The Regional Jóvenes Latinoamerican@s Unid@s en respuesta al VIH/Sida (Regionally United Latin American Youth Network in response to HIV/AIDS) (JLU) initiative, promoted by the Fundación Huésped (Huesped Foundation) (Argentina) in association with IDH (Bolivia), APROFA (Chile), SPESH (Paraguay), IES (Peru) and Iniciativa Latinoamericana (Latin American Initiative) (Uruguay), looks to contribute to the regional response to HIV by setting up an exchange of experiences that supports participation and prominence of youth in public areas, providing their ideas, opinions, and proposals in relation to the promotion of sexual and reproductive health and the prevention of HIV in Latin America to authorities and civil society.

Today, medical students globally are joining hands, raising their voices in unity and standing together in the fight against the spread of HIV /AIDS.

For immediate release 25 November 2008 Uyo, AKS, Nigeria - Young leaders and groups, NGOs, Health professionals and workers, Persons Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHs), etc are on Saturday, November 29, 2008 converging in the city of Uyo @ Ukpng Ebet Street, off Esuene Street, Abak Road Housing Estate, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State by 9.00a.m. on a peer education session to instigate and encourage young people in the fight against AIDS on the theme Young people… Take the lead, stop AIDS.

For Immediate Release: 7 November 2008 - Hundreds of youth AIDS campaigners and activists from the African region as well as from around the world are gathering for a candlelight memorial in Gorée Island, Senegal, on 1st of December 2008, which marks the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day. The youth World AIDS Day event signals increasing concern over the insufficient progress in the achievement of youth universal access targets, in terms of prevention, treatment, care and support. Organised by the World AIDS Campaign and the International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA) YouthFront, with the support of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the memorial will take place during the ICASA youth preconference, to be held immediately prior to the 15th International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa.

From 17 September to 14 October, 2008, UNFPA will conduct an online E-Consultation with young people to learn about their experiences with participating in implementing the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD). The E-Consultation is part of UNFPA’s review on progress made 15 years after ICPD came into effect.

The Youth Rapporteur will play a critical role in documenting and promoting young people’s participation and achievements at the 15th International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA).

PRESS RELEASE

Tuesday 5th August 2008 – Today, MTV Networks International (MTVNI) and MySpace announced the launch of Untold Stories, a ground-breaking, interactive story-writing competition. The initiative brings a number of potentially risky HIV-related scenarios to life, in the form of creative narrative. This unique approach aims to capture the attention of today’s youth, who are increasingly at risk of contracting the virus. Shockingly, in 2007 those aged 15-24 accounted for nearly half of all new infections.

Summary of the 2008 high-level meeting on the comprehensive review of the progress achieved in realising the Declaration of Commitment on HIV and AIDS and the Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS (United Nations Headquarters, 10-12 June 2008)

Sex…Uncovered is a new MTV Staying Alive global series of shorts.

Staying Alive is MTV’s international HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention award winning campaign. Staying Alive’s mission is to educate young people on issues of HIV/AIDS in a bid for them to protect themselves from becoming infected with HIV and therefore stem the spread of HIV. Staying Alive also aims to support an enabling environment for those who are already infected with HIV, free from stigma and discrimination. One of the key ways of educating young people is by engaging them in the issues. Staying Alive seeks to empower young people to open up channels of communication, with their peers, their relationship partners, their family and friends, by dialoguing on issues that relate to their love life, sexuality, sex and indeed HIV/AIDS. Staying Alive is a safe space for self-expression on the issues of sex and relationships that directly impact our audience.

Volunteer students from many countries including Myanmar, Vietnam, China, Bangladesh, Germany and Thailand at Shinawatra University (SIU) organised events aimed at raising awareness on HIV prevention and increasing positive attitude towards HIV/AIDS positive people.