[afro-nets] AIDS 2006: African Youth Celebrate Best Practices

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

AIDS 2006: African Youth Celebrate Best Practices
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One more good thing happening in Africa!
   
TORONTO August 15, 2006- The African Youth HIV/AIDS Best Practice Handbook was presented today at the International AIDS Conference holding in Toronto. Introducing the launch, DPI's Executive Director, Dabesaki Mac-Ikemenjima highlighted that very often when we come to international AIDS Conferences, the only things that are talked about are how Africans are dying of poverty and disease, and often when African youth ask for space in policy processes, they are asked "what can you bring to the table?" Thus there is a resounding question going on in the mind of every onlooker "can anything good come out of Africa?" According to him, the handbook is a demonstration of the fact that African youth are able to take leadership both today and in the future and that great things are happening in Africa.
   
The session was Chaired by: Prof. Babatunde Osotimein Chair of the National AIDS Committee in Nigeria (who was represented by Dr. Dairo Akinyele) and Mr. Henry Luyombya Hudson of the AIDS 2006 Leadership committee. Dr. Dairo emphasised that the handbook is a demonstration of youth leadership to take the lead in the change process in Africa and called on donor agencies to reduce the bureaucracies in allocating project funds to youth-led organisations and to work with young people in the processes of developing and implementing projects in their various project countries. He also emphasised the need for youth related projects to include a strong monitoring and evaluation component that will strengthen their chances of securing funds. 
   
  Five Best Practice authors were present and made presentations related to their projects. Community Programme Co-Chair for the XVI International AIDS Conference, Violeta Ross Gracia, emphasised that the Best Practice Handbook was a model that South Americans can learn from. She expressed worry that Africa is always mentioned for negative things and emphasised that the world needs to learn from Africa's ability to cope with the AIDS pandemic and that the world needs Africa's resource base to effectively address the AIDS virus. Participants at the session commended the handbook and made clear that it was a resource that will be definitely useful to young people, programme developers and donors working in the field of HIV/AIDS.
   
  It is hoped that future versions of the handbook will be developed and that young people will begin to share innovative practices and share with the world that young people are able to take leadership in change processes. Copies of the handbook can be downloaded here 
http://www.developmentpartnership.org/dpi/downloads/Best%20Practices%20Handbook.pdf

Dabesaki Mac-Ikemenjima 
Director,Development Partnership International
4 Eleme/Onne Road off Eleme Junction, 
Port Harcourt 500001 NIGERIA 

http://www.developmentpartnership.org 
Phone: +234 84 751 002 
Fax:     +234 84 751 002 
Mobile: +234 805 518 2526 
mailto:dabesaki@developmentpartnership.org 

Co-Founder, Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS 
http://www.youthaidscoalition.org dabesaki@youthaidscoalition.org