Mexico YouthForce: Power Generation

by Annelies Mesman, youth rapporteur and CHOICE board member, and Vanessa Brocato

“Universal Action Now!”— more than 300 young people from around the world gathered for 3 days before the International AIDS Conference to empower each other to move beyond rhetoric to concrete action.  As part of Mexico YouthForce, young leaders led discussions on not only HIV and AIDS prevention, treatment and care but also the range of sexual and reproductive health and rights and social justice issues that intersect with and complicate responses to AIDS.

“Hope is here.  Adults don’t know the challenges we are facing; they are guessing.  You can never be successful if you design any program for young people without them.  This is for all the adults here: Let the Mexico YouthForce speak!” said Igor Mocorro, a 21 year old from the Philippines.

Prior to this event, 125 young people from 46 countries worked together, communicating virtually, to create key messages of the Mexico YouthForce.  Throughout the Banamex, posters will carry the following resulting slogans:

•    Rights: we have a right to comprehensive, accurate information and services to protect our sexual health.
•    Respect: for our realities, our experiences, and our contributions.
•    Responsibility: together, we must create an environment where we have power over the decisions that affect our health and lives.
•    Resources: we need training, mentorship, funding, and opportunities.

Together, these messages demand one thing: programs and policies based on realities.  The “Our Realities” poster shows a young Asian man preparing to shoot up, an image selected to illustrate one of the most hidden and ignored realities of young people today.  30% of new HIV infections are attributed to injection drug use, directly or indirectly through drug using sexual partners.

Delegates at the pre-conference examined the real life impact of programs and policies on their health and human rights and identified gaps in program content and availability, especially for marginalized and vulnerable young people.  One notorious example of abandoning those most in need— including injecting drug users, sex workers, and all young people— is the recently reauthorized U.S. global AIDS policy, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR II).  Although PEPFAR II acknowledges IDUs and men who have sex with men and alters the abstinence-promotion requirements, the changes fall short and the policy drew sharp criticism each day.

“We have a nationwide ABC program supported by our AIDS Commission and Ministry of Health.  But some oppose and just say “abstain and be faithful.”  This is a result of PEPFAR.  The solution: if young people have other means of accessing information except for the sources who receive this funding then they can hear about condoms,” said a participant from Uganda.  Many advocates in PEPFAR recipient country are working with U.S. advocates to change the prevention-related provisions in the law.

To build capacity to meet these challenges effectively, the participants shared knowledge and skills.  Sessions offered insightful presentations on topics ranging from epidemiology, peer education models, advocacy strategy, harm reduction, human rights, the needs and rights of young people living with HIV/AIDS, and the inclusion of young people in all levels of decision making.

One of the privileged and inspiring adults to address the meeting, Thoraya Obaid, Executive Director of UNFPA- the United Nations Population Fund, scrapped her original talking points to deliver 6 points of action that emphasized the need for youth-adult partnerships.  She said, “We don’t always understand what you say.  We don’t always understand what you do.  But engage us so we can speak out and support you.”

You can speak out and take action with the YouthForce by visiting the Youth-Adults Partnerships Desk in the Youth Pavillion in the Global Village and making a signed commitment to engage young people in your work with HIV and AIDS.  If you signed-up during the conference at Toronto in 2006, please stop by, share your progress and renew your pledge.