Call for Applications for EECA Networking Zone during AIDS 2018

Eastern European and Central Asian (EECA) communities will have their own Networking Zone in the Global Village during the 22^nd International AIDS Conference AIDS 2018. Now it is time to fill in the Networking Zone with interesting events.

The organizing group, which included representatives of all key networks in the region, have worked out the key objectives for EECA Communities campaign, common for all communities in the region and on which all our efforts, events and actions will be aimed at during AIDS2018.

The objectives are:

1. To demonstrate to the world the impact of repressive, discriminatory legislation and practices of their application, as well as stigma against key populations and people living with HIV (PLWH) in EECA on the effectiveness of the response to HIV/AIDS epidemic and people’s lives and to strive to create an enabling legal environment in EECA region.
2. To show the consequences of excluding communities from planning, implementation, and evaluation of HIV/AIDS programs to effectively respond to the epidemic and to achieve commitments on the involvement of key populations and PLWH in decision-making processes.
3. To demonstrate the negative consequences of reducing international support and unwillingness of EECA countries governments to switch to national funding, and to seek global assistance in mobilizing resources to stabilize HIV/AIDS epidemic in EECA.

The days of the EECA Networking Zone functioning in the Global Village are spread according to the objectives topics. Each day will include time slots for video projection/art/performance, meetings with decision-makers and joint actions in the framework of EECA Communities campaign.

Please send your applications for the events to natalia@harmreductioneurasia.org and daria_alexeeva@afew.nl, considering the below-mentioned criteria before June 5.

Selection criteria for the events and presentations to be included into the program of the EECA Networking Zone:

1. Relevance to one of the campaign objectives/topics: the role of the communities in decision making, sustainable financing, and legal barriers.
2. Wide coverage of the key populations (targeting more than one key population).
3. The format should be suitable and should enhance the conditions and area of the networking zone 60m2 (examples are: discussion, briefing, action, performance etc.) and surrounding environment (Global Village).
4. The duration between 45 and 90 minutes.
5. The applicant shall be able to ensure participation of all announced speakers and will promote its event to attract the audience.
6. The applicant shall be able to ensure the necessary equipment (if it lacks in the Networking Zone) – to bring it, install it and dismantle after the session/event.
7. Joint submissions from several organizations are welcome.

The final decision on inclusion of submitted ideas into the EECA Networking Zone program will be based on the criteria mentioned above, and also on following the logic of the relevance to adjacent events and sessions.