Report - Sida Studi

Saturday 1 October 2005: Innovative Actions
9 Workshop session: New Trends (continuation)
9 Workshop session:
New Trends (continuation)
9.1 Organisation of the workshops
Following the suggestion of Mr Juan Walter, the workshop
sessions which began the previous morning were
reconvened at this point. In some cases the facilitators
remained the same and in others those who were to have
made their presentations within the workshops which
were planned for the previous afternoon filled this role
(see below).
9.2 Skills-building workshops
9.21 Workshop 1: Learning to work with religious
or faith-based communities and developing new
tools to engage religious leaders
Facilitators: Juan Walter, Maureen Louhenapessy and Ravi
Chandran
Rapporteur: Danica Staneková
Participants: Virginija Ambrazeviciene, Leyla Hussein, Asa
Cronberg, Katarína Jiresová, Rosa Freitas, Joseph Asynyka,
Peace Kabushenga, James O’Connor, Michel Mbulu Pasu,
Omar Hallouche, Julian Hows, Paul-Gérard Bele, Thabo
Sephuma and Abbas Segujja
This workshop resumed with a short reintroduction of
the participants and a reprise by Mr Ravi Chandran of
the substance of his presentation, with particular attention
to his recommendations for improving working relationships
between HIV/AIDS organisations and religious
leaders. Further discussion centred on whether it is good
to approach working with religious leaders less as a process
of educating them, with its didactic and paternalistic
overtones, and more as process of entering into dialogue
and seeking to learn about their views and the rationale
for these views. The latter could be a basis for mutual
understanding and respect and, potentially, change.
There was also discussion about the applicability of
arguments, often pitched by religious organisation and
churches, for abstinence and faithfulness as effective
HIV/AIDS prevention strategies. It was agreed that while
these remain a theological ideal it is important to help
religious leaders see that they are not always lived up to.
Participants further noted the importance of pointing
out that there is no evidence that access to condoms leads
to increased promiscuity and that sexual risk-taking is
not dictated by access to contraception but by a range of
attitudes, values and social circumstances.
In addition to the action points identified in the previous
session of this workshop, it was agreed that it is important
to identify and seek to work with religious leaders
on HIV/AIDS prevention aimed at migrants. In the first
instance it is necessary to:
• identify sympathetic religious leaders – those who
acknowledge diversity, accept that human conduct does
not always meet ideals enshrined in religious beliefs, and
are open to communicating about the vulnerability of
people to HIV/AIDS. This might include accessing networks
like that run by Aegis which provides support for
HIV+ religious leaders.
Further recommendations included:
• Improving communication between HIV/AIDS organisations
and religious leaders;
• Improving cooperation between HIV/AIDS organisations
and religious leaders;
• Improving networking between HIV/AIDS organisations
and religious leaders.
9.22 Workshop 2: Learning to talk about sex;
dealing with diversity, gender and intercultural
communication issues
Facilitators: Michael Cruz and Hamid Ouali
Rapporteur: Maria Pisani
Participants: Amílcar Soares, Agita Seja, Isabel Looysen,
Maeve Foreman, Moono Nyambe, Isabel Nunes, Olive
Zuber, Nordine Frizi, Martina Zikmundova, Antje Sanogo,
Fabrice Métayer, Pangiotis Damaskos and Isidro García
Nieto
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