First Lady of Gabon Sylvia Bongo Ondimba with Pelé during the “CAN without AIDS” campaign event.
Credit: Josh Ponte & David Ignaszewski

On 10 February 2012, Brazilian football legend Pelé took thousands of young people by storm during a beach soccer tournament organized in Gabon alongside the 2012 Coupe d’Afrique des Nations (or “CAN”). After the tournament, “O Rei” Pele joined President Ali Bongo Ondimba of Gabon and the First Lady at a beach event organized as part of the “CAN without AIDS” campaign. 

The campaign, launched by the Sylvia Bongo Ondimba Foundation—a charitable organization run by Gabon’s First Lady—uses sports as a platform to reach millions of people with messages on HIV prevention across Africa, particularly youth. The campaign received support from UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé as well as Cameroonian football star Samuel Eto’o and Didier Ovono, captain of Gabon’s national football team.

The beach tournament brought together more than 400 young Gabonese to kick off the last round of the youth-focused AIDS campaign events. Pelé greeted the cheering crowds who were wearing T-shirts with HIV prevention messages.

The host of the event elaborated on the UNAIDS vision of “three zeroes”—Zero new HIV infections, Zero discrimination and Zero AIDS-related deaths—while volunteers were distributing condoms and information on HIV. Gabon has an HIV prevalence of 3.5% among young women aged 15 to 24 and 1.4% among young men of the same age.

“I am ever grateful to the First Lady for her leadership in bringing together national authorities, celebrities and young people to share HIV prevention messages through sport,” said Salvator Niyonzima, UNAIDS Country Coordinator. “UNAIDS will continue to work with the First Lady’s Foundation beyond the CAN 2012 tournament to make the “three zeroes” vision a reality in Gabon,” he added.

First Lady of Gabon Sylvia Bongo Ondimba and young people doing the “three zeroes” sign.
Credit: Josh Ponte & David Ignaszewski

Winners of the tournament were rewarded with front seats at the final of the 2012 African cup, where the president of Gabon had unveiled a statue representing Pelé's bust and dedicated it to him.

Timed with the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations, the “CAN without AIDS” campaign reached more than 43 000 local people, of which more than 1000 took free HIV screening tests. The campaign will now focus, with support from UNAIDS, on the national HIV response in Gabon, with each quarter of the year dedicated to one of the “three zeroes.”

Representatives from the community of people living with HIV and key populations most at risk urge governments in Asia and the Pacific to work with them to reach global AIDS targets and commitments.
Credit: UN ESCAP

Dressed in a striking blue and red shalwar kameez (traditional dress from South and Central Asia), Akkai, a transgender woman from Bangladesh, steps onto the stage. Turning to her audience of government officials from Ministries of health, justice, public security, drug control, social protection; United Nations officials; and fellow members of key populations most affected by HIV, she started to sing:

“I born as me/ My feelings changed… / I started behaving like a girl / I started walking like a girl / I started dressing as a girl / When my parents forced me to stop myself /  I was beaten up / I was locked up / I was tortured…./ …There was nobody to ask these things / … / This kind of torture, violence, harassment /  Is not faced only by me / Where to live?/ Where to share?/ Where to survive our life?”

Joining the scene, the coordinator of the Women’s arm of the Asia-Pacific Network of people living with HIV explained: “I have been living with HIV for 17 years. Fortunately I have had access to treatment. But now free-trade agreements are compromising access to essential medicines,” she said. “Eighty percent of generic medicines are made in this region. Without access to affordable medicines we cannot get to zero,” she added.

These personal experiences were two of many shared by people living with HIV and key affected populations at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP) high-level intergovernmental meeting held in Bangkok, Thailand from 6-8 February 2012. The meeting was an opportunity to review the region’s progress towards international targets on AIDS.

“For the first time in history we have the possibility to end AIDS and Asia-Pacific nations have shown we can lead the world in making an impact. But we cannot ignore the challenges our region faces and how these can jeopardize our ability to progress,” H.E. Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, President of Fiji, who underlined his long-term commitment and leadership on HIV as Chair of the high-level talks.

