1. Youth Leadership, Education, Advocacy and Development
OCTOBER 2016 | NEWSLETTER
PUBLICATION INFO
Publisher:
Youth LEAD
Editor:
Olivia Sonnenberg
Layout and Design:
Bikash Gurung and
Olivia Sonnenberg
Advisor:
Thaw Zin Aye
Greetings from
Youth LEAD’s Secretariat!!!
- Thaw, Jeff, Gaj, and Prae
Welcome back to this edition of Youth READ!
What a great year for Youth LEAD. We have achieved a lot in just short period of time. Those
accomplishments are a product of relentless dedication by our staff, focal points and commu-
nity peers, from the bottom up with impact; with collaboration, support and guidance from
partner organizations. Currently, Youth
LEAD has focal points from 21 countries
who are reaching out to hundreds of other
Young Key Populations (YKPs) and
Young People Living with HIV (YPLHIV)
and leading the inclusion of YKP and
YPLHV in the HIV response movement at
both the national and regional level.
In mid-2016, Youth LEAD finalized and
launched its new strategic plan, providing
us with clarity about our roles and our
priorities for the next three years. Under
this strategic plan, our top priorities remain
access to health care services, meaningful youth participation, the removal of
legal and policy barriers, the generation of disaggregated data, and treatment,
care and support programs for Adolescent and YKP. Everything we do links
back to these priorities, from our network strengthening initiative, which aims to
build the capacity of YKPs to lead and influence national HIV planning and to advocate for access to HIV
and Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) services, to our leadership training initiatives for adolescents,
and our advocacy for an enabling policy and legal environment.
We have developed strong partnerships with key regional networks to help us meet our goals to work
collaboratively in the HIV response towards ensuring the health, wellbeing, and human rights of all young
people. Youth LEAD has been working constructively in different global and regional platforms, such as
the PACT, the UNAIDS Program Coordinating Board (UNAIDS PCB), the Global Fund’s Point 7 Youth
Advisory, AP-RCEM, and the Asia Pacific Inter-agency Task Team (IATT) on YKP. We are excited to
share that we are currently hosting two regional networks, YPEER’s Asia Pacific Center and Unzip the
Lips, in our Secretariat office. With these collaborations, we look forward to greater engagement with
SRH and gender issues.
Our regional programs continue to expand our leadership and strengthen our voice. Our Robert Carr grant
initiatives in 11 countries focus on strengthening YKP leadership and increasing our capacity as networks
to generate evidence from our unique point of view and perspective as YKP and YPLHIV.
Let us all work harder and continue to address issues faced by our peers.
2. The Brunei Darussalam AIDS Council (BDAC) plans to step up
its awareness programmes on HIV prevention following an
increase in the number of HIV cases last year.
BDAC President Iswandy Ahmad said the council is targeting
their awareness programmes to those who engage in “risky
behaviours.”
Speaking on the sidelines of an HIV workshop at the Institute of
Brunei Technical Education’s
Jefri Bolkiah Technical College,
he said risky behaviours refers
to engagement in unprotected
sexual intercourse, including
within same-sex relationships.
Brunei recorded 28 new HIV
cases in 2015, the highest
number recorded in a single
year, compared with 38 cases
between 2012 to 2014.
“Based on the statistics, cases
are high among those aged from
20 to 29, so that is
why we are calling
out to those people
who are involved in
risky behaviours to
get themselves
properly tested,” Iswandy said.
“We would also like to encourage them to ask the doctors or
learn more on HIV as we believe that the more they know, the
better they can do to protect themselves, and it is always better
for them to avoid risky behaviours,” he added.
The president said the AIDS council has advocated for a
number of methods that may help people stop engaging in risky
activities, such as empowering people to negotiate, refuse, and
show respect for the other gender.
Parents and other family members are also encouraged to monitor
one another, reminding each other to avoid “risky behaviours.
“As for the government, perhaps they can help non-governmental
organisations like us by equipping teachers, parents and also other
members of the community with the knowledge on HIV preven-
tion,” he continued.
He said government assistance would allow the council to reach out
to more people and help them become aware of the dangers of HIV.
“HIV cases in Brunei have
increased, so if you have ever
been engaged in risky activi-
ties, get yourself tested.
“If you have knowledge on
HIV prevention, tell it to
others, it is at least good
enough if you can save one
person from HIV,” he added.
*Originally published in The Brunei Times on Sunday, April 24,
2016
BDAC President Iswandy Ahmad interacting with
students on HIV prevention at the Institute of Brunei
Technical Education’s Jefri Bolkiah Technical College.
