The Open Society Institute's Roma Health Project (RHP) is encouraging young Roma activists and civil society members to attend the European Youth and AIDS Seminar organized by the Romanian Association Against AIDS (ARAS). The seminar will take place in Bucharest, Romania, on June 27-28, 2008. A limited number of scholarships are available to cover participation costs.
Description of the Seminar
The European Youth and AIDS Seminar is supported by the European Commission, the European Directorate General for Health and Consumer Affairs (DG SANCO), and OSI's Roma Health Project. The seminar is the last of a series of nine European best practice seminars organized in the framework of AIDS Action and Integration, a series of projects coordinated by the Paris-based AIDES NGO. The goal of the seminar series is to promote the development of local, community-based HIV/AIDS NGOs in Central and Eastern Europe, especially in the new and future Member States of the European Union. The European Youth and AIDS Seminar is planned as a training and best practice exchange workshop for young activists in the field of HIV/AIDS prevention.
The seminar will include a workshop dedicated specifically to Roma youth and AIDS, with a focus on:
- The special situation and needs of Roma youth (crossed vulnerability, poverty, discrimination, etc.);
- Cultural and health mediation as main tools of intervention, from theory to practice;
- Tools and methods recommended for working with Roma youth;
- Exchange of experiences and best practice models
The working languages of the seminar are English and Russian.
Who Should Apply
Scholarship applications are solicited from individuals with:
- Membership and active role in an organization, network or group with the capacity to implement HIV/AIDS-related projects and/or advocate on HIV/AIDS policy;
- Age 18-35;
- Basic knowledge of HIV/AIDS;
- Young Roma are particularly encouraged to apply;
- Young people living with HIV/AIDS are particularly encouraged to apply;
- Priority will be given to applications from the 12 new Member States of the European Union and Turkey (see full list of eligible countries at the end of the attached application form)
How to Apply
Interested individuals should contact the seminar coordinators at youthandaids@gmail.com. Scholarship applications will be accepted up to April 30, 2008.