Representatives from the most-affected communities urged government delegations from Asia-Pacific nations to recognize the existing challenges in accessing HIV services posed by punitive laws and practices, threats to continued availability of HIV treatment and widespread stigma and discrimination. They also called upon governments to work increasingly with communities to ramp-up action to reach HIV goals.

The call to action was heard. By the end of the three-day talks, co-convened by UNAIDS and other UN partners, the nations present endorsed a framework to fast-track regional action on AIDS towards the achievement of global targets and commitments by 2015. Countries agreed to create ‘spaces’ for key affected communities—including people who use drugs, men who have sex with men, people who buy and sell sex, and transgender people—to be involved in the development of practical solutions to legal impediments and HIV service scale-up at the policy and programmatic level.

“It was recognized here that we have to find new ways to reach the maximum amount of people in the short time we have before 2015,” said UNAIDS Director of the Asia-Pacific Regional Support Team, Steven Kraus. “And there is no question; this must be done hand-in-hand with the community.”

Akkai, a transgender woman from Bangladesh, sings about the stigma and discrimination she faces.
Credit: UN ESCAP

In recent years, Asia and the Pacific has experienced significant progress in reduction of new HIV infections, increase on numbers of people receiving antiretroviral treatment and expansion of programmes to reach key populations most at risk.

Examples given by a number of countries at the Bangkok talks illustrated that scaled up HIV services coupled with intensive engagement of key affected populations, have led to declining epidemics. In Thailand for example, the transgender people-led initiative “Sisters”, which provides social services and support to transgender people in the Pattaya area reports that HIV incidence fell from 12 to 8% among people using its services in the last 5 years.

With such examples of progress, the importance of developing the next generation of community leaders is a central regional priority. The new Asia-Pacific framework for accelerated action underlines that young people from key affected populations must be heard, heeded, and have space at the policy and programme tables.

Emphasizing the readiness of young people most affected by HIV to take on a leadership role in the region’s future HIV response, Coordinator of Youth LEAD, the regional network for young HIV key affected populations, Thaw Zin Aye said: “Young people are taking ownership of the AIDS response and we are committed to carrying on the legacy. We urge governments to continue taking action with us.”

The endorsed regional framework emphasizes the need to share good practices and lessons learned in implementing the measures and commitments related to HIV. Asia-Pacific countries also requested UN ESCAP, UNAIDS and other cosponsors to support implementation of the road map.

24-year old Ayu Oktariani from Indonesia who is living with HIV is part of the Youth LEAD network for key affected populations.
Credit: UNAIDS

When Palitha Wijebandara from Sri Lanka found out he had tested positive for HIV, he was shocked and confused. He had been tested as part of a company policy at his work, without his specific consent or proper counseling, and he did not understand the implications of his test result.

Palitha is one of many thousands of people in Asia and the Pacific who have faced the challenge of discovering their HIV status in their youth. At only 23 years old, he was alone. He did not know how to face his family. He feared discovery of his status and of the fact that he had been having relations with other men.

In Asia and the Pacific, evidence indicates that 95% of all new HIV infections in young people in the region are among young people from key affected populations—young people who buy and sell sex, young men who have sex with men, young transgender persons and adolescent drug users.

Specific data on young people at higher risk of HIV in the region is sparse. But estimates that do exist give cause for concern. In some Asian countries, three out of five female sex workers, and almost half of all men who have sex with men, are younger than 25 years. In the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, 82% of sex workers are in that age group. In Nepal, half of all people who inject drugs start injecting in their late adolescence, when they are between 15 and 21 years old. By the time someone has been injecting for a year, there is a 33% chance that they will have acquired HIV.

Multiple challenges

Despite high vulnerability to HIV infection, young people at higher risk find it difficult to obtain information on HIV, sterile injecting equipment, or other services such as HIV testing and support. Across Asia-Pacific, programmes focusing specifically on young people most at risk are often scarce.

“Prevention campaigns don’t reach out to young female sex workers as often we do not come out to access the information, and if we do, it doesn’t speak to us,” said Ms Fulmaya*, a young sex worker from Nepal.

“As a young gay man, some things are hard to say openly and you worry that if you say those things, people will discriminate against you. The first time I wanted to get an HIV test, I had no idea where to get it and I was too scared to go to the hospital,” said Xiao Chen*, 21, from China.