Picture: BT/Ridhwan Kamarulzaman
- Waqiuddin Rajak
Contents: Brueni AIDS Council to Step Up HIV Awareness 1
Report on the HLM 2-3
Focal Point Profile: Kami Choudhury 3
Update from Cebu Plus 4
Surviving as a Street-based Sex Worker Activist in Lautoka, Fiji Islands 4
Focal Point Profile: Srijana Rai 5
Mainstreaming Human Rights Education for Chinese YKPs 5
Myanmar Youth Stars Network at the 2016 IAC 6
Focal point Profile: Kong Bunthorn 7
Country Update: the Philippines 7
Rearticulating our Feminist Structure 8
Intern Profiles: Bojana Radan and Olivia Sonnenberg 9
News That Affects Us 10-11
Last Word: New Videos 11
OCT 2016 | NEWSLETTER Youth LEAD | Page 1
Brunei AIDS Council to Step Up HIV Awareness
3. OCT 2016 | NEWSLETTER Youth LEAD | Page 2
It has been more than a month since the High-Level Meeting took
place in New York, and the world has adopted a new Political
Declaration that commits to Fast Track the HIV response and to end
the AIDS epidemic by 2030 (Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS:
On the Fast-Track to Accelerate the Fight against HIV and to End the
AIDS Epidemic by 2030, 2016). Many Member States may consider
this new Political Declaration a landmark declaration. However,
some key issues were not thoroughly addressed, such as inclusion of
the language of comprehensive sexuality education, recognition of,
and a responsive approach to, sexual and reproductive health and
rights, a more targeted response to concentrated epidemics, as well as
the needs and priorities of key populations and, at the same time,
recognition of key populations as key partners in the global AIDS
response.
Youth LEAD, along with
other civil society
organizations and commu-
nities globally, were
disappointed with the
exclusion of many key
population organizations
representing gay men and
other men who have sex
with men (MSM), people
who use drugs (PWUD),
and transgender people
(TG). At the same time,
we see that the Declara-
tion lacks the sufficient
language and approaches
necessary to ending the
AIDS epidemic. This
frustration instigated the
writing of an alternative
declaration that contained
stronger commitments on
funding, human rights,
comprehensive sexuality
education, and sustained community engagement (Civil Society and
Communities Declaration to End HIV: Human Rights Must Come
First, 2016).
So what exactly happened at the High Level Meeting in New York? I
had expected that there would still be opportunities to participate in
last-minute negotiations. Many civil society organizations and key
population communities were encouraged after seeing the Zero Draft
of the 2016 Political Declaration in April. The Zero Draft contained
progressive targets and approaches on key issues of the response.
Many sections of the Draft included a commitment to address issues
faced by young key populations and a strong emphasis to
rights-based approaches, including that of sexual and reproductive
health and rights (SRHR) (UN General Assembly 2016 Political
Declaration Zero Draft On the Fast-Track to End AIDS in the Age of
Sustainable Development, 2016). Unfortunately, after months of
negotiations, the Draft was watered down severely and failed to
recognize the need for SRHR and comprehensive sexuality education
(CSE), among others. This new version of the Draft pitted women and
girls and key populations against each other with regards to global
response priority. Following a ‘silence procedure’ that was almost
broken by the Russian Federation on the final weekend before the
High-Level Meeting (HLM), the final text of the Draft Declaration
was adopted. In hindsight, the HLM itself was a good opportunity to
re-invigorate the response, present key aspects of the Political
Declaration, and listen to the commitments – and frustrations – of
Member States and their dignitaries through the Five
Panels, Side Events, and at the Plenary. However, once
the negotiations were over, some Member States
revealed that they were also disappointed with the
turnout of the Political Declaration. Yet the main
question at hand is, what
happened during the negotia-
tions? Why did progressive
Member States pave the way
to complacency, neglect, and
the domination of bigotry, as
reflected in the new Declara-
tion?
Despite this, the new Political
Declaration holds some
promise. The Political
Declaration commitments
provide opportunities for
young key populations to
engage: (United Nations
General Assem-
bly, 2016):
1. Access to combination prevention interventions, with a combina-
tion of outreach, social media and peer-led mechanisms, condom
programming, access to antiretroviral treatment (ART), as well as
new innovations such as PrEP and other relevant technologies (para
62d);
2. Eliminating barriers in accessing comprehensive HIV services –
from prevention to treatment to care and support - in health-care
settings (para 62j);
3. Strengthening measures to prevent crimes and violence against
young people; and review and reform, as needed, legislation that may
create barriers or reinforce stigma and discrimination, such as age of
consent laws (para 63b);
4. Eliminating stigma and discrimination by promoting laws and
policies that ensure enjoyment of all human rights of adolescents and
young people (para 63f);
5. Calling for an increased and sustained investment in advocacy and
leadership of young people, along with key populations, as part of
ensuring that at least 6% of all global AIDS resources are allocated
for social enablers including advocacy, community and political
mobilization, community monitoring, outreach, and human rights
programmes (paras 64a-64b);
What happened in New York and what’s next for young key
populations in Asia and the Pacific after the High-Level
Meeting on HIV and AIDS
Jeffry Acaba speaking at
the HLM
4. Country: Pakistan
Organizations: Parwaz Male Health
Society
As a young leader and YKP, I have been working as a
Drop-in Center Coordinator with the Parwaz Male Health
Society since (2012). Parwaz was developed by Naz
Pakistan, with the support of PSI and UNDP, and funded
by the Global Fund Project DIVA (MSA Grant).
