Why not nominate an organisation from Myanmar?

[him] moderator

******************************

I am pleased to announce the call for nominations for the biennial Red Ribbon Award: Celebrating Community Leadership and Action on AIDS, a partnership initiative between the UNAIDS family and the Leadership and Community Programme Committees of the XVII International AIDS Conference. This international award will honour exceptional grassroots leadership in responding to the AIDS epidemic and will be presented at the XVII International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2008), to be held in Mexico City, from 3-8 August 2008 .

The Red Ribbon Award differs from other efforts in that it honors not individuals, but community organizations whose actions have made an exceptional contribution in addressing HIV and AIDS. "Communities are at the forefront of addressing the core challenges of HIV," declared Dr Peter Piot, Executive Director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) at a launch press conference in Mexico City on World AIDS Day. "Honouring their work and encouraging the replication of community initiatives is essential for a successful global response."

UNDP's Administrator, Kemal Dervis, recognized the pivotal role of community organisations in the response to the AIDS epidemic and said: "For over 20 years, communities have been the hardest hit by AIDS, yet they have shown extraordinary courage and resilience, and their leadership has been central to addressing the challenges posed by the epidemic."

 Nominations for outstanding leadership will be accepted in the five following areas:

Providing access to care, treatment and support for people living with HIV
Promoting human rights and addressing social injustices such as homophobia, sexism and any other form of stigma and discrimination
Empowering women and girls and addressing gender inequalities that fuel the spread of HIV
Providing support to children orphaned by AIDS and other vulnerable children
Promoting HIV prevention programs and services

 Nomination information and criteria can be found at www.redribbonaward.org .  We encourage you to participate in the nomination process by nominating deserving groups or encouraging them to apply. In some cases, you may offer assistance in navigating the process for those organizations who might not apply otherwise Twenty-five community organizations will receive US$ 5,000 each while five will receive special recognition and an additional US$ 15,000. All twenty-five winners will have the opportunity to showcase their work at the International AIDS Conference in Mexico City.

 Thank you for finding the best community organizations and helping us support their invaluable work around the world!

Revati Chawla
revati.chawla@undp.org