[afro-nets] National Youth HIV/AIDS Response Initiative

[Dabesaki Mac-Ikemenjima <dabesaki@yahoo.com>]

National Youth HIV/AIDS Response Initiative
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Request for Publications

"Students Without Borders" is the International Students arm of
"Teachers Without Borders", global teacher organization regis-
tered non-profit in the USA and Nigeria, with membership in over
80 countries. Please visit http://www.teacherswithoutborders.org
for more information.

The mission of "Students Without Borders" (SWB) is to inspire
students to take positive actions to effect positive changes in
their communities; connect them to each other to share and ex-
change resource ideas and concrete community success stories,
and educate other young people using their achievement at the
local level as resource tools. SWB has a global vision and mis-
sion but is focused on activities that would affect the immedi-
ate environment of its members. Some projects of students With-
out Borders are "Save Port Harcourt Zoo" Campaign, "Students
Leaders Information Technology Conference" and AIDS2004YOUTH.

We are requesting for financial and Technical support for the
Port Harcourt our National Youth HIV/AIDS Response Project:
"Support Sixty Initiative". The Initiative is aimed at securing
support for youth nationally to attend and participate at the
highest level possible at the 4th National Conference on AIDS
billed for Abuja this May 2-5.

It is disheartening to know that despite the fact that youth are
the most vulnerable to HIV infection and have been identified as
a risk group by the National HIV/AIDS Emergency Action Plan
(HEAP), youth are hardly found at National level HIV/AIDS ac-
tivities and policy processes. Often, their roles end at in-
school seminar venues and community rallies, and this has left
them at the non-participant level in these activities. However,
if Nigeria as a nation must make progress in the fight against
AIDS, then the youth must be empowered and included in policy
processes. Pleasantly, the youth of have decided to take the
bull by the horns!

The goals of the initiative are:
* To ensure that youth are seen and heard at the 4th national
conference on AIDS.
* To secure mainstream support and community endorsement for
youth led HIV/AIDS initiatives.
* To serve as a central gathering place for all youth and youth
organizations nationally for information sharing, collaboration
and networking.
* To promote and publicise youth initiatives that are geared to-
wards curbing the spread of HIV in their communities.
* To inform and update youth leaders and their organisations on
youth and HIV issues nationally and internationally.
* To publish and disseminate a quarterly newsletter and youth
advocacy materials both electronically and in print to youth and
political leaders nationally to solicit policy support for youth
related HIV activities.
* To connect Nigerian youth working on HIV issues to their col-
leagues around the world for information sharing, experience
sharing and success sharing.

Pre-Conference Activities

* Zonal Consultations by youth to carry out basic HIV/AIDS Edu-
cation, get the opinion of youth on HIV issues as it affects
them and collect data on what they have been doing in their com-
munities (for the purpose of this youth activity, the country
has been divided into six zones)
* National Youth e-network
(http://www.yahoogroups.com/group/aids2004youth-nigeria), to
discuss the activities and inputs of youth to the conference
process and to create opportunity for follow-up of the prepara-
tory, conference and post conference processes for youth nation-
ally.
* Constitution of the National Youth Media Team to develop a
Documentary of the activities of youth in HIV and have inter-
views with political leaders, and to develop the Newsletters of
youth during the conference.
* One-day pre-conference youth workshop to give youth orienta-
tion and prepare them to face the real challenges of the confer-
ence.

In-Conference Activities

* Youth reception and welcome.
* Daily youth strategy sessions to connect youth to each other
and to national leaders who would be invited each day to listen
to youth present their research findings on the issues that af-
fect them.
* Newsletters to showcase youth activities, express youth con-
cerns and publicise the presence of youth at the conference.
* Cultural performance: to involve youth in opening and closing
ceremonies entertainment activities.
* Visibility Campaign- youth participants making their presence
and their impact felt by appearing on similar attires and unique
symbols to raise awareness on the need for meaningful youth par-
ticipation in Adolescent Reproductive Health activities and
HIV/AIDS prevention and care in their communities and nation-
ally.
* Youth Forum: It is anticipated that the organizers of the con-
ference shall allot a time for youth led and driven discussions,
to enable youth speak on the issues that affect them and to
raise awareness on youth issues.

Post Conference Activities

A National Youth Strategy Session shall be held by youth after
the conference to develop the structure for a National HIV/AIDS
Coalition, which shall implement the National Youth HIV/AIDS
Strategic Plan. This project will help to continually evaluate
the level of youth participation nationally in HIV/AIDS Policy
processes and serve as the National Youth Advocacy Platform.

Expected Outcomes

* National Youth Coalition on AIDS
* National Youth HIV/AIDS Strategic Plan
* National Youth Declaration on AIDS (this Document will be pre-
sented at the XV International Conference on AIDS billed for
Bangkok Thailand, this July.)

In order to help us achieve these objectives, we kindly request
you to support and encourage youths to participate at the event.
We are as well gathering training materials in Adolescent Repro-
ductive health, HIV/AIDS Education, Youth and HIV, HIV/AIDS Pol-
icy issues, Human Rights Issues, Young People Living with
HIV/AIDS. If you are willing and able  to donate materials and
training kits, please mailto:dabesaki1@yahoo.co.uk

The beauty of this youth plan is that it will serve as the Nige-
rian youth preparation for the XV International Conference on
AIDS and shall promote Nigeria's readiness to fight the continu-
ous spread of the virus. This will create global connections for
Nigeria and its youth and create opportunities for resource
sharing and global networking.

We look forward to your best considerations.

Sincerely,

Dabesaki Mac-Ikemenjima, Esq.
Facilitator
mailto:dabesaki@yahoo.com

--
Dabesaki Mac-Ikemenjima is 22 years old and the Facilitator of
the Youth Caucus for the XV International Conference on AIDS
billed for Bangkok. The youth caucus is a unique arrangement and
the first of its kind, with youth from over 100 organisations
and national and regional networks sharing information and de-
veloping a presentation YOUTH AT BANGKOK which will express the
concerns of youth globally and highlight their plans for the
sustenance of the outcomes of the conference. Dabesaki has
worked with both UNDP and UNESCO at different occasion in policy
related issues and Trained by the UNFPA on HIV/AIDS Counselling.
He is currently National Focal Point Nigeria for the UNESCO
Youth Space Essay Contest.

Dabesaki Mac-Ikemenjima, Esq.
Coordinator, Students Without Borders
PO Box 448 Woji 500007 Port Harcourt, Nigeria
Mobile: +234-8055182526
mailto:dabesaki@yahoo.com
http://www.dabesaki.freeservers.com
http://www.teacherswithoutborders.org