Global Village Opening Session XVII International AIDS Conference Mexico City, Mexico, 3 – 8 August 2008
Mexico City, 10 July 2008 Mr Ban Ki Moon Secretary-General of the United Nations Dear Mr. Ban Ki Moon, On behalf of the international communitarian representatives of the Global Village, we are delighted to invite you to participate in a round table discussion to mark the opening of the Global Village at the XVII International AIDS Conference in Mexico City on Monday 4 August, 2008. The discussion will be held by six speakers representing civil society groups, people living with HIV and other international organizations who will engage in a semiformal conversation on key priority topics as part of the response. The discussion will be held from 11:00 to 12:00 on the Session Room 1 of the Global Village. The Global Village is a space made by and for the community to exchange skills and abilities; build alliances; and promote the interactive learning between communities living or affected by HIV/AIDS, decision makers, researchers and other social actors. The Global Village upholds the principles of human rights, equity and inclusion. It emphasizes the human, economic and cultural aspects of the response while building solidarity and encouraging collaboration among stakeholders. The main objective of the Global Village is to examine the challenges of addressing HIV/AIDS in the community from a civil society perspective. The discussion will underscore the above principals and highlight the importance of the conference theme ‘Universal Action Now’. The following points will be tabled for discussion: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5)
Universal access and low cost drugs: implementation of the Doha Declaration Full recognition of sexual and reproductive rights Examining HIV among women and girls Addressing the links between HIV and violence Addressing ways to combat stigma, discrimination and homophobia
We hope you will be able to join us in celebrating this landmark event and we look forward to discussing your participation in more detail. Please contact Eugenia Lopez Uribe, Global Village Coordinator, at +52 55 55 639 146 (ext 111) or
[email protected] to confirm or should you require any additional information. Sincerely,
Anandi Yuvaraj Marcus Day Global Village Co-Chairs 1