Red Ribbon Award honours innovation, courage and impact of local organizations
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| Community-based organizations participate in the global AIDS response by empowering
their members to promote positive change. |
Recognizing the critical role that local
organizations play in the response to HIV, five community organizations from Ghana, India, Iran, Malawi and Mexico were presented
with Red Ribbon Awards at the International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008) last
night.
“These are extraordinary
organizations helping to meet the needs of their own communities in often very difficult circumstances,” said Rebecca Grynspan,
Director of the Regional Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), during
the awards ceremony. “In doing so they have shown extraordinary creativity, courage and leadership in responding to the epidemic
and achieving tangible results with limited resources.”
Of the more than 550 organizations from 147 countries that
were nominated, 25 were awarded US$ 5,000 and invited to Mexico City to participate in the AIDS 2008.
“All the
Red Ribbon participants at this conference are winners,” said As Sy, Director of Partnerships and External Relations for UNAIDS.
“We hope that the knowledge and resources gained from AIDS 2008 will help inspire you in your own communities in taking your
work to the next level. I know all of us have learned from you and your experiences. This knowledge is truly what the Red
Ribbon Awards are about.”
The five winners will each receive US$20,000 in recognition of their exceptional response
to HIV at the local level. The organizations are:
- Centre for Popular Education and Human Rights,
Ghana
A pioneer in work with men who have sex with men, this Ghanaian group seeks to
protect and uphold
the rights of all sexual minorities. The centre has provided innovative
HIV treatment and mental health services and
runs a drop-in clinic for men who have sex with men.
- Sanghamitra, A Women’s Collective, India
Sanghamitra
is giving a voice to sex workers in Mumbai, India. This women’s collective
lobbies for universal condom usage by sex
workers, works with the police to protect legal rights as well as with health clinics to improve health services.
- Hamyaran
Mosbat – The Mashhad Positive Club, Iran
Hamyaran Mosbat works closely with national and international institutions,
including
religious leaders, to expand access to treatment and care. Its network of HIV clubs offers peer education,
prevention workshops, referrals and counseling to people living with HIV and other key populations.
Consol Homes works with over 20,000 children orphaned by AIDS in 250 villages in
rural
Malawi. Partly run by the orphans themselves, Consol Homes encourages children
to become directly involved in dealing
with HIV in their own communities.
- Fortaleciendo la Diversidad, Mexico
Fortaleciendo la Diversidad
is dedicated to improving the quality of life, health and
acceptance of transgender populations and sex workers. Through
the use of the media and artistic events as well as collaboration with the police, they have changed perceptions, decreased
prejudice and increased recognition and acceptance.
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| The Red Ribbon Award serves as an inspiration to grassroots organizations worldwide. (Photo: Johnny
Fernandes) |
The Red Ribbon Awards are presented every two years at the International AIDS
Conference with the aim of providing a global platform for community-based organizations to display their work and highlight
the effectiveness and pivotal role of grassroots action worldwide. It is the second time the awards are being presented; the
first was at the 2006 International AIDS Conference in Toronto.
This year the final jury included Crown Princess
Mette-Marit of Norway; Edwin Cameron, a South African Supreme Court of Appeals Judge and the first senior South African official
to publicly state that he was living with HIV; Didier Drogba, professional footballer and UNDP Goodwill Ambassador; Dr. Helene
Gayle, President and CEO of Care International; Elizabeth Mataka, the United Nations Secretary General’s Special Envoy for
HIV and AIDS in Africa ; and Mary Robinson, the first woman president of Ireland and former United Nations High Commissioner
for Human Rights.
The Red Ribbon Award Secretariat is hosted by UNDP and supported by the XVII International AIDS
Conference, the Canadian International Development Agency, Irish Aid and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
About UNAIDS: UNAIDS, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, is an innovative joint venture of the United Nations
family, bringing together the efforts and resources of ten UN system organizations in the AIDS response to help the world
prevent new HIV infections, care for people living with HIV, and mitigate the impact of the epidemic. UNAIDS Secretariat works
on the ground in more than 80 countries worldwide. Cosponsors include UNHCR, UNICEF, WFP, UNDP, UNFPA, UNODC, ILO, UNESCO,
WHO and the World Bank. http://www.unaids.org
About the XVII International
AIDS Conference: AIDS 2008 is the world’s largest HIV/AIDS conference and provides an international, open and independent
forum for the exchange of ideas, knowledge and research which will inform HIV/AIDS programmes and strengthen prevention, treatment
and care efforts worldwide. The theme of AIDS 2008 is Universal Action Now. http://www.aids2008.org