In Karachi city, I work with marginalized communities
within the HIV/AIDS Field. It is quite hard work to bring
their issues into to the mainstream.
Men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender (TG)
youth in Pakistan still face several issues, including lack of
education, poverty, health issues, gender discrimination,
and a lack of youth-friendly organizations.
Focal Point Profile: Kami Chouhdry
Youth LEAD | Page 3OCT 2016 | NEWSLETTER
- Jeffry P. Acaba, Education and Advocacy Lead, Youth LEAD Secretariat
6. Work towards specific targets such as prevention of new infections among young people and adults (aged 15 and older) by 75% in Asia and
the Pacific (para 65a), increasing the number of young people and adults on treatment to 81% by 2020 (para 65c); and
7. Requesting regional commissions, such as ESCAP, to support periodic reviews and national efforts and progress made in the region and
ensure the meaningful engagement of young people in these processes (para 67)
The Political Declaration is foregrounded by the evidence set forth by UNAIDS during the World AIDS Day celebration in 2014; that we only
have a five-year window of opportunity to change the course of the epidemic (UNAIDS, 2014). As the Political Declaration is adopted
regionally, we have to make sure that the little progress that we have engendered here in Asia Pacific through ESCAP Resolutions 66/10 and
67/9 are affirmed and scaled up, rather than reversed. There is so much more that needs to be done, and learning from the experience in New
York, we have to be more vigilant.
References
Civil Society and Communities Declaration to End HIV: Human Rights Must Come First. (2016, June 10). Retrieved from https://www.scribd.com/doc/315266914/Civil-Soci-
ety-and-Communities-Declaration-to-End-HIV-Human-Rights-Must-Come-First#fullscreen&from_embed
UNAIDS. (2014, December). World AIDS Day Report Fast Track: Ending the AIDS Epidemic by 2030. Retrieved from http://www.unaids.org/sites/default/files/media_asset/-
JC2686_WAD2014report_en.pdf
Political Declaration on HIV and AIDS: On the Fast-Track to Accelerate the Fight against HIV and to End the AIDS Epidemic by 2030. (2016, June 10). Retrieved June 16, 2016,
from http://www.hlm2016aids.unaids.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/2016-political-declaration-HIV-AIDS_en.pdf
United Nations General Assembly. (2016, April 18). UN General Assembly 2016 Political Declaration Zero Draft On the Fast-Track to End AIDS in the Age of Sustainable
Development. Retrieved from http://www.hlm2016aids.unaids.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/HLM_zero_draft_en.pdf
These days, I am trying to educate the general public through
different sessions because I believe that once we educate
society and show them positive images of our community,
they will definitely accept us and help us. In 2015 I was first
transgender person from Karachi, Pakistan to attend Copenha-
gen Pride. I did a session with high school students about TG
people and other key affected populations who live, and suffer
a lot, in Pakistan. It was a perfect opportunity for me to
highlight such good work.
We have highlighted some major issues and have pushed our
government to take us seriously and resolve problems without
any discrimination. I am hopeful for the future of young
MSM and TG, as national and regional youth-led organiza-
tions, like Youth LEAD, have given us a platform for
highlighting our issues internationally. In Pakistan, there are
many organizations that are seriously working on young
MSM and TG issues, including Naz Pakistan, FDI Pakistan,
AKS Film Festival, and Right Now Pakistan.
SEPT 2016| NEWSLETTER
SEPT 2016| NEWSLETTER
5. - Rochelle NaulunimagitiRochelle (in pink) acting as youth parliamentarian in 2014.
CebuPlus Association, Inc. (CPAI) is recognized as a member of the frontline of the HIV response in
Cebu, Philippines, and has, since its formation, consistently made the effort to evolve and strengthen
its contribution. In response to growing concern over the epidemic among young key populations
(YKP) in Metro Cebu, CPAI forged a partnership with Youth LEAD in 2012 to extend its reach into
the Cebuano community and make the program more accessible through mobile voluntary counselling
and testing (VCT). For almost four years now, Youth LEAD’s support, through the Robert Carr Grant,
has allowed CPAI to effectively promote HIV awareness and forward its vision for youth and for key
affected populations as a whole.