Stigma, the criminalization of certain behaviours and other legal hindrances mean that young people from key populations at higher risk are often difficult to reach. In many countries, taking an HIV test, going on HIV treatment, or using reproductive health or harm-reduction services requires the consent of a parent or guardian.

“I can’t get the free HIV test because I don’t want my mother to know what I’m doing and so I cannot provide the clinic with parental consent. All I want is to know my HIV status,” said Bugoi a transgender sex worker from the Philippines.

Many adolescents find sexually transmitted infection clinics and HIV clinics intimidating, and feel uncomfortable talking about personal issues with clinical staff who are much older than them, and who can be judgmental. Harm-reduction programmes for drug users generally focus on male adults, despite statistics that show some young drug users start injecting as early as 12 years old and the fact that young women also need services.

“I have heard of organizations that give out needles but many are far and they only target the boys,” explained Payal, an 18 year old woman from Nepawho uses drugs.

An often-expressed frustration of young people from key populations at higher risk in Asia is that they often feel they are robbed of the voice to describe, discuss and alter their realities.

“Young people have plenty to say, but their voices aren’t heard. I think if people paid more attention to HIV and strengthened the voice of the community a bit, more people would learn about HIV and understand the issues and what we need,” Xiao Chen* said.

Time to lead

Some significant action is being taken to bring the voice of young key affected populations to the foreground –organizations and networks of young people from key populations at higher risk are gradually becoming strengthened.

Sri Lankan Palitha Wijebandara, who discovered his status through an unauthorized HIV test, drew strength from his involvement in peer support and, recently, from his efforts to promote the rights of young people from key populations at risk through Youth LEAD. This Asia Pacific regional network set up in 2010 is helping develop youth leadership in key populations at higher risk to strengthen their involvement in community, national and regional programmes. Representatives from Youth LEAD and other youth at risk organizations are increasingly being able to take their place at the table in regional policy arenas and debates.

From 6-8 February in Bangkok, Thailand, the need for increased focus on and involvement of young people from key affected populations in the Asia-Pacific AIDS response is one of the central areas of discussion at a high-level United Nations meeting. Young people from key affected populations are joining government leaders and senior officials from across Ministries of health, justice, law enforcement, social development and drug control agencies as well as their older civil society counterparts from key affected populations and people living with HIV to address legal and policy barriers that impede access to HIV services in the region.

According to UNAIDS Director of the Regional Support Team for Asia and the Pacific, Steve Kraus, the regional UN gathering on AIDS provides the ideal opportunity for young people from key communities to “Be loud, be heard and be honest about the critical things you need to make Getting to Zero a reality in this region.”

For 24-year old Ayu Oktariani from Indonesia who is living with HIV, and participating in the Bangkok meeting with Youth LEAD, the message is simple: “We need to be empowered and supported so that we can take ownership of AIDS. We are here to say please include us, listen to us, work with us and together we can achieve great things.”

 A longer version of this feature first appeared in the UNAIDS publication: HIV in Asia and the Pacific - Getting to Zero, August 2011.

* Some names have been changed on request to protect the identities of the interviewees

90 young leaders from Kazakhstan gathered in Almaty to summarize their discussions and provide recommendations for the CrowdOutAIDS project.
Credit: UNAIDS

In October 2011, UNAIDS launched CrowdOutAIDS, an online/offline collaborative project to ‘crowdsource’ the organization’s new youth strategy.

In the first two phases, youth networks and young people were connected via social media and eight online forums in seven languages were held in each region of the world, where young people debated key priories for youth and HIV.

Through this inclusive process, CrowdOutAIDS has engaged more than 20 000 young people from almost all countries, using mailing lists, Twitter, collective libraries on HIV and young people, and the forums. On World AIDS Day 2011, some 25 million people using the mircoblogging service Twitter were reached with key messages on HIV awareness under the CrowdOutAIDS banner.  

To ensure that people who live in countries and communities where Internet penetration is low had an opportunity to contribute to the project, offline Open Forums were organized by volunteers, mobilized via the CrowdOutAIDS platform.

