Press release on a Canadian Youth Statement on HIV/AIDS

From: Julie Coultas
Sent: Fri 15/08/2006 9:17 PM
Subject: Daily Briefings

Hello again from Toronto. We have no access to email at the residence and only 10 minutes at a time on the public computers at the conference centre, plus anytime we can "steal" some wireless!

Things in Toronto are much busier than New York was - if that's possible! There are so many abstract sessions, skills building workshops, presentations, poster discussions, etc. to attend at all times of the day that it's difficult to keep up! Our National Youth Team members have been busy attending pre-selected sessions and the majority of them have done at least one interview with local, national or international media! Today, Dr. Carolyn Bennett was facilitating a session on women and politics with women living with HIV/AIDS from Africa which we attended. The session itself was wonderful, with participants of all ages and from many different parts of the world, coming together to advocate for the greater involvement of women in politics, including local, regional, national and international decision-making. After the session, we presented Dr. Bennett with the It's Time to Act: A Canadian Statement on HIV/AIDS poster and she said she would put it up in her office and would like to discuss it further with us! Also, Cyndi connected with a Bloc Quebecois MP who attended with Dr. Bennett and also loved the poster!

We have also connected with young people from all across Canada who came to our regional fora, as participants and presenters, and one participant from Antigonish told us that she came to the conference because of her experience in the (UNA-Canada) Antigonish Regional Forum!

More tomorrow (my 10 minutes is up!)

Julie

View the poster (pdf)

From: (anonymous youth participant at XVI AIDS Conference)
Sent: Mon 14/08/2006 1:09 PM
Subject: THANK YOU

This is my first experience at an international conference and I am overwhelmed in the best sense with the energetic buzz, the powerful sense of urgency and the range of activities and opportunities to choose from. I cannot tell you how much I am appreciating the youth guidebook (written by UNA-Canada and AIDS 2006 Youth Programme)! It is an incredible tool for youth, actually anyone, who attending an international conference. Especially for first timers. I am getting so much more out of this amazing experience because of the guidebook. Thank you so much for the invaluable information and for making it available for all at no cost. Fabulous!!

Cathy

Youth Pocketbook Guide to Navigating International AIDS Conferences (pdf)
Guide de poche pour les jeunes : naviguer les Congrès internationaux sur le sida (pdf)

From: Julie Coultas
Sent: Fri 11/08/2006 9:44 AM
Subject: Daily Briefings

Good morning,

As we couldn't get access to internet at the right moments yesterday, today's briefing will cover today and yesterday.

First, the big news. The (UNA-Canada) poster for It's Time to Act: A Canadian Statement on HIV/AIDS is a big hit! Last night we had an informal "poster unveiling" for the members of the (UNA-Canada It's Time to Act project's) National Youth Team (NYT) on the upstairs floor of a pub that was donated to us for that purpose. Not only did many young people from the pre-conference, who had been personally invited by NYT members, show up in hopes of getting a poster, but we were also fortunate that prominent American AIDS activist Eric Sawyer, came too! He was in, and helped make the film A Closer Walk that we screened at our Regional Forums across Canada. The members of the National Youth Team all had an opportunity to tell him about the project and gave him examples of how they saw the film impact young people across Canada.

The other exciting news about the poster is that Alex McLelland - the youth coordinator for AIDS 2006 - saw the poster and will be hanging it in the Global Village!

In other news, Grandma Heather gave the opening prayer at the youth pre-conference yesterday to 250 young people from around the world and she was fabulous! Many young people approached her afterwards to thank her. Today, she will be attending the Grandmother's Gathering, organized by the Stephen Lewis Foundation.

Well, off to another day at the youth pre-conference.

Julie

From: Cyndi Fuss
Sent: Wed 8/9/2006 9:02 PM
Subject: Daily Briefings

HI All,

Not much of a briefing today. We arrived safely in TO and then off to our respective volunteer duties. I was at the airport to direct youth from all over to the pre-conference registration at U of T and then Julie took care of their registration. Then met the team some at the airport, some at the residence. Then off to a youth pre-conference BBQ with many familiar faces from all over again.

Not sure that we will have access to internet each day. But will do our best to get regular briefings out for you. The vibe is unbelievable! The City is on fire and Julie and I are volunteering at the pre-conference for the rest of the week. I have to get back to the BBQ now and then off to a volunteer meeting at 10:30pm

Will be in touch,

Cyndi