Physicians for Human Rights has a 22 year history of advocacy and engagement on key health and human rights issues. In 2002, we launched the Health Action AIDS Campaign (HAA), which brings together infectious disease experts, medical and public health students, researchers and AIDS activists to advocate for science and human rights based reposonse to the epidemic. For more information on this campaign, see http://physiciansforhumanrights.org/hiv-aids.  

I wanted to share three advocacy tactics we have used to get HIV prevention to the forefront of community and policy maker minds over the past 6 years:

1.) Summits: Every year, HAA holds a major summit in Washington DC on a particular topic—including women and AIDS (2007) and IDU and harm reduction (2006). These summits bring together 30-40 key advisors, mainly health professionals from across the country who specialize in these fields. We spend the first day discussing each other’s research and clinical work, talk about ongoing and upcoming policy initiatives, and prepare to hit the Hill on Day 2. That second day, teams of health professional advocates have several meetings on Capitol Hill with their Senators and Congressmen to raise awareness and educatepolicy makers on the pressing human rights barriers facing the globe on HIV prevention and treatment.  For more info on these events, see http://physiciansforhumanrights.org/hiv-aids/2008-womens-summit.html and http://physiciansforhumanrights.org/hiv-aids/summit-on-prevention-idu.html.

2.) Town Hall Meetings: PHR works with colleague organizations like the Minnesota AIDS Project to host Town Meetings 2-3 times a year. We invite 2-300 PHR members, students, health professionals, people livings with HIV/AIDS, community organization, media and the general public to come to 2 hour events which include speeches, a talk from the Senator or Congressman, and a question and answer period. These meetings are a great way to engage communities, get policy makers to stand up and listen, hear from experts, and debate and discuss prevention strategies, programs and funding streams. Check out more info on our Minnesota meeting at http://physiciansforhumanrights.org/hiv-aids/um-town-mtg-4-28-08.html (Lorraine, there is a nice photo of you at the bottom)

3.) AIDS Week of Action: Each year, more than 100 medical, public health and undergraduate universities across the US hold a national AIDS Week of Action to raise awareness and take action on critical AIDS prevention, treatment and care issues. Student chapters plan a week of events—which range from lectures to rallies to art displays to meetings with policy makers to fundraisers to postcard drives to volunteer days—MANY varied events to energize their peers, professors, policy makers and community around AIDS. This model has been so successful it has spread to student groups in East Africa. The Week of Action is held every year in February/March—if you want to learn more or join in 2009, send me an email. You can also check out the following web pages for more details: http://physiciansforhumanrights.org/students/fight-global-aids.html provides the 2007 Week of Action Guide, which is a step by step manual on how to organize a week and http://physiciansforhumanrights.org/students/student-chapter-toolbox.html includes general student organizing materials PHR’s student chapters use throughout the year. 

These are just three strategies we use—we also have house parties, press conferences, in-district meetings, student conferences, widespread media outreach, web blogs and micro sites, and more. Let me know if you have questions on how these events work and/or if your organization has others that make an impact on AIDS prevention.