“Act Positive – Aids affects us all”
In 2007 the Dutch development agency Woord en Daad joint hands with the German child development agency Kindernothilfe, the Slovak HIV and AIDS awareness organisation ACET, the Dutch development agency Tear and the Dutch emergency and rehabilitation organisation ZOA to setup an awareness campaign among young people about HIV and AIDS.
The aim is to inform young people about the crucial topic of HIV/AIDS in developing countries and to fight this threat together.
HIV/AIDS affected children and youngsters are in the focus of the campaign: they suffer extremely from their own infection, the loss of their relatives and the lack of any prospects for life.
The purpose of the campaign is to raise awareness for this problem among young people in the North and to present them with possibilities of improving the situation of youngsters in the South. Three petitions will be developed addressing the EU and its politics concerning HIV/AIDS. We hope that these petitions will be supported by thousands of signatures from people in Germany, Slovakia and the Netherlands to highlight the importance and urgency of this topic.
One main aspect of the campaign is international co-operation and exchange between young people from Europe and Africa. Among other things, meetings will be organised during which they will meet each other and work together on HIV/AIDS. Our intention is to motivate young people from different countries to join hands in fighting the disastrous effects of HIV/AIDS and to show solidarity with all those affected. For this reason the abovementioned European NGOs will work together with partner organisations in Africa: Mfesane (South Africa), Life Skills Promoters (Kenya) and Youth for Christ (South Africa).
Another goal is to encourage the youth in the participating countries to behave and act in a responsible way by emphasizing that they are at risk, too.
Annual highlights will be a campaign week, concerts and an international Youth Parliament. The parliament events will be organised in Germany (2008), in Slovakia (2009) and in the Netherlands (2010). Young people from all the countries mentioned and Africa will meet, work on and discuss the topic of HIV/AIDS and celebrate as well.