Reports from these offline Open Forums have come in from more than 30 countries, and participants include students, peer-educators and community workers, as well as key populations at higher risk such as young men who have sex with men, young people who use drugs, and young people living with HIV.

“The offline meet-ups have been a unique experience and the input provided has been insightful,” wrote Anthony Karanja Mute, Open Forum facilitator in Kenya in his report. ”This is the first clear indication by UNAIDS of the need to have inclusive and far reaching contribution by young people.”

“Young people always feel marginalized and no one ever seeks to interact with them in a positive way. It’s my sincere hope that this will be the first of many such offline meet-ups,” wrote Mr Mute. “On a personal note this has been a fulfilling experience knowing that I was part of the greater good.”

The CrowdOutAIDS team is now preparing for the next phase that will see the Open Forum reports transformed into an actionable strategy. An online application to collect specific solutions to the challenges identified in the forums will be launched, and an independent drafting committee made up of young people who participated in the project is being selected. The drafting committee will collaboratively author the outcome document of CrowdOutAIDS via online tools during real-time drafting sessions.

CrowdOutAIDS case study: 2000 students have their say in Kazakhstan

A special round-table was organized by the Republican AIDS Center of Kazakhstan and the Students Debate Forum of Almaty to discuss how to overcome HIV-related stigma and discrimination in the country. The purpose of the meeting was also provide recommendations for UNAIDS’ new strategy on HIV and young people.

A lead-up debate series, which began on 11 November, was attended by more than 2000 students, followed by forums at 14 universities in seven regions of the country. The discussions continued on Facebook. In December, more than 90 young leaders from across the country gathered in Almaty to summarize their discussions and provide recommendations for the CrowdOutAIDS project.

The panelists concluded that one of the main causes of discrimination against people living with HIV is actually rooted in the campaign against HIV itself; scare tactics are often the main messages of media coverage on AIDS which stigmatizes people living with HIV.

Ignorance and misinformation about how HIV is transmitted and how it can be prevented was also raised as a concern. The students said that people continue to be afraid because they still do not know the basics about HIV.

“The participation of young people in such discussions is not only important for raising HIV awareness among youth, but it is also a valuable source of new ideas and approaches for UNAIDS,” said Roman Gailevich, UNAIDS Country Coordinator in Kazakhstan.

The young people who participated in the Almaty meeting offered various suggestions on how to better disseminate heath-related information. “We are fed up with people lecturing us. Down with the boring posters! Go to where people search information: Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube,” according to participants.

To find out more about CrowdOutAIDS and how to get involved, visit: www.crowdoutaids.org.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon speaks to reporters on arrival in Busan, Republic of Korea, to address the Fourth High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness.
Credit: UN News

Some 3500 delegates, including heads of state, ministers, civil society, the private sector and leaders of international organizations have come together for the Fourth High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Busan, Korea, from 29 November to 1 December to review the impact of development aid and chart a bold course for how the future of development cooperation will support the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.

Speaking at the opening, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon underlined the need to move towards a “new cooperation partnership” based on shared responsibility where traditional donors continue aid programmes despite the economic crisis; where countries receiving aid set clear development priorities, deliver on commitments and work more with civil society; and where emerging aid donors and the private sector increase aid efforts and commitments.

"Our agenda today is very clear," Ban said. "We are here to ensure that aid reaches those most in need, the most vulnerable people who we have to take care of."

Underlining how commitment to development assistance has helped to slow the spread of HIV and reduce child mortality, the Secretary General emphasized the urgent need to continue support for “highly productive multilateral initiatives such as the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria.”

Towards a “new global partnership for development” the Secretary General stressed three principles as the basis for effective aid:  accountability, flexibility and ownership. 

“Countries that are accountable, countries that receive flexible aid, countries that have the most ownership -- will be best placed to achieve the best results,” he said.

New partnership for Africa’s development

In Busan on Tuesday 29 November, UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé stressed that the time is right for new paradigms for international development cooperation to transform the concept of aid effectiveness. Mr Sidibe spoke at a side event on the impact of development aid in Africa, organized by the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

“At this game-changing moment in the AIDS response, today’s development paradigms look tired and confused – no longer responding to the needs of a changing world,” said Michel Sidibé, UNAIDS Executive Director. “We need to broaden the discourse beyond a focus on just financial sustainability. A socially sustainable agenda for Africa must be agreed upon in Busan.”

