黑龙江社会组织预防艾滋病促进会成为沟通社区和疾控中心的桥梁
“We Are the Bridge!” – A successful advocacy case of promoting communication between the HIV-affected community and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) in Heilongjiang Province
By Hui Hongtao
龙江社会组织预防艾滋病促进会是在我省开展防治艾滋病服务的27个民间草根组织的联合机制，这些组织来自MSM人群、感染者、青年志愿者三个领域，其特点是以社区为基础，覆盖黑龙江全省，为受艾滋病影响的人群服务。
The Association of Heilongjiang Community-Based Organizations on HIV Prevention (“the Association”) is a network of 27 community-based organizations (CBOs) that provides HIV/AIDS-related services to MSM (men who have sex with men) and young people living with HIV/AIDS in Heilongjiang Province.
促进会的作用是搭建平台，让大家有机会相互分享信息、互帮互助，合作开展活动，提升整体的社区动员和服务能力。由于中国的防艾工作是由CDC代表政府行使职能，促进会的作用之一也是帮助各组织协调与当地CDC的交往与合作关系。
One of our activities is to mobilize the communities we serve and improve their capacity to advocate on their own behalf. To do this we have built a platform where they can share information, help each other, and collaborate on different activities. In addition, the Association helps local CBOs to connect and work with their respective local CDCs. This is strategically important because the CDC in China acts on behalf of the Chinese government to implement HV/AIDs prevention and related services.
我们在工作中看到部分城市与当地CDC合作出现矛盾，主要体现在CDC对草根组织的期待较高，希望少花钱多做事；而草根组织则希望能够得到CDC更多的资助。双方的矛盾焦点主要在于对服务质量和相应经费支持额度的认识不同，加之缺少沟通往往导致双方互不理解，合作不顺利。
Through several years of working together with local CBOs and the local CDCs, we discovered a recurring challenge: the CDC holds high expectations of CBOs and wants them to conduct a lot of work without the CDC spending a lot of money; however, CBOs expects increased funding from the CDC. Both parties have different understanding of what constitutes quality service and the financial support it needs. Combined with a lack of communication, these misunderstandings have impeded cooperation between the CBOs and the local CDCs.
2012年下半年，我们得到亚州促进会的资助，选择了黑龙江省内的两个矛盾比较突出的城市开展倡导和协调工作。我们的愿望得到了黑龙江省CDC的大力支持，因为帮助化解地方的矛盾，也是在帮助省CDC做好工作。省CDC希望促进会能够发挥社区的桥梁作用，帮助各地CDC和草根组织增加了解、加深理解、消除误解、促成合作
Supported by Asia Catalyst, in the second half of 2012 we identified two organizations in two different cities in Heilongjiang Province were these conflicts with the CDC were more pronounced. Together with these two organizations, we implemented a pilot project that aimed to resolve existing problems between the local CBOs and the local CDCs. The Heilongjiang Provincial CDC expressed strong interest and support for this project in the hope of finding a solution to deepen mutual understanding and continued cooperation with CBOs.
省CDC工作人员帮助我们联系当地CDC，介绍我们的行程和目的，得到了两个城市CDC的认可，我们的两名工作人员随后前往这两个城市拜访CDC和草根组织。当地草根组织都是促进会成员，所以沟通起来方便容易，我们就首先做通草根组织的工作，让他们多理解CDC的顾虑和难处，先提高自己的工作质量，赢得CDC的认可，草根组织接受了我们的建议。其次，我们到当地CDC拜访，介绍草根组织的现状，表达草根组织希望支持CDC开展工作的愿望，鼓励CDC多理解和支持草根组织，保护他们的积极性，发挥他们的作用，在可能的情况下多给予经费和技术上的支持。双方分别接受了我们的协调，实现了相互理解、谅解，开始了干预工作的新合作。
Officials from the provincial CDC introduced us to the CDC branch offices in the two selected cities and we visited the CDC offices as well as the CBOs there. As network members, the local CBOs were welcoming and communication went smoothly. The main recommendation we had for the CBOs was to be aware of the concerns of the CDC, and gain their appreciation by improving service quality and delivery to the local communities. At the same time, we talked with the local CDC officials about the current situation of CBOs and their expectations for working with the CDC. We persuaded them to protect and promote the positive results that CBOs can bring to the community by supporting their work technically and financially. Both sides ultimately accepted our recommendations and started new programs for community-based HIV prevention work.
