Abstract Book Vol. 2 [International Conference on AIDS (14th: 2002: Barcelona, Spain)]

XIV International AIDS Conference

Abstracts ThPeG8234-ThPeG8237 647

Description: AIDS activists from 2 Organisations in Lucknow, India were arrested
for working with MSM within the National AIDS Control Policy framework and
Jailed for more than 45 days on charges of spreading homosexuality against
Indian Culture". The state, in spite of all evidence of their legitimate activities,
refused to release them and has gone ahead and filed charges against them in
court. The lower judiciary described their efforts to save lives as a "curse on society". NACO was a mute spectator to all this and could at no stage defend its own
policies due to the existing archaic and discriminatory laws. Such laws, in conflict
with the AIDS policy, also result in recurring abuse, violence, extortion, blackmail,
and supression against MSM by both state and non-state agencies. All this impedes intervention work and increases the vulnerability of MSM while taking the
policy objectives of HIV prevention closer to the risk of failure.
Lessions Learned: Successful HIV intervention with MSM desires the ammendment of such discriminatory laws in harmony with the national policy, thereby
promoting/protecting the righst of MSM and enabling NACO to have more effective say in cases of rights abuse. Otherwise the National HIV intervention efforts
with MSM risk total failure.
Recommendations: Success of the National AIDS Control Policy Re:MSM depend on amendment/repeal of discriminatory laws in harmony with the policy.
Presenting author: Aditya Bondyopadhyay, 22/748 DDA Flats, Kalkaji, New
Delhi, PIN: 110019, India, Tel.: + 98 111 70181, Fax: + 91 11 6073046, E-mail:
aditbond @ yahoo.com
ThPeG8234 HIV/AIDS as an evolving human rights issue:
responses from the legal community
E.T. Crone. Yale Law School, 265 College Street, #2G, New Haven, CT 06510,
United States
Issues: This presentation will review the evolving role of the legal community,
notably traditional human rights institutions, in responding to HIV/AIDS.
Description: While the health and human rights paradigm is well established
within the field of public health, the traditional human rights community has
only recently acknowledged its significance. With the recent shifts in the field of
HIV/AIDS and human rights such as the movement toward universal recognition
of HIV/AIDS as a human rights crisis, what are practices and policies that human
rights institutions and the legal community can implement?
This presentation will review how individual activists, non-governmental organizations, academic institutions and parlimentarians have advanced a human rights
response to HIV/AIDS in the specific areas of networking, policy, legislation and
reporting. Advancements in stigma and discrimination; treatment access; gender
empowerment; and political will, including international funding, are among the issues that will be highlighted. Case studies from the United States, India, Nigeria,
South Africa and Uganda will be considered.
Lessons learned: The legal community, notably human rights institutions, can
contribute to the fight against HIV/AIDS through research and reporting; the creation of transnational issue networks; the development of policy and legislation;
and litigation to articulate norms.
Recommendations: The fight against HIV/AIDS and the advancement of human
rights require increasing collaboration and knowledge sharing between countries
in all stages of the pandemic. Members of the legal community and human rights
activists must advocate jointly by recognizing the interconnectedness of issues
and the stake they have in one another's success. The session will result in a
lively and timely discussion of model practice and policy in the HIV/AIDS and
human rights field.
Presenting author: Elizabeth Tyler Crone, 265 College Street, #2G, New Haven,
CT, 6510, United States, Tel.: [phone], E-mail: elizabeth.crone@yale.
edu
ThPeG8235 Protecting and promoting human rights
S.K.S. Huidrom. Legal lines (HIV/AIDS) unit, Legal lines (hiv/aids) unit, c/o
Lifeline building, Moirangkhom makha sougaijam leirak, Imphal 795001, India
Background: hiv/aids continue to spread in the tiny state of northeast india (manipur) at an alarming rate. manipur with hardly 0.2% of india's population is ranking 3rd highest in a total number of hiv+ cases in the country as a result the
abuse of human rights and fundamental freedoms associated with hiv/aids has
emerged in the wake of pandemic. the plwhas are treated as immoral people
and family members are target of social ostracism, apart from social boycott,
the family suffers economic repercussions, the prospects of marriage of the children recede. methods: a) to protect the rights of plwhas, widows of injecting drug
users, children and affected others. b) to sensitize the community for a positive
approach towards hiv infected persons through awareness programmes. c) providing free legal support services to educate about their rights, develop expertise
on hiv/aids related legal issues and utilize means of protection in addition to the
courts and other forum.d) free distribution of information, education and communication (i.e.c) materials.e) organizing group discussion, workshops, seminars

etc. related with laws, ethics and human rights.
Result: plwhas, their families, communities and ngos working in these fields have
started taking active roles in the context of hiv/aids programmes, the degree of
awareness about their rights associated with hiv/aids has increased up to certain
extent. the helplessness attitude of the plwhas and their positive attitudes are visible. however, to file cases in the law courts are still less, because of the traditional
set up and lack of appropriate law.

