Crossing the Borders: The Haven Project

This program started in the spring of 2008, when Asia Catalyst received several requests from AIDS activists who were worried about the risk of detention and harassment in the run-up to the Beijing Olympics. They wanted to know if there was a way for them to stay under the government radar during this sensitive period. Hu Jia, a leading Chinese AIDS activist, had just been sentenced to three years and six months imprisonment for "inciting subversion," and many other advocates had already been warned against speaking out about or organizing events around human rights issues.

Asia Catalyst responded quickly by putting together a program that would get these activists out of the country during the crackdown before and during the Olympics, and give them the chance to develop their skills in activism, NGO management, and international advocacy. We also hoped that the exchanges would enable better communication between Chinese activists and their colleagues in other countries, so that regional and international NGOs could develop a deeper understanding of the situation in China. (Our Chinese human rights website, Asia Report, also aims to improve the channels of communication between Chinese and other Asian activists). With the help of some generous and fast-acting donors and partner organizations, we were able to place six fellows with HIV/AIDS organizations in New York, Pennsylvania, Hong Kong, and Malaysia.

Although there are no Olympic Games in China this year, Chinese activists and grassroots groups continue to face obstacles in their work. Some AIDS activists faced harassment and restrictions during the sensitive period around the 20^th anniversary of Tiananmen Square. Civil society development and growth is hindered not just by external forces such as local police, but also internal problems such as lack of capacity. Since civil society is a fairly new phenomenon in China, they struggle with building and managing their organizations. Most grassroots NGO directors are young (for example, Li Dan, the executive director of the China Orchid AIDS Project, is in his early thirties) and have not had the benefit of working or interning in established NGOs. As a result, advocates struggle with such tasks as accounting, fundraising, staff management, and strategic planning.

As we've seen with the recent clampdowns on the Internet in China, as well in the response to the unrest in Tibet and Xinjiang, the Chinese government is serious about controlling the free flow of communication. Because of this, and because many Chinese activists do not speak other languages, grassroots groups in China are working in isolation from their peers in other countries. This means that they often aren't gaining the traction or support internationally that they need in order for change to happen in China.

The Haven project aims to address these problems, a few activists at a time. As fellows, they can combat the isolation, build international contacts and expand the capacity of Chinese civil society.

This year, we're arranging for five fellows from Yunnan, Henan, and Beijing to go to host organizations in Hong Kong, Jakarta, Bangkok. Some will also go with us to ICAAP, the regional AIDS conference in Indonesia in August, where Asia Catalyst will provide Chinese-English translation and some special events and meetings.

One fellow is a longtime activist who has been petitioning for the rights of those living with HIV/AIDS in Henan Province since he contracted HIV through a blood transfusion in the early 1990s. Another is the director of an organization of sex workers and former drug users living with HIV/AIDS in Yunnan, while the others have all been leaders in their communities on HIV/AIDS awareness, access to health for PLWHA, and other related issues.  The host organizations are leaders in their communities, and we're proud to work with them:

Midnight Blue, a nongovernmental organization located in Hong Kong, was founded by a group of male sex workers, labor rights supporters, and gender studies scholars. It is working to reduce the harm and dangers that male sex workers face in their work, and building a support network for male sex workers in Hong Kong and Shenzhen, China.

STIGMA Foundation, based in Jakarta, Indonesia, is a community-based organization made up of former drug users, people living with HIV/AIDS, and supporters. Founded as a small self-help group in June 2001, it has grown and is active in Indonesia and the Asia Pacific region on issues of advocacy, empowerment, and networking-building for groups working on related issues.

Thai National AIDS Foundation (TNAF) operates as a national center for fundraising and resources that support nongovernmental organizations and community groups working on HIV/AIDS-related issues, as well as people living with HIV/AIDS. It attempts to link the governmental, private, and community sectors in order to organize programs and operations for PLWHA. TNAF works with organizations that focus on women, children, the elderly, and groups in remote regions of Thailand, such as the hill-tribes.

We're grateful to all our partners, and hope to continue and expand the program in the future to include activists from other parts of Asia. If you want to know more about the program, want to nominate an activist, or volunteer to be a host, take a look at the program description or email us. We'd love to talk to you about it.