Commonwealth Awards for action on HIV/AIDS

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Commonwealth Awards for action on HIV/AIDS

In celebration of all that has been achieved in the last two years in

implementation of paragraph 55 of the Durban Communiqué, the Commonwealth

Secretariat, Commonwealth Foundation, Commonwealth Business Council and

the Para 55 Group are jointly planning an Awards Ceremony for outstanding

work, activities or projects in the area of HIV/AIDS.

The Ceremony will take place in Melbourne, Australia on the evening of

Thursday 4 October 2001.

Nominations are invited for awards in the following categories:

Categories:

a) Policy and Advocacy

Prevention

c) Comprehensive Care

Groups: a maximum of 12 awards will be made, one in each of the above three

categories to individuals or organisations within the following four groups:

1. Government

2. Civil society/NGOs/community-based organisations

3. The private sector

4. The media

Criteria: the following criteria will determine eligibility for an award:

Scope:

Action on HIV/AIDS must be characterised by a rights-based and gendered

approach. The project should not discriminate on the basis of race, class,

ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender. It should respect the right of the

individual to receive the best possible care and methods of prevention

within available resources.

Action on HIV/AIDS must incorporate the promotion of well-being and positive

living for people with HIV/AIDS.

The project must benefit persons within a country or region of the

Commonwealth. Determinants:

Action on HIV/AIDS takes into account the range of social, economic and

cultural factors that influence both society's response to the disease

and the impact of the disease on society.

Community participation:

Action on HIV/AIDS involves the community, in particular persons living

with HIV/AIDS (PLAs), at all stages, from planning to implementation and

evaluation.

Information on the project is provided regularly to the community by media

appropriate to different levels of education and literacy.

Methods:

Action on HIV/AIDS utilises broad based, multi-disciplinary and multisectoral

approaches. These may involve working together with various government

departments, non-governmental organisations, community groups and the private

sector, universities and other tertiary education institutions.

The project uses knowledge gained to influence practice. Such knowledge may

inform and influence government policies and plans, legislation, research and

strategies for prevention and care.

Resources are shared within the country and/or within a region, where possible.

Such resources may include skills, physical facilities, and finance.

The project encourages partnership and avoids duplication of effort.

The project can be replicated and is sustainable. It should be designed in such

a way that it could be repeated in other communities, with adaptations, if

necessary. It should mobilise community and national resources to ensure

continuity when donor resources, if used, have been exhausted.

Making a nomination for an award

Organisations, Departments, and others wishing to make nominations for awards

in the above-mentioned categories should send the attached nomination form by

post to Health Department, Human Resource Development Division, Commonwealth

Secretariat,

Marlborough House, Pall Mall, London SW1Y 5HY, United Kingdom, fax to +44 20

7930 6287 or email to office@... by 31 July 2001.

Applications will be reviewed by an independently appointed screening panel

during August 2001 at which time further information may be requested about

nominees. Successful applicants will be informed by 1 September 2001 in

order to allow time for them to make arrangements to attend the

awards ceremony in Brisbane. The nomination form is availalbe from the webpage

http://www.para55.org/

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E-mail: office@...