On October 18th, South Korea was elected to the Asia-Pacific non-permanent seat of the United Nations Security Council, after human rights activists highlighted rights abuses in Cambodia, its main challenger. In a press release issued earlier this week, Global Witness argued,”Cambodia should not be given a seat on the United Nations Security Council while its ruling elite continues to commit widespread human rights abuses and sell off vast tracts of land and forest for private gain.”
[NEWS] Asia Catalyst Letter on the New Funding Model for the Global Fund
Below is the letter Asia Catalyst Executive Director Sara “Meg” Davis sent October 5, 2012 to Michael O’Connor at The Global Fund, commenting on the Fund’s new funding model.
Dear Mr. O’Connor,
Thank you and Ms. Wong for sharing the Global Fund’s new funding model and inviting us to join the call this week. We strongly support the Global Fund’s efforts to redesign the funding mechanisms and as part of the Developing Country NGO Constituency, and appreciate the opportunity to comment on he proposed new plans.
As you know, Asia Catalyst works with networks and CBOs led by sex workers, drug users, MSM, people living with HIV/AIDS, ethnic minorities and other communities directly affected by the three diseases in China and Southeast Asia. Our work focuses on capacity-building of these groups and networks, especially in the areas of nonprofit management, community mobilization, and human rights. Civil society is growing rapidly in East and Southeast Asia, thanks in part to the Global Fund’s financial support and to its promotion of the principle of community consultation.
Most of our work is in China, where Global Fund support has helped to develop a flourishing
community of CBOs. Based on our consultation with these groups, we are encouraged that the new funding model will include a band of funding for Most At-Risk Populations (MARPs) and we urge the global Fund to ensure that funding is available for MARPs in countries that may not be eligible to submit proposals, such as China.
The Global Fund’s planned exit from China has not yet inspired the national government to rush to fill the gap in civil society support. Given the widespread and severe restrictions on freedom of expression and freedom of association in China, it is extremely challenging for Chinese activists to advocate on their own behalf. When we meet Chinese CBOs in workshops, conferences and other settings, they express great anxiety about the future and about their ability to continue to provide treatment, care and support to their communities once the Global Fund leaves. Please do all you can to ensure that the new funding model includes these past GF partners.
We will share this letter with our CBO partners and we thank you in advance for taking these
recommendations under consideration.
Sincerely,
Sara L.M. Davis
Executive Director
[EVENT] SAVE THE DATE: Wednesday, November 7, 2012 China’s Comrades: New Developments in LGBT Rights
[1.5 CLE credits available]
Social and political attitudes towards sexual orientation and gender identity are changing rapidly in China. Vibrant new LGBT networks have sprung up around the country. Authorities tacitly accept a degree of activism by social organizations working on LBGT issues. And official attitudes toward the legal status of LGBT individuals and communities are evolving, as represented by the first tentative (but unsuccessful) legislative proposals to recognize gay marriage. At the same time, activists report widespread discrimination against LGBT people, and Chinese media have reported on several hate crimes in recent years.
What do these changes signify? This talk will feature American and Chinese legal experts and NGO activists on the legal status of LGBT communities in China, and on efforts by Chinese activists to strengthen anti-discrimination and promote social inclusion. The event is organized by the Catalyzers, a group of professionals who raise awareness about health and human rights and generate support for our partners in Asia. A short reception will follow.
Location: Fordham University Law School
Time: Wednesday November 7, 2012, 4 to 6 pm
Registration is limited. Email us at info@asiacatalyst.org to get on the list; we will contact you when registration opens.
UPDATE: Registration is now open. Please register at: https://chinascomrades.eventbrite.com/
[COMMENTARY] 10,000 Smiles: A Chinese Campaign Against HIV/AIDS Discrimination
By Yu Fangqiang
Chinese civil rights activist Yu Fangqiang tells the story behind his “10,000 Smiles” campaign, which collected over 12,000 photos of people holding up signs in English and Chinese with slogans against HIV-related discrimination such as “People with HIV/AIDS have the right to work.” The photos included a diverse group of individuals including government officials, students, people on the street, and U.S. Ambassador Gary Locke, and they were shared online through social media and news reports in China’s official news organ, People’s Daily.
[ANNOUNCEMENT] Abstract Submission System Open! Harm Reduction 2013 in Vilnius, Lithuania 第23界国际减低伤害大会开始接收摘要投稿
The 23rd International Harm Reduction Conference will be held on 9th – 12th of June, 2013, in Vilnius, Lithuania, and is being organised by Harm Reduction International in partnership with the Eurasian Harm Reduction Network. The official conference theme is ‘The Value’s of Harm Reduction‘, which will provide focus on the urgent need to ensure sufficient political and financial support to address the HIV epidemic driven by injecting drug use in many parts of the world, and well as the ethical basis of the harm reduction philosophy.
第23界国际降低伤害大会将于2013年6月9-12日|为在立陶宛首都 维尔纽斯召开。大会主题为”降低伤害的价值”，主要关注世界各地毒品注射而导致的艾滋病感染问题，呼吁针对该问题号召全球政治与经济支持。