Although sub-Saharan Africa remains the region worst-affected by HIV with nearly 70% of the 34 million people living with HIV worldwide, the countries of sub-Saharan Africa have the potential to lead the AIDS response as they have increased access to technology, economic growth and a growing workforce, he stressed.

Youth as ‘transformers’

Mr Sidibé also joined the Korean Minister of Education, Science and Technology, Dr LEE Ju-Ho, at the Youth Forum to hear the perspectives of young people on effective aid and development. The Youth Forum, hosted by the Korean government and organized by the Korean National Commission for UNESCO, addressed ways to increase young people’s participation in aid and development.

Speaking to young people at the opening of the Youth Forum, Mr Sidibé said, “You are not spectators in development architecture—you are transformers. You are the leaders of today - transforming the world and the way development is done through your bold ideas and the innovative use of technology.”

Calling on young people to engage in the development of UNAIDS’ new youth strategy, Mr Sidibé highlighted how social media is a powerful tool for development and innovation. UNAIDS is using crowdsourcing to empower young people, including young people living with HIV, to take ownership and develop the strategy online. To participate in this initiative, go to www.crowdoutaids.org.

Peer educators providing HIV prevention information during a community fair in Puntarenas.

José is a young AIDS peer educator in the Costa Rican port city of Limon and he is proud to share HIV prevention messages and tips on how to stay healthy with other young people. “It’s really great to see how at the end of a session the group knows more about HIV. We also have a better idea of how to protect ourselves and deal with our relationships more successfully,” he said. 

As one of more than 80 peer educators, between the ages of 18 and 24, José is taking part in an ambitious HIV prevention project in the cities of Limon and Puntarenas, which are among the most affected by the virus in Costa Rica. The educators have gone through extensive training and can provide educational and communication materials and tools to their counterparts in a lively and informative way.

The three-year programme which began at the end of 2008 is called Friendly education and health services to promote healthy lifestyles and prevent HIV and AIDS—or Giro 180 for short. Supported by UNAIDS, the programme is managed by its cosponsors the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the UN Population Fund (UNFPA). The UN bodies work alongside the country’s Vice-Ministry of Youth and the National Council on Public Policy for Youth.

The peer educators themselves have developed a number of the interventions, including using online games that feature questionnaires on HIV risk and a Facebook page. Youth carnivals and community fairs, board game evenings and artistic, musical and recreational activities are also being used.

“We did a fair in Villa Plata, a very poor place,” said Deiker, a youth promoter in Limon. “We gave out information, played and had fun. We were there, sharing experiences with the boys from morning till evening. And in the end the guys didn’t want to leave.”

 As well as providing young people with HIV information and life skills to make informed choices, the project also seeks to build the capacity of healthcare and educational institutions to attain these goals in a protective environment.

Some 73 000 adolescents in the two cities aged between 13 and 18 are the main beneficiaries and young people from around the country are also indirectly benefiting from the political and institutional advocacy and information campaigns launched by the project.

Such information campaigns are vital in a country where a 2008 study carried out by UNFPA and UNICEF, with support from UNAIDS, found that the majority of young people in Costa Rica were sexually active by the age of 16. The same study showed that fewer than 30% of young people in Limon and 17% in Puntarenas knew how to use a condom correctly.

However, things are changing. The programme has led to an increase in commitment from government authorities and decision makers. A number of local and regional institutions, such as the Department of Health in Limon, have committed themselves to broadening youth-friendly HIV services. In Puntarenas, schools have adopted the ‘Giro Junior’ intervention, dedicated to the development of specific strategies to challenge HIV, with guidance and support centers. The regional Ministry of Public Education has also prepared a set of guidelines for HIV prevention in schools, which will be binding throughout the region.

The team spearheading the programme hopes that it will become a flagship model. For at least one of the peer educators, Bizmark from Limon, they are enjoying making waves, “Older people might be a bit scared of us talking so openly, widely and directly. We are changing lives in perhaps the only way people can change, which is having fun while learning.”

The State of World Population report highlights the importance of investing in young people and addressing their needs.

