Today was yet another interesting day of the 17th International AIDS Conference as it was also the last official day. The day began at 8.30am with action partners running along to special sessions and programs, satellite programs and skills building workshops. Others who were on duty at the booth were tasked to provide information to people from all walks of life.
Even though it was the last day of the conference, the booth was still packed with so many people who were interested in finding out more about OIYP and receiving references and contact details from action partners and Oxfam International as a whole. Since the beginning of the conference the booth had been thought by the conference delegates as well as the Oxfam staff as being the most outstanding (the only booth organisation in the entire global village having youth delegates from 15 different countries), warm and welcoming booth compared to the others in the global village. At times the booth was jokingly called a “photo\film booth” as it had been seen that many people were taking photos and films with action partners almost everyday even at the last day of the conference.
Even at the last day of the conference, action partners were evermore excited to attend sessions and presentations. Attending the transgender forum, ART scaling up, an AIDS ambassador presentation were very enlightening for me, especially the presentation made by the transgender community at the AIDS Conference. The most significant issue that was mostly talked about among the panel of presenters and the audience was the right of transgender minority groups to be given recognition as a very different group from bisexuals, MSM (Men who have sex with Men) and Lesbians. The issue of transgender’s having the right to have access to health care services and not being turned down by health workers due to their sexuality was raised continuously among delegates. They are human beings just like you and me and they deserve to be treated with respect. This session unlike the others I have attended was more or less eye opening for me because I never really recognised the vulnerability this group of people had towards HIV/AIDS.
Also during the day nurses that attended the conference also did a protested at the exhibition arena and their message was that they would like nurses to be kept within their respective country’s and not move to other countries that can provide more incentives for such as good salary that may bring about better livelihoods. They were calling on the government to seriously look into issues and concerns that nurses from all over the world raise.
The day ended with action partners packing up and cleaning out the booth.
Even though it was the last day of the conference, the booth was still packed with so many people who were interested in finding out more about OIYP and receiving references and contact details from action partners and Oxfam International as a whole. Since the beginning of the conference the booth had been thought by the conference delegates as well as the Oxfam staff as being the most outstanding (the only booth organisation in the entire global village having youth delegates from 15 different countries), warm and welcoming booth compared to the others in the global village. At times the booth was jokingly called a “photo\film booth” as it had been seen that many people were taking photos and films with action partners almost everyday even at the last day of the conference.
Even at the last day of the conference, action partners were evermore excited to attend sessions and presentations. Attending the transgender forum, ART scaling up, an AIDS ambassador presentation were very enlightening for me, especially the presentation made by the transgender community at the AIDS Conference. The most significant issue that was mostly talked about among the panel of presenters and the audience was the right of transgender minority groups to be given recognition as a very different group from bisexuals, MSM (Men who have sex with Men) and Lesbians. The issue of transgender’s having the right to have access to health care services and not being turned down by health workers due to their sexuality was raised continuously among delegates. They are human beings just like you and me and they deserve to be treated with respect. This session unlike the others I have attended was more or less eye opening for me because I never really recognised the vulnerability this group of people had towards HIV/AIDS.
Also during the day nurses that attended the conference also did a protested at the exhibition arena and their message was that they would like nurses to be kept within their respective country’s and not move to other countries that can provide more incentives for such as good salary that may bring about better livelihoods. They were calling on the government to seriously look into issues and concerns that nurses from all over the world raise.
The day ended with action partners packing up and cleaning out the booth.
Mercy Masta, Papua New Guinea Action Partner
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