Mali Call to Action: Last chance to sign

As we get closer to the High Level Meetings on HIV, held in New York on June 8-10, we're calling on GYCA members to take this last opportunity to sign the Mali Call to Action. Young people around the world came together in Bamako to demand new and transformative leadership within the HIV response, and we can carry this message forward to the High Level Meeting. Support the Mali Call to Action to demand accountability from heads of state and governments to act upon their commitments during the Meetings!

Remember: Over 3000 young people are infected with HIV every day. Only 1 in 3 young people have full knowledge of how HIV is transmitted and many young people living with HIV are in need of treatment do not have access. Tell world leaders it's time for action!

Here's how to get involved:
- SIGN THE PETITION: Visit http://www.whatabouthiv.org/ to endorse the Call for Action.
- FACEBOOK: Share the link to you Facebook wall. Example: "I have singed this call to action on young people and HIV and I urge you to do the same http://www.whatabouthiv.org/"
- TWITTER: Join the conversation on Twitter in the lead up to the High Level meeting by tagging your tweets with #ZeroHIV. Example: "3000 young ppl are infected w/ #HIV every day. Only 1 in 3 have comprehensive knowledge. Time to act! http://www.whatabouthiv.org/ #ZeroHIV"
- BLOG about the call to action, HIV and young people and the High Level Meeting on AIDS. Share the link on the Facebook page: http://on.fb.me/itQc10
- SPREAD THE WORD! Email this message to at least 5 people in your network you think could be strong advocates for this call to action.

This is your last chance to add your name to the Mali Call to Action - Lend your support today!

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GYCA Partners with Pure Citizen to Raise Funds

Pure Citizen is an online consumer site using the power of commerce to promote change in our world. The vendors supported by Pure Citizen "have heart," offering fairly traded, recycled, organic, handmade, eco-conscious, and vegan products as well as items made in the USA. Every weekday members receive an email (our Daily Love) filled with the inspiring story of a vendor or company that is committed to ethical products. Not only do the stories inspire, but for 72 hours members have exclusive access on Pure Citizen to purchase a hand-picked selection of products from this company at 30-90% off. From there, a portion of that discount goes to Pure Citizen's featured "non-profit of the week." That's where GYCA comes in!

From June 6-10 GYCA is Pure Citizen's sponsored non-profit, receiving a portion of customer-designated donations. Customers can commit a portion of their purchase to be donated to GYCA, helping us to build the next generation of leadership in the global HIV response. Check out this great site and tell all your friends to pick up globally conscious sales and raise funds for GYCA. No donation is too small!

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UNAIDS High Level Commission on HIV Prevention

Mawethu Zita, GYCA's Regional Focal Point for Southern Africa, has been involved in numerous review and consultation meetings in preparation for the UN High Level Meeting in New York on 8th - 10th of June 2011. One of the major meetings he attended was the UNAIDS High Level Commission on HIV Prevention in Robben Island, Cape Town in South Africa in May. The event was co-hosted by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, co-Chair of the High Level Commission and Michel Sidibe, Executive Director of UNAIDS, and addressed how to leverage social media for social change and mobile technology to change behaviour for HIV prevention with the special focus on innovation in South Africa.

High Level commissioners committed themselves to a transformational AIDS Response and brainstormed ideas focusing on New Generation leadership, state of the art of the science and concrete examples of ongoing commitments taking forward the HIV prevention response. Later on that day, Mawethu was one of the New Generation Leadership that had an opportunity to be part of a symbolic leadership handover from Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Commission to the young leaders committed to HIV Prevention. Mawethu and Guffran (GYCA National Focal Point for Mauritius) with other 8 young people coming from different countries were named the UNAIDS Youth Commissioners on HIV Prevention, making a serious commitment to scaling up prevention.

The new Youth Commissioners with Michel Sidibe travelled to Khayelitsha, the Cape Town Township which is the combination of informal and formal settlements with areas where people living in informal settlement have public toilets to share with other households. They attended the Treatment Action Campaign, marched and gave out condoms to the community of Khayelitsha. They closed this trip with a visit to Khayelitsha Football Centre for Hope where adolescents are educated about HIV prevention through football games. This was a lesson about Grassroots Soccer's programme and their skills curriculum. Now the youth commissioners have to come up with strategies to implement their commitments beyond the UNAIDS High Level Meeting in New York.

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From the desk of GYCA's Southern Secretariat: The Mali Report

by Sydney Hushie

Approximately 150 young people from about 20 countries assembled in the warm City of Bamako, Mali to brainstorm about the future of the global HIV response.

The participants were drawn from various constituencies; young people living with HIV, lesbians, gay, transgender, and young people who use drugs amongst other. These youth brought to the discussions diversity in opinion and experience leading to the birth of the 'Bamako Call to Action'.

New Generational Leadership was the theme that propelled the 3-day meeting. The meeting brought both young leaders and adult allies to brainstorm about partnership opportunities for the future of the global HIV response. The President of Mali, Amadou Toumani Toure led a team of prominent figures in the HIV field, including Michele Sidibe, UNAIDS Executive Director, HRH Crown Princess of Norway Mette Marit and other UN experts who provided advice and guidance as well as interesting and inspiring debates on the future of the HIV response.

The sunshine and clear skies created the right ambiance and foundation upon which the Bamako Call to Action was built. The Call to Action, which was finalised after long days and nights of negotiation among the participants focuses on four priority areas demanding urgent attention from governments, private sector, multi and bilateral donors, civil society and young people: youth empowerment and leadership; protection and promotion of human rights to eliminate stigma and discrimination from legal frameworks; secure resources and funding for youth leadership; and information and services to meet the diverse needs of key young affected populations.

The participants at the meeting committed to ensuring that other young people around the world become aware of the Mali Youth Summit's outcomes and endorse the Call to Action. www.whatabouthiv.org was created to be the main portal for the promotion of the Call to Action, which 3,350 people have endorsed up to this point.

It is our hope that the demands and commitments in the Call To Action will be reflected in the outcomes of the UN General Assembly High Level Meeting on AIDS.

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