Within a matter of days, the world’s population is projected to reach 7 billion. This represents both a great challenge and a great opportunity. We can achieve a healthy and sustainable future for all if we act decisively now, according to the State of World Population Report 2011, published today by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

One of the calls to action in People and possibilities in a world of 7 billion, launched in more than 100 cities worldwide, is making sure that the needs of young people are addressed more effectively and that investing in their future is given a higher priority.

At the report’s launch in London, UNFPA Executive Director Dr Babatunde Osotimehin highlighted that reaching the world’s 1.8 billion people aged 10 to 24 is critical. “Young people hold the key to the future, with the potential to transform the global political landscape and to propel economies through their creativity and capacities for innovation,” said Dr Osotimehin. “But the opportunity to realize youth’s great potential must be seized now. We should be investing in the health and education of our youth. This would yield enormous returns in economic growth and development for generations to come,” he added.

Dr Osotimehin also noted that millions of adolescents in the developing world have little or no access to sexuality education and do not have sufficient knowledge to prevent pregnancies and protect themselves against HIV.

The report, which concentrates on individuals, organisations and communities working to improve conditions for themselves and those around them, shows a number of young people who are making a real difference.

In a chapter which describes youth as a “new global power reshaping the world”, Ethel Phiri is introduced as a 22-year old peer educator involved in youth outreach programmes in Mozambique. She runs bancadas femininas, discussion groups at schools, markets and other community areas around Maputo supporting young people with issues relating to sexual and reproductive health and HIV prevention.

People and possibilities in a world of 7 billion focuses on a wide range of population trends and their implications. It examines ageing populations, high rates of urbanization, poverty and inequality, environmental sustainability and rising international migration in a variety of countries with different contexts.

Although different countries are dealing with different challenges, the report maintains that the world must pull together to effect real and lasting change. “We all have a stake in the future of humanity,” stressed Dr Osotimehin. “Every individual, every government, every business, is more interconnected and interdependent than ever, so what each of us does now will matter to all of us long into the future. Together we can change and improve the world.”

UNAIDS will use crowdsourcing technologies and social media platforms to engage young people in developing AIDS policy

GENEVA, 25 October 2011—The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) is launching CrowdOutAIDS.org, an online collaborative project to crowdsource its new strategy on youth and HIV—a first in the UN system.

Crowdsourcing is a technique used to rapidly engage large numbers of interested people to develop strategies, solve problems or propose relevant and fresh ideas. With around 3000 young people aged 15-24 becoming infected with HIV daily, leveraging new modes of communication and online collaboration with young people is essential for an effective response to HIV.

“We’re asking youth around the world to debate, draft and work with UNAIDS to implement this new strategy,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “It is absolutely critical that we engage young people—not as recipients of our messages but as the actors and creators of change.”

CrowdOutAIDS.org is a completely new way for UNAIDS to develop policy on HIV. It will use crowdsourcing technologies and familiar online tools such as Facebook, Twitter and Renren to ensure youth engagement and action in the AIDS response.

CrowdOutAIDS.org follows a four-step model and is open to anyone aged 15-29. Young people will be able to shape the new strategy from conceptualization to final drafting via a wiki-platform.

“It is important to involve young people in policy development in order for our views, expectations and aspirations to be fully represented,” said Jennifer Ehidiamen, a blogger and journalist from Nigeria, and online content curator for CrowdOutAIDS.org. “CrowdOutAIDS.org is an innovative way to build a strong community, interested in sharing solution-based ideas and actions on AIDS.”

The project will run over a period of two months with the final crowdsourced strategy being produced in January, 2012. To find out more, visit www.CrowdOutAIDS.org, and follow @UNAIDS and #CrowdOutAIDS on Twitter.

UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé participating at the “Megabits and MDGs" session of the Broadband Leadership Summit.
Credit: ITU

There is broad agreement that information and communication technologies (ICTs) can accelerate progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). But questions remain on how to scale up both access and content. This was the topic at hand for a plenary session at the Broadband Leadership Summit held in Geneva on 24-25 October 2011.

