Unique initiative recognises community members as experts
31 August 2005
The Alliance, Kimirina (the Alliance's linking organisation in Ecuador) and the HIV/AIDS Community Networks of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC Networks) have begun a programme to train male and female sex workers, gay men and women, men who have sex with men, and people living with HIV/AIDS in the region to become international consultants. What makes this initiative unique is that it recognises community members as experts – people with the experience to enhance other programmes well beyond their particular levels of formal or professional instruction.
The initiative is part of the Alliance’s expansion of its regional programme in Latin America and the Caribbean funded by the UK Department for International Development. One of the strategic guidelines is geared towards building and strengthening communities’ local and regional capabilities by tapping into local community expertise.
The consultants will become part of a pool of regional community HIV/AIDS consultants that non-governmental organisations, international agencies and governments can access. The pool will be promoted via an online database in collaboration with LAC Networks.
The process began in April when a regional committee of representatives from LAC Networks, Kimirina and the Alliance defined a transparent, equitable and representative selection process. An invitation was published on the web and the committee selected 29 participants out of 100 applications.
During July, the participants were trained on international consultancy in Quito, Ecuador. The course covered areas of experience; negotiating terms of reference, résumé and consultancy proposal writing; negotiation of schedules; creating budgets; mission statements; tools for working with vulnerable populations; and ethical aspects of consultancy.
Commenting on the consultancy training, a Chilean transgender activist said,"Thank you for inviting transgender people, because we are always invisible, our voices are never heard and our vulnerability is not being considered. Because of our bodies, we face different problems from those experienced by men having sex with other men. We want to be validated as a different population. We go through situations which we would like people to be aware of, and this is a very important step taken towards that awareness.”
