High Level Meeting on Aids – Youth Activism
During the month of June, the United Nations hosted a High Level Meeting on Aids. One of the side events, entitled “Young People in the Aids Response”, highlighted the importance of youth activism in reaching the United Nations goal of zero new infections by 2015.
Speakers in the meeting stated that youth are the new face Aids activism, through their hard work youth infection rates have dropped by 25%. During the meeting, youth from around the world presented “The Mali Call to Action” a youth driven movement that asks countries and citizens around the world to take a firm stance on HIV/AIDS. The call to action demands countries to: provide protection (male AND female condoms), not to discriminate (on basis of sexual orientation or drugs) and to properly educate. One of the key speakers at the side event was Anthony Lake the new executive director of UNICEF, whose speech demonstrated the progress made by youth by citing changes in the numbers of infections since the release of the 2002 Young People In Crisis document.
Want to learn more about The Mali Call to Action?
Go to: http://www.whatabouthiv.org/?p=145
