12 Jul 2010 20:11 Africa/Lagos
UNDP Announces 2010 Red Ribbon Award Winners/ Biennial global award celebrates outstanding community leadership and action on AIDS
NEW YORK, July 12, 2010/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Twenty-five community-based organisations representing 17 countries across the globe have won the 2010 Red Ribbon Award.
The Red Ribbon Award, named after the global symbol in the movement to address AIDS, is a joint effort of the UNAIDS family. The award recognizes outstanding community organisations for their work in reducing the spread and impact of AIDS.
“Grassroots and community based organizations are at the heart of the global response to AIDS,” said UNAIDS Deputy Executive Director, Management & External Relations Jan Beagle, “UNAIDS is proud to celebrate and honor these groups who have mobilized themselves to meet the needs of the most vulnerable in their communities with energy, passion, and compassion. The red ribbon award winners give a resounding voice to the voiceless.”
Each of the winning organizations receives a cash award and international recognition for their innovation and leadership in responding to the AIDS epidemic. The organizations are invited to participate in the XVIII International AIDS Conference to be held in Vienna next week where they will be guests of honour at a formal Awards Ceremony and will host a forum for dialogue and exchange between policy makers and community representatives.
“Communities really hold the key to finding solutions to their own problems," said Dr. Helene Gayle, President and CEO of CARE, and a member of this year's jury panel. "So while those of us with a lot of outside expertise may know the theories, community organizations are best suited to reach those most in need when it comes to applying them.”
Out of 720 nominations from over 100 countries, the 25 winners were judged to have demonstrated the most remarkable efforts in terms of innovation, impact, sustainability, strategic partnerships, gender sensitivity and social inclusion. The winners were selected by a Technical Review Committee of civil society representatives who are experts in the community response to HIV.
“These organizations clearly demonstrate that effective responses to the epidemic require the full participation of front-line, community-based groups. Community groups recognize that AIDS is one of many issues that are tied together. They understand that AIDS requires an exceptional response but they also understand that you need to link AIDS to broader issues of health, development and justice to be effective,” said Jeffrey O'Malley, Director of the HIV/AIDS Practice at UNDP.
UNDP is honoured to announce the 2010 Red Ribbon Award Winners:
AFRICA
Association Pénitentiaire Africaine is an organization in Burkina Faso that has served as a model for raising awareness of prisoners' human rights, specifically the right to health, which includes HIV prevention, treatment, care and support.
Center for Domestic Violence Prevention works at the civil society and government levels in Uganda to build an environment that is supportive of women's rights to safety and equality, underlying issues behind women's vulnerability to HIV in that nation.
Chrysalide operates a centre of support for women with HIV, drug users, sex workers and ex-prisoners, and has through HIV prevention and sensitization programmes reduced stigma and discrimination experienced by people living with HIV in communities throughout Mauritius.
Elan d'Amour has played a catalytic role in improving access to HIV treatment and care by modelling how to integrate community organizations into the health care system of Cote d'Ivoire.
Nikat Women's Association is the first community-based association in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia that is devoted to improving the living conditions of low-income women and commercial sex workers, thereby fighting poverty and protecting the right to health.
Physicians for Social Justice has trained family caregivers and volunteers in Nigeria to conduct home visits to support people living with HIV, and in particular women, thereby challenging existing gender and cultural stereotypes.
Positive Women's Network has been at the forefront of the HIV response in South Africa by creating a safe space for women with HIV, comprehensively addressing their needs and forming a powerful group that educates the wider community about HIV.
Pride Community Health Organization Zambia operates a safe haven in Zambia for people living with HIV, particularly orphans, vulnerable children, youth, women and people with disabilities, providing them with HIV and tuberculosis care, and support through home-based care services.
The Initiative for Equal Rights was established in response to human rights violations against sexual minorities and focuses on the health needs of men who have sex with men, slowly breaking the silence around issues of sexual minorities in, Nigeria.
Uganda Young Positive has mobilized over 20,000 young people across Uganda to conduct advocacy activities and become a point of convergence for all other youth organisations that advocate for greater support for people living with HIV.
ARAB STATES
Substance Abuse Research Center – SARC-AMAN is the first organisation in Gaza, the Palestinian territories to tackle issues of drug use and HIV, including stigma and misconceptions associated with these issues, in student and refugee populations.
Widows, Orphans and People Living with HIV/AIDS is a community organisation of people living with HIV in Southern Sudan and works to increase access to anti-retroviral treatment by forming partnerships with hospitals, facilitating referrals for treatment, and developing a home-based care system.
Source: United Nations Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)
