National HIV/AIDS Strategy – Mindy Nichamin

 Bringing Facing AIDS to Your Community

 for World AIDS Day 2010

 

Southwest Louisiana Area Health Education Center (SWLAHEC)

Many people want to find a way to get their communities involved for World AIDS Day (December 1), but don’t know where to start. The Facing AIDS photo initiative contributes to the message of World AIDS Day by coming together as a global community to help reduce stigma and discrimination around HIV/AIDS, and promote awareness and testing. This World AIDS Day is particularly timely, as communities across the country are coming together to support the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS).

Last year, in addition to the hundreds of individuals who participated in our Facing AIDS photo initiative for World AIDS Day, community groups across the country hosted Facing AIDS events for individuals to share messages about why they are Facing AIDS. Some group participants included Alabama A&M University , Young Black Moguls , New Mexico AIDS Services , Black Educational AIDS Project, Inc (BEAP),and Oregon State University .

For 2010, we’ve already been hearing feedback from organizations who are planning another Facing AIDS event this year. Facing AIDS is an opportunity for groups—whether they are community-based organizations, non-profits, businesses, student groups, faith-based groups, governmental or non-governmental, AIDS walks, and fundraisers, etc.—to make a call to action.

 

Watch the video on what Brian Burton from the Southwest Louisiana Area Health Education Center (SWLAHEC) has to say about his Facing AIDS event last year .

 

Want to organize a Facing AIDS photo event in your community?

1. Pick a time, place, & location to hold your event, or consider adding Facing AIDS to an event you already have planned for World AIDS Day.
2. Promote! Promote! Tell everyone you know about your event (online and in person).
3. Get your signs and pens ready! Download the Facing AIDS sign (PDF) or create your own.
4. Locate a digital camera or mobile phone with photo capabilities.
5. Say cheese! Bring a camera, signs, and pens to your event. Ask people to write messages about why they are Facing AIDS.
6. Upload and share your photos on AIDS.gov’s Facing AIDS Flickr group and to your website and/or social network profile. Tell your friends and family about how they can get involved.

 

On AIDS.gov, we’ve put together a community how-to guide (PDF), postcard (PDF) and video to help you get started. We’ve also posted general World AIDS Day resources. In addition to sharing signs about Facing AIDS, you can also download a sign with a message about the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (PDF).

We’re excited to hear about how your community is getting involved in Facing AIDS. Leave a blog comment or direct message us on Twitter —we may even share your story in a future blog post. And remember to submit your photos to the Facing AIDS for World AIDS Day 2010 Flickr group .

Across the United States and around the world, all of us are affected in some way by the HIV epidemic. How will your community be involved in Facing AIDS?

By Mindy Nichamin, AIDS.gov New Media Coordinator

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