The Centre for the Book, in collaboration with McGill University, convened the symposium "Getting the word out: spreading the message of HIV prevention to youth on their terms", a two-day working symposium which focused on how HIV prevention work can target youth using images and text and other forms of artistic narrative. Involving a cross-section of youth, writers, artists, activists, those working in youth media, entertainers, health workers, educators and academics, the symposium meant to provide a space within which to initiate and sustain dialogues between and among these various groups about the current situation in HIV prevention.
Claudia Mitchell in partnership with Centre for the Book, Cape Town (Elizabeth Anderson) and University of western Cape (Abigail Dreyer), and involving Shannon Walsh.
DESCRIPTION
This project, a youth-based participatory approach to AIDS prevention, focuses on how young township authors, both males and females (ages 14-18) can become involved in a hands-on literacy project that provides a youth-to-youth vehicle for addressing issues of sexuality and AIDS.
OBJECTIVES
The particular vulnerability of youth to HIV/AIDS is of key concern to this project. The "sick of AIDS" phenomenon challenges us to invent new ways to get youth excited about prevention.
- To address in a concrete way the "information overload" that young people in South Africa are experiencing in relation to HIV/AIDS prevention;
- To provide a forum for youth perspectives and youth participatory processes that place their needs at the center of emerging prevention strategies;
- To bring together new methods and foster new links to be used in addressing HIV/AIDS prevention, such as: arts, hip-hop, computer based-technologies, and literature.
- To create new youth-AIDS partnerships between Canada and South Africa, as well as strengthening partnerships within South Africa
METHODOLOGY
The project was made up of 3 main activities:
Phase 1: Symposium – Getting the word out: Spreading the message of HIV prevention to youth on their terms.
Phase 2: Bookmaking Project
Phase 3: Follow-up in schools and Training for educators
The project is funded by HIV/AIDS Small Grants Fund Phase 11: 2001-2003, Canadian Society for International Health.
