Institute of Development Studies

IDS staff participate in one-stop-shop for learning at AIDS 2010

20 July 2010

As different sectors of the world's HIV community meet in Vienna at AIDS 2010, creative thinking is highlighting innovative ways in which they can learn from each other.

IDS staff working on HIV and sexuality are among the tens of thousands attending the international conference, which began on Monday in Vienna under the conference theme 'Rights here, right now'.

Learning from each other

The conference brings together policy makers, scientists and community members in sessions which aim to encourage the cross-fertilisation of ideas - providing a one-stop-shop for learning from the forefront of the response to HIV. The Global Village, for example, rapporteured by Kate Hawkins, communications officer with the Knowledge, Technology and Society (KNOTS) team at IDS, is a colourful and vibrant space for community members to network and demonstrate the application of research and good leadership.

Kate Hawkins said: 'The HIV sector is wide and sprawling, and there are disagreements, tensions and rivalries as well as synergistic approaches. Yet some creative thinking has highlighted ways in which different constituencies can learn from each other.

'I have heard advocates for people who use drugs talking about the importance of learning from the campaigning model employed by the gay rights movement - of "outing themselves" and "owning" their drug use, discussing it in the present tense rather than as an aberration that occurred in their youth as is often the case. As the majority of drug users are not addicted to drugs but use irregularly this would mean many more people "coming out" in solidarity with those most victimised by the war on drugs.

The rights agenda

'In sessions on women's empowerment, activitists have spoken about the rights of sex workers and the need to recognise sex work as an occupation. This is a break from the traditional narrative where sex work is spoken of as an abuse and often conflated with human trafficking.'

She added: 'Often the cross-fertilisation of ideas is informed by the notion of the indivisibility and universality of human rights. One of the participants in the LGBTI Networking Zone, commented that, "Race, sexuality, being a woman, being a mother - these are all interrelated struggles and are inseparable". '

Human rights loomed large on the agenda for AIDS 2010, along with the issue of injecting drug use. Unsurprisingly, given the economic crisis, the issue of HIV financing has also been a focus. Plenary presentations have stressed the importance of donors living up to their financing commitments and demonstrators have marched under the slogan, 'Broken promises kill'.