Uniterra at the 2006 AIDS Conference

The Objective of Uniterra : Engaging in the Fight Against HIV/Aids

In Botswna, Burkina Faso and Malawi, Uniterra partners with HIV AIDS service organisations, networks and agencies committed to fighting the pandemic. Our partners face important challenges. They must offer services and support to families and communities affected by HIV AIDS. They must ensure that their staff are able to do the best job possible under demanding circumstances. And they must scale up their work with their respective governments to ensure that decision-makers and policies respond effectively to the changing, devastating scenario that is HIV AIDS in each country.

Uniterra’s volunteers support our partners to do this work. Since 2004, over 100 Canadian volunteers have worked with 24 partners in these three countries. Together they have worked to build, communicate, reach out, support or nurture a range of initiatives designed to make a difference. This newsletter profiles some of those efforts and you can read about others on the Uniterra website.

All of Uniterra’s programming, including its work in the HIV sector, takes its cue from the Millenium Development Goals. The international community recognises that countries must reduce the spread of HIV and AIDS if there is to be any hope of stemming poverty or social exclusion. Uniterra’s actions are a step in that direction. 

Participating in the Congres ; An Occasion for Learning and Networking

There are several reasons why Uniterra and its partners will be participating in the Toronto conference. For our partners, it is an ideal opportunity to :

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• Increase knowledge of and involvement with initiatives in HIV beyond their respective regions;
• Increase knowledge of technical advances and debates in HIV treatment, care and prevention; 
• Learn about Uniterra’s public engagement initiatives in the sector in Canada;  
• Meet Canadian NGO partners from the HIV sector that are linked to Uniterra and develop strategies for closer collaboration. 
• Strengthen partnerships with other Southern organizations from the sector:
• Contribute their knowledge and experience to lobbying initiatives generated at the conference itself. Meet and work with youth who will contribute to and participate in a series of public engagement activities supported by Uniterra;
• Participate in pre- and post-conference activities that reinforce the above objectives;
• Develop action plans to share new knowledge with colleagues from their respective organisations;