另外，我们在A城市时小组诉苦说这两年一直承担着每年动员400个男同接受HIV检测的哨点监测任务，CDC给的经费不足万元，时间周期很短，完成任务难度大，需要安排志愿者们做大量工作动员社区人群接受检测，每个被动员的人要给小礼品、动员的志愿者也要补助交通费、通讯费、误餐补助、象征性的劳务费，还要租用专门的场所进行集中检测，这些成本加起来远远超过CDC给的经费。CDC曾答应配合干预活动补充费用，但一直没落实，费用迟迟不能及时到位，小组缺少垫款能力，因此小组负责人和CDC人员反复沟通，甚至出现矛盾争吵，影响到彼此的合作关系，小组负责人表态不想同CDC再继续合作了。
A CBO in one city told us that they accepted an annual target to mobilize 400 members of the gay community to take an HIV test as part of sentinel surveillance, yet the financial compensation from the CDC is insufficient at less than 10,000 CNY (about $1,620 USD). In order to carry out this work, they have to organize a large number of volunteers whom they need to compensate for costs such as local transportation, telecommunication, and meal subsidies. Other costs included rental of testing venues and gifts for people who took an HIV test. Since the available funds did not cover the actual costs, the CDC previously had agreed to raise funds, but this decision was never implemented. Attempts by the CBO to communicate with the local CDC on this issue resulted in conflict, such that the CBO wanted to discontinue its cooperation with the CDC altogether.
我们了解国家哨点监测的费用确实有限，就建议小组要压缩有限的支出，删减给被检测人的礼品，我们提供无偿服务不能被扭曲理解为花钱购买社区人群来接受服务，这种观念和做法本身就既不合理又不可持续。小组接受了我们的建议，表示在此后的工作中逐步替换直至取消给礼品这一项。我们再到当地CDC拜访，CDC人员也承认这项工作的费用不高，但国家此项工作提供的经费就是这么多，他们也无能为力，为补充不足，CDC也表示通过委托小组开展常规干预工作给予经费补充，但国家提供的经费本来就有限，而且层层拨付的速度较慢，也影响到给小组拨款的时，希望小组能够理解，自己先垫款工作，可小组就是不理解，反复沟通都不成功，CDC为此也很苦恼。我们向CDC介绍了小组的困难，尤其提到小组对CDC既理解又支持，但困难也是现实，希望CDC作为国家机构能够从自己的系统内部想办法帮助小组克服既工作又要垫钱的困难、化解委曲情绪，让小组放下思想包袱才能全力工作。CDC人员也感慨和接受了我们的建议，表达了他们对小组参与工作的感激之情，也表态会继续想办法支持小组克服困难。时隔不久，CDC主动联系小组，双方达成分阶段付款报账的解决方案，合作得以顺畅继续进行。
Because we understand that there is limited national funding available for sentinel surveillance testing, we suggested to the CBO to cut unnecessary expenses (such as the gifts) for completed tests. The fact that CBOs provide free services should not be distorted to mean that the community needs to be paid to use such services. This is not a sustainable model. The CBO accepted this suggestion and incorporated it into their practices. When we visited the CDC staff, they responded to us with empathy but also expressed that there is a limited amount of funding available for surveillance testing. An additional issue is that it takes time for funds to reach the local CDCs themselves, which impacts the time the CBO receives their funds so that the CBO needs to advance their own funds to cover costs. This point was a major obstacle that led to repeated conflict. We explained to the local CDC that the CBO does understand the limitations on funding, but that their financial difficulties are real. We expressed hope that the CDC as a national-level organization will come up with an internal solution. Shortly hereafter, the CDC initiated communication with the CBO again and both parties agreed to a system of progressive payments. Based on this solution, their cooperation has continued.
我们的经验是：分别从双方的角度出发，站在各自的立场思考，考虑到各自的关注点和需求，发现共识点，然后寻找化解矛盾的方法，既分别和双方单独交流，又邀请双方见面共同探讨，我们的做法有效地拉近了双方的距离，通过对话增加了他们之间的理解，消除了误解，实现了合作，我们的桥梁作用也得以实现。
我们对亚州促进会的两次资助表示衷心的感谢。
Based on our experience with this project, the most effective way to solve common conflicts is for each party to see things from the other’s point of view; pay attention to each other’s needs and find common ground to reach a solution. By addressing concerns with each party separately first before bringing them together, we effectively increased their understanding of each other, eliminated misconceptions and reached cooperation. Thus, we realized our role of serving as bridge between different stakeholders.
We thank Asia Catalyst for its support.
Hui Hongtao is director of the Association of Heilongjiang Community-Based Organizations on HIV Prevention and graduate of the 2012 Asia Catalyst NGO Leadership Cohort .
