PANCAP set to host second joint dialogue to discuss sustained AIDS fight

Sep 06, 2019 News

Under the theme “Assessing progress towards ending AIDS”, the Pan-Caribbean Partnership against HIV and AIDS (PANCAP), will convene its second joint regional dialogue with parliamentarians, faith leaders, civil society leaders, national AIDS programme managers and youth leaders. The event will be held in Trinidad and Tobago on September 10, 2019.

PANCAP Director, Dereck Springer

According to Director of PANCAP, Dereck Springer, the dialogue will provide an update on the implementation of recommendations that emanated from the first regional dialogue held in April 2018. Stakeholders will also explore personal values and attitudes that may contribute to reinforcing differences or fostering an environment that supports diversity.
The Director further explained that the five stakeholder groups – parliamentarians, faith leaders, civil society leaders, National AIDS Programme Managers and youth leaders – would be involved in interactive sessions which will allow them to discuss and propose options on the way forward for each stakeholder group, including areas for collaboration with other stakeholder groups beyond the current Global Fund grant.
“Conscious that there remain challenges with differences among some stakeholder groups, the regional dialogue will provide a space to allow stakeholders to explore their personal values and divergent views, as well as the implicit biases that serve as barriers to communication with and acceptance of different groups,” stated the PANCAP Director. He further highlighted that through group discussions, stakeholders would clarify their values, identify the challenges and responses required to overcome the gaps in trust, diversity and social identity that currently exist among stakeholders.
The PANCAP Director emphasised that the dialogue will seek to ascertain from stakeholder groups what is needed to develop positive attitudes to diverse social identities, such as men who have sex with men, transgender persons, sex workers, persons who use drugs, migrants and persons with disabilities.
In addition, the five stakeholder groups will be involved in identifying strategies for fostering collaboration for ending AIDS, areas for cooperation between stakeholders and support needs for advancing stakeholders’ work at the national level.
Participants will include parliamentarians representing government and Opposition, members of the regional Faith Leaders Steering Committee and other selected Faith Leaders, Regional Civil Society Leaders who work with Key Populations, members of the PANCAP Youth Advocacy Steering Committee and National AIDS Programme Managers.

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