Recommendations to US AIDS Organizations
On Involving US Groups in Global AIDS Activities
On Advocacy
luxury hotels in Cordoba1. US AIDS groups that currently undertake advocacy work should expand their portfolio to include global AIDS issues. This is likely the single most important global AIDS activity they can undertake.
2. In adopting a global AIDS advocacy strategy, groups should identify a focused agenda based on their areas of expertise and constituency (i.e., immigration, treatment access, women, MSM, Africa, or LAC). Groups should approach expansive global AIDS advocacy agendas with caution.
3. Groups should seek to collaborate with other organizations advocating on the same issues, creating if possible small teams working on select issues. This broadens the constituency, shares capacity, prevents duplication, and can help diminish "burnout".
4. It is essential that groups undertaking global AIDS advocacy have a mechanism for communication with southern groups on policy matters–either through direct relationships, global networks or global agencies. (In the long term the goal should be to establish on-going communication directly with southern groups.)
5. US groups undertaking global AIDS advocacy should educate their constituencies and their communities on the issues they are prioritizing. This work can only be sustained in the decades ahead with broad community support.
On Two-way Partnerships
1. US groups should seek to establish two-way partnerships with groups in other nations as an effective means of working internationally when clear benefit to both groups can be achieved (i.e., skills exchange and solidarity).
2. In considering establishing an international partnership US groups need to seek sufficient funding for such partnership to be effective and sustainable. (A "reasonable" estimate to fund both groups in an "average", two-way partnership is $100,000 per year.)
- In considering a two-way international partnership US groups should consider
a. What cultural competence or affinity do they possess that could facilitate international work?
b. What experience do they possess in working or communicating with international colleagues?
c. Do they have the capacity to use the Internet to strengthen their international work?
- In exploring international partnerships US groups should seek to establish informal relationships with like groups in southern nations. In time they may identify a southern group with whom they might consider partnering and if so should ask themselves the following:
a. What do they have in common with this group? (Do they share common agendas, perspectives, and needs?)
b. Do they respect this organization enough to enter into a long-term partnership with it?
5. In seeking such partnerships US groups must clearly define what benefit they will receive from the partnership and what they offer their southern partner. Successful partnerships will have clear and measurable purposes, usually quite narrowly defined. They must also seek input from their southern partners as to what they see as the benefit to both themselves and the US-based ASO.
Sovata hotels review6. US groups should seek to establish long-term sustainable partnerships of two to four years, if not longer.
7 US groups should seek to avoid making most of the primary decisions in the partnership on their own or controlling all partnership funding. Equality in decision-making is an essential component in a successful partnership.
a. Facilitates southern groups initiating partnerships with northern groups
b. Supports southern groups having autonomous funding to engage in these partnerships
ERROR MSGc. Provides a means by which multiple partnering groups can support each other. (I.e., a support and communication network among partnering groups)
9. US groups should utilize the expertise they will develop and those of their partners to educate their constituency and community on global AIDS issues (i.e., broaden the benefit of the partnership beyond just the two organizations, if possible).
