 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Robert T. Elliott, College, Harvard University, 208 Leverett Mail Center, Cambridge, MA 02137, (617) 233 7280, relliott@fas.harvard.edu, Adam R. Taylor, MPP, Global Justice, 22 Putnam Ave, Cambridge, MA 02138, Melissa S. Tracy, BA, New York Academy of Medicine, 1216 Fifth Avenue, New York City, NY 10029, and Robert F. Luo, MD/MPH candidate, School of Medicine and Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins, 615 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205.
Young people must not only be informed about HIV/AIDS but also be prepared to help fight against the global HIV/AIDS crisis. With the majority of new HIV cases occurring in youth ages 15-24, the millions of AIDS orphans worldwide, and the tenuous political and economic outlook of nations decimated by AIDS, young people must join the global health and social justice movement for the future of their own generation. In this session, we present a sustainable model of building an international network of student HIV/AIDS activists. Over the last two years, the Student Global AIDS Campaign (SGAC) has mobilized together over 10,000 students from over 50 countries in educational and political activism. The summer of 2001 provided the first opportunity for youth activists to come together, with the SGAC serving as the secretariat of the Global Youth Advocacy Network, an outcome of the UN Special Session on HIV/AIDS. Young people continue their participation through SGAC’s Global Youth Advocacy Network and exchange best practices, share resources, and collaborate on international advocacy events. During summer of 2002 the SGAC served as one of the coordinating organizations for the Barcelona Youth Force, a satellite session aimed at increasing youth involvement in future International AIDS Conferences. We present an evaluation of this model and successful strategies for building an integrated movement of young people in a diversity of cultural and economic settings.
Learning Objectives:
Related Web page: www,fightglobalaids.org
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.