At the "Megabits and MDGs" session, President Pierre Nkurunziza of Burundi raised the issue of fostering partnerships to reach the country’s citizens with broadband access. According to President Nkurunziza, this would help accelerate e-government, e-learning, e-health and e-commerce.

His thoughts were echoed by Commodore Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama, Prime Minister of the Republic of Fiji faced with the task of reaching  890 000 people spread across 110 islands where “Broadband becomes a solution to overcome the challenge of distance.” 

For Klaus Leisinger, President and CEO of the Novartis Foundation, broadband allows for more democratic access to knowledge. 

Osman Sultan, CEO of Du, an integrated telecommunications company based in United Arab Emirates said that ICTs have become a basic human need and a basic human right. Mr Sultan stressed that old business plans would not work in this new ecosystem. “No one owns the customer,” he said while talking about how one can build a platform but the customers will decide how to use it. 

The summit was organized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the Broadband Commission for Digital Development under the theme "Broadband for the Global Good". It explored how broadband infrastructure and services can be made to work to the benefit of developing countries.

The Broadband Commission on Digital Development

The Broadband Leadership Summit brought together a number of leading industry heads, various heads of state and governments, the heads of a number of international organizations and members of the ITU/UNESCO Broadband Commission for Digital Development. 

UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé launching a new initiative run by young people, for young people, called “Crowd Out AIDS”
Credit: ITU

At the Summit, UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé launched a new initiative run by young people, for young people, called “Crowd Out AIDS”. Engaging through the most popular social media sites around the world and a Wiki platform, the UNAIDS Secretariat will ask young leaders to draft its new youth HIV strategy, debate, and then work with UNAIDS to implement it. It aims to reach more than 100 000 young people with the opportunity to input their ideas.

"It is absolutely critical that we engage youth at this level, not as recipients of our messages but the actors and creators of change," Mr Sidibé said. "In this global movement we need more global citizens.”

The Broadband Commission was established by ITU and UNESCO in May 2010 based on the increased belief that expanding broadband access in every country is key to accelerating progress towards the MGDs.

Lamia Jouini, engaging with fellow delegates in the café discussion on the third day of the UNESCO Youth Forum.

How can the world’s youth maximize their potential as dynamic agents of social, political and economic change to improve their lives, health and societies? The 7th UNESCO Youth Forum, held in Paris from 17 - 20 October, brought together nearly 250 youth delegates from 193 Member States and hundreds of civil society observers to try to find answers to this key question.

With the theme ‘How youth drive change,’ the Forum explored the myriad ways in which young people are reshaping the world. Three sub-themes looked at youth in political and public life, breaking through employment barriers, and countering youth exclusion, vulnerability and violence. 

HIV remains a major area of vulnerability for young people, with 15-24 year-olds representing some 40% of new infections among adults worldwide. On the third day of the Forum, more than 30 youth delegates from around the world engaged in a ‘cafe discussion’ on HIV-related issues and AIDS activism.

During the session, organized by UNESCO, delegates were encouraged to contribute to the HIV response in their home countries. They shared diverse opinions and ideas, learning from each other’s experiences. 

“I didn’t even know that there was such a thing as a female condom! It just shows the lack of information,” said Lamia Jouini from Tunisia with a slight laugh, a member of the International Federation of Medical Student’s Association. On a more serious note, she added, “The HIV situation is bad in many countries—we should really adjust our work to the needs of young people.”

The wide-ranging discussions touched on issues such as stigma and discrimination, lack of good-quality sexuality education in schools and access to commodities such as quality condoms.

“I was really impressed with the work young people are doing to educate themselves and their peers, challenging stigma,” said Joanna Herat, a programme specialist in the HIV and AIDS section with UNESCO, who facilitated the discussion. “Many of the delegates left the session with a strong sense of dedication to advocate for HIV-related education in their home countries.”

Developing a symbiotic relationship between young people and UNESCO as an organization was also seen as critical. Delegates took the opportunity to tell UNESCO representatives about their needs and priorities as advocates and beneficiaries. The UN agency, in turn, was able to identify activists and follow up with them for peer engagement and leadership development opportunities.

The café discussion reflected the aspirations of the 7^th UNESCO Youth Forum as a whole: to encourage youth to be a force that makes a difference in the world and to be a force that drives change.