Alliance Latin America and Caribbean programmes come together for blue-sky thinking
30 October 2007
In September 2007, Alliance country offices, linking organisations and other partners from Latin America and the Caribbean came together for Blue sky week, an opportunity to plan strategically and to analyse achievements, challenges and trends in the region’s HIV response.
This year’s event was hosted in Quito by Kimirina, the Alliance’s linking organisation in Ecuador. Delegates shared programme experiences and provided feedback to the Alliance’s global strategic framework and the Latin America and Caribbean strategic framework to 2010, around which the meeting was structured.
Delegates agreed that the proposed targets for the region are challenging and also encourage the Alliance to strengthen and improve its work in Latin America and the Caribbean. “The targets are not impossible,” commented Robinson Cabello, the executive director of Vía Libre in Peru, “but they are set very high. In our experience, it is worth setting them high because the epidemic continues to advance despite all our efforts. For example, in the case of prevention work we can develop and contribute new strategies to improve access and overcome the many barriers we have now.”
Delegates also discussed new areas of work in the region, participation in the Global Fund, the Greater Involvement of People Living with HIV (GIPA), the International AIDS Conference to be held in Mexico in 2008, the Alliance’s accreditation process, knowledge management, and resource mobilisation.
Over 20 representatives from country offices, linking organisations and the Alliance secretariat participated in the week, including Colectivo Sol from Mexico, Vía Libre from Peru, IDH from Bolivia, the Caribbean HIV/AIDS Alliance, and POZ from Haiti, as well as regional networks such as the network of sex workers, Redtrasex, and the network of women living with HIV and AIDS, ICW Latina.
Participants were also invited to visit Kimirina’s offices to meet national stakeholders and find out more about how Kimirina functions as an Alliance linking organisation. Kimirina also organised a very entertaining noche quiteña (Quito by night), where participants were able to appreciate typical food, music and dance from Quito.
The active participation of all, the richness of the contributions, exchanges and discussions, and Kimirina’s outstanding role in hosting the event contributed to the great success of this year’s Latin America and Caribbean blue sky meeting.
