Press Releases

October 23, 2002

NEW PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE Global Network of People living with HIV/AIDS (GNP+) AND YoungPositive

We are proud to announce that the Global Network of People living with HIV/AIDS (GNP+) and YoungPositive have formed a new partnership that will give the opportunity to young people to have their questions heard and answered. We hope this will break the still pervasive image of HIV=AIDS=Death with a realistic and positive one of life with HIV.

In 2001 several young people living with HIV set up a subsection within the Dutch HIV Association (HVN) to tackle the unique needs of young people with HIV/AIDS. A first project has been the realisation of a website (www.jongpositief.nl and www.youngpositive.com) in co-operation with the Belgian organisation for HIV and STDs, which focuses on the special interests, needs and lifestyles of young people. From this project, the initiative “YoungPositive”, arose to organise activities, further projects and programmes for the global population of young people with HIV/AIDS.

YoungPositive and GNP+ both understand that no individual organisation can effectively deal with all the issues that concern people living with HIV and AIDS, and that learning from each other is of the utmost importance. YoungPositive and GNP+ are mindful that co-ordinated efforts, sharing knowledge and experiences on HIV/AIDS-related issues are essential for expanding and generating dialogue and understanding in order to create an improved response.

The new partnership will emphasise information dissemination, interest representation, policy formulation and concrete activities to enhance efforts to support young people aged ten to thirty living with HIV/AIDS. Specifically, GNP+ will help YoungPositive set up its organisational structure, translate its website, and give financial assistance for joint activities. GNP+ will also co-operate with YoungPositive in organising specific activities for young people with HIV/AIDS at GNP+ events. For example, YoungPositive will organise a discussion program for young people with HIV at the 11th International Conference for People Living with HIV/AIDS in Kampala next year. GNP+ looks forward to the moral and technical support that YoungPositive will bring to GNP+ projects and activities targeted at young people with HIV/AIDS.

For information or contact (we are seeking positive youth activists!) please visit the internet site www.youngpositive.com
or email us at jongpositief@hivnet.org.

Press release issued by:
Jennifer M. Bushee
Communications Coordinator<
Global Network of People living with HIV/AIDS (GNP+)