enough for you, you’ve come to the right place! Here is a selection of products that support people living with HIV/AIDS that you can buy online. These are just the Editor’s picks, so you can find a whole lot more if you start looking! - Anny Huang (AMSA Australia)
Penguin Classics Red Set
Tolstoy. Dickens. Bronte. Zola. Dostoevky. Wharton. D.H. Lawrence. Now you can read your favourite classic novels while supporting the fight against HIV/AIDS! Penguin releases a new batch of classics with RED covers every year on December 1st to celebrate World AIDS Day. All of these novels cost exactly the same as their counterparts with regular covers, but 50% of profits from their sales go towards the Global Fund. What a way to help those in need while indulging in your favourite pastime! 6.99-9.99 pounds each from www.penguinclassics.co.uk/static/minisites/red/ index.html
Diptyque red special edition candle
South African rooibos tea with Madagascan vanilla. Is anyone else in sensory paradise already just from imagining the combination of heavenly smells? Diptyque, the house of all scents Parisian, is donating 10% of proceeds from the sales of these candles to the Global Fund. There aren’t many better
Shoulder bags by SEW
reasons to splurge in life! $68 each from http://www.diptyqueparis.com/home-fragrances/red. html
Step into town with these unique and durable hand-made bags made by the HIV-positive women of Supporting Empowering Women (SEW), an organisation based in Arusha, Tanzania. In Africa, it is almost impossible to find employment once infected with HIV. SEW aims to assist these women in achieving financial independence through learning valuable business skills while sewing and selling bags such as this one modelled by Gracia Viana (IFMSA-El Salvador). Each bag is made of recycled material (this one was made from some scrap cloth and an old sack from a sugar factory!), and comes with a tag that features the story of the woman who had sewn it all together. A socially-conscious fashion accessory - now that’s a purchase to brag about! Available from www.sewtanzania.org
Shopping
Converse Product RED shoes
If you don’t have a pair of Converse shoes already, take a word of advice: you need some. Why? Because not only are they comfy, but they are also able to withstand years of wear and tear, even if you walk 200 kilometers in them every day. Within the HUGE variety of shoes sold by Converse, their Product RED range is especially awesome because 5-15% of proceeds from the sales of these shoes goes towards the Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS! Within the range, there are also customisable shoes (that’s right, you get to choose the colour and the design) and shoes designed by a HUND(RED) artists! Too cool for school! $50-70 each from http://www.converse.com/#/products/ collections/converseProductRed
Apple RED iPod nano iPod. Nano. RED. More portable than ever before. Proceeds to the Global Fund for HIV/AIDS. Enough said. Available from http://www.apple.com/au/ipod/red
DELL RED designer laptop range:
Fashion by KeoK’jay
This shop/website is so cool that I almost didn’t want to tell you about it so that I can have the funky clothes all to myself! Not only are the items made by a group of nine HIVpositive women living in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, but all the materials are recycled from old T-shirts and shirts, and the designs are screen-printed using environmentally-friendly inks and dyes! The KeoK’jay enterprise has allowed these women (who would otherwise not find jobs due to their HIV status) to work from home, enabling them to juggle making money with family duties. And some of the profits are used to help others living with AIDS at the Sihanouk Hospital Center of Hope! I especially love their super comfortable and versatile T-shirt range. At $12, that’s what I call a real bargain! Items $12-22 each by email order from http://www.keokjay. org/file/Home.html
As if donating your profits to the Global Fund wasn’t cool enough already, the team at DELL decided to invite world class designers to help out. The end result is the funkiest-looking laptop range on the planet! Now you can impress your friends and colleagues with both your taste in art and your willingness to support people living with HIV/AIDS. Come on now, donate your current laptop to charity and get one of these pretty AND functional machines. Because although we don’t admit it, we all know that black laptops are only for the middle-aged-and-boring and for the seriously emo. Available at various prices from http://www.dell.com/content/topics/topic.aspx/global/products/landing/en/us/us/dhs/ productred-artwork
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