Conclusions: till today, there are no specific laws for the hiv/aids in india, in
spite of many endeavors to pass a bill in the parliament, state should enact or
strengthen anti-discrimination and other protective laws that protect the rights of
the vulnerable groups, plwhas and others. that is why human right are critical to
an effective response to hiv/aids.
Presenting author: Sushil kumar singh Huidrom, Legal lines (hiv/aids) unit, c/o
Lifeline building, Moirangkhom makha sougaijam leirak, Imphal 795001, India,
Tel.: [phone], Fax: [phone], E-mail: sushilhuidrom@rediffmail.
com
ThPeG8236 Folk songs and dances: more powerful than
written materials - Right-based approach to
HIV/AIDS and reproductive health
M. Wen, W. Liu. Yunnan Reproductive Health Research Association, po box 103
liangyuan xiaoqu post office, kunming, 650100, yunnan, p. r china, China
Issues: A lot of prevention work on HIV/AIDS are in a top down style, and focus
on individual behavior and decision making in isolation from social networks and
hierarchies that shape health conditions. Women's low literacy level, low access to
reproductive health information and service and the gender inequility worsened
their vulnerability to HIV/AIDS/STI infection. And most health service providers
are not familiar with how to implement their concern with rights in health work.
Description: This paper will introduce a project on promoting awareness of reproductive health right and building up capacity to practice right-based approaches
to HIV/AIDS. Participatory Rural Appraisal and Participatory Learning and Action
tools have contributed to understandings of local villagers' needs, resource allocation and gender inequality by local policy makers, service providers and local
villagers working together. Local villagers organized by themselves to make action plans, develop effective IEC materials creatively in the local styles and form
in groups to promote the knowledge and skills learned to more people around.
Folk songs and dances turned out to be the most sustainable and powerful media
for HIV/AIDS prevention and reproductive health right promotion.
Lessons learned: The awareness of reproductive health rights and HIV/AIDS
should be addressed from both the sides of service providers and female and
male villagers. Facilitating the local people's participation, ownership and creative
use of local resources contributes a lot to the project sustainability.
Recommendations: Set up local training groups to pass on the knowledge and
skills learned to wider population in the form of folk songs and dances in local
language and music. Reproductive heath project should involve both the married
couples and unmarried youth. Appropriate services match the people's needs in
the project.
Presenting author: mei wen, po box 103 liangyuan xiaoqu post office, kunming,
650100, yunnan, p. r. china, China, Tel.: [phone], Fax: [phone],
E-mail: [email protected]
ThPeG8237 The Anti-discrimination Advocacy Project: bridging
theory and practice
M. Reid. AIDS Council of New South Wales [acon], Southern Cross University &
Anti-Discrimination Board of New South Wales, P 0 Box 6063, South Lismore,
NSW 2480, Australia
Issues: Despite the inroads that have been made in the area of discriminatory
practice and rights protection in Australia, the systemic difficulties in implementing human rights legislation have proved disheartening. In a climate of high levels
of homophobic and HIV-related discrimination, few complaints are lodged.
The extent of the human, public health and societal impact of HIV/AIDS gives
added incentive to ensure anti-discrimination laws and systems are effective. This
is relevant both in the protection of human rights of those infected, and those most
at risk of infection due to the role that social environments play in supporting HIV
prevention efforts.
Descriptions: With the goal of identifying barriers to the effective implementation
of discrimination legislation and to develop strategies to overcome these barriers, the Anti-Discrimination Advocacy Project was established through partnership with government and non-government agencies. The project is centred on
two main factors. One, the importance of the legal dimension of human rights, the
other, built around the phenomenological point that such legal protection necessarily exists within, and is vitally affected by, a broader non-legal context.
Lessons learned: It has become evident that community action needs to be
focused in two areas: firstly, to increase the knowledge and skills of community
workers to maximise the ability of individuals to take action in response to discrimination. Secondly, to strengthen the capacity of the community sector to advocate
for improvements to anti-discrimination remedies and law reform.
Recommendations: Taking a comprehensive approach to health, the AntiDiscrimination Advocacy Project points to community as an effective site for intervention. This is not to undervalue the importance of a supportive legal framework,
but to suggest that action move beyond a sole reliance on legal initiatives towards

building resistance to discrimination within communities.
Presenting author: Michael Reid, P O Box 6063, South Lismore, NSW, 2480,
Australia, Tel.: +61 - 2 - 6622 1555, Fax: +61 - 2 - 6622 1520, E-mail: mreid
@acon.org.au