Asian People's Charter for HIV/AIDS - Global | The Communication Initiative Network

September 2008

Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

Asian People's Charter for HIV/AIDS - Global

Country

India, Thailand

Region

Global, Africa, South Asia, South East and East Asia

Programme Summary

In 2004, the Bangalore, India-based People's Health Movement (PHM) created a consensus charter is an effort to amplify the voices of all people - not just people living in Asia or who are of Asian descent - around the world who are affected, infected, living with and suffering from HIV/AIDS. Calling for immediate action, the charter was created in preparation for official release to the international community during the International AIDS conference in Bangkok, Thailand (July 2004). Its aim is to "provide a people's perspective on HIV/AIDS and related issues like access, rights and trade issues".

Communication Strategies

This advocacy initiative centres around an online exchange of information. The PHM website offers the charter in 30 languages, as of this writing. The charter is geared toward advocacy; one segment, entitled "A People-Centered Health Sector", urges "the provision of universal and comprehensive primary health care, irrespective of people's ability to pay. Health services must be democratic and accountable with sufficient resources to achieve this."

Several grassroots groups, mass movements, organisations of people living with HIV/AIDS, NGOs, INGOs, media personnel, and others were invited to participate in the process of reading and communicating about the charter. For instance, the English-language version (click here to access it in PDF format) includes a section calling on the people of the world to participate by:

building and strengthening people's organisations to create a basis for analysis and action.
promoting, supporting, and engaging in actions that encourage people's involvement in decision-making in public services at all levels.
demanding that people's organisations be represented in local, national, and international fora that are relevant to health.
supporting local initiatives towards participatory democracy through the establishment of people-centred solidarity networks across the world.

In particular, PHM urged individuals and organisations to endorse the charter in order to "join this global movement for health, social justice and equity" by completing an online form. Completion of this form constituted a means of further communication; PHM promised to "keep in touch with and let you know how other people and organisations around the world are working to implement the Charter, and how you and your organisation can become involved in that effort."

In this way, the charter was developed through a dynamic interactive and consultative process. Specifically, from April 2004 onwards, the draft charter was presented and discussed at various meetings, conferences, people's summits, and workshops - at local, provincial, national, regional, and international levels. Consultations at the grassroots level and with people infected with, affected by, living with, and suffering from HIV/AIDS were a key focus. The draft charter was also discussed, debated, and fine-tuned through what PHM describes as an inclusive Internet-based discussion. Some of the guidelines for prospective participants in the creation of the charter included:

hold discussions and consultations on the proposed charter in the community, family, schools, colleges, universities, during conferences, workshops, e-groups, bulletin boards, organisations, clinics, primary health centres, and hospitals.
join PHM - as an individual or representative of an organisation/association/union.
use this draft charter as an issue for discussion during the World Health Day (April 7 2004).
send names of persons and organisations to which PHM could forward the final draft for possible endorsement.
provide feedback - comments, suggestions, and critiques
help publicise the launch of the charter through local media by sending to PHM a contact list of journalists.

Development Issues

HIV/AIDS, Health.

Key Points

This process was initiated and facilitated by PHM, a mass movement that has presence in over 100 countries. PHM was born out of the People's Health Assembly (PHA) 2000, a summit held in Bangladesh in December 2000.