CPAI has initiated two programs that are specifically designed to engender more engagement from
young people. One of these is RE-YOU (Responsible Young People Program), the youth arm of CPAI
composed of young individuals advocating for the organization’s goals and purpose. Likewise, CPAI’s
iTEST program (Innovations to HIV Counselling and Testing among key populations) was initiated by
a group of peer educators and counsellors from different key populations concentrating on HIV
prevention and diagnosis. All of these programs have contributed to the success of mobile VCTs in bringing HIV services to the doorsteps of
key populations.
In the first half of 2016, CPAI achieved a lot through the aforementioned programs. In Cebu City alone, CPAI’s VCT outreach teams have
conducted more than 3000 HIV tests. Encompassing all of its sites in the province of Cebu, CPAI has reached almost 7000 individuals. Twenty
percent of the reached population came from the most-at-risk children and youth (MARCY), ages 15 to 17, while more than 50 percent came
from YKPs ages 18 to 27. All figures considered, YKP, mainly young transgender individuals and young men who have sex with men (MSM),
constitutes more than 70 percent, or approximately 5000, of the individuals reached through CPAI’s relentless mobile VCT missions.
For the remaining half of 2016 and for the coming years, CPAI will continue to promote HIV awareness and encourage the comprehensive
engagement of KPs in the HIV response. Seeing that more young people are taking advantage of VCT, CPAI is enthused to ensure that the
organization can fully provide quality counselling, testing, treatment, care, and support, not only to YKPs but to all who need the organization’s
service. CPAI will continue said activities with the goal of completely eliminating the stigma and discrimination against people living with
HIV and ultimately eradicating the growing HIV epidemic.
Bula and a warm, hearty greeting from the beautiful isles of Fiji!
In Fiji, as well as the other four corners of the earth, street based sex work is a common avenue for soliciting to provide sexual services to clients
and is deemed one of the most dangerous settings to be in as a sex worker. But you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do if you want to survive and
make ends meet. This reality is the driving force behind our activism work to make the streets safe to walk down and work in, especially at
night.
This has been a pillar of strength in getting our young sex worker-led, community-based network organized to advocate for sex workers’ human
rights at the grassroots level. Our group, the Pacific Rainbow$ Advocacy Network, emerged from an NGO called Empower Pacific. We have
come a long way but know that there is still a long way to go. We will stumble and fall and rise up again as part and parcel of our learning
process, as individuals and as a group.
The implementation of the Crimes Decree of 2010, which criminalizes sex workers, their
families, clients, pimps, and brothel owners, has resulted in substantial abuses and viola-
tions of sex workers’ human rights, especially for those on the streets.
Since the decree was first implemented and enforced, there has been slight improvement
with regard to police brutality and the mistreatment of street-based sex workers. This was
achieved through the multi-faceted and harmonized efforts of individual activists and allies
of sex worker-led networks, the big Rainbow family, feminist movements, CSOs, NGOs,
and other regional and international agencies.
Last but not the least, we were able to change the mindsets of many state and non-state
actors by taking ownership of the streets and claiming that which is rightfully ours.
OCT 2016| NEWSLETTER Youth LEAD | Page 4
CEBUPLUS: Bringing the HIV Response to the
Doors of the Community
- Jerson T. See, Executive Director, CebuPlus
and Harold James Bravo, Executive Assistant
Surviving as a Street-based Sex Worker
Activist in Lautoka, Fiji Islands
6. SEPT 2016 | NEWSLETTER Youth LEAD | Page 5
Focal Point Profile: Srijana Rai
Since 2015, Vectoring China (The
Chinese Youth Leaders’ Resource
Center), with support from Youth
LEAD and the Robert Carr Founda-
tion, has conducted a trial of human
rights education for the young
generation of leaders in YKP-targeted
community-based organizations
(CBOs). Trainees across China learn
about universal human rights theories
and good practices and develop the
capacity to link the HIV response
with human rights standards and
protection mechanisms. As of 2016,
Vectoring China continues to expand
its engagement of CBOs to work on
community-adapted human rights
education and learning.
Given the lack of aware-
ness of human rights
principles and of the
necessary skills to defend
human
rights in
practice
among young CBO staffer members, human
rights education is gravely needed. It is the
best way to mentor young activists on the
various resources available to them, such as
legal agents, media outlets, government, and
the complaint mechanisms of
different human rights
conventions that can help
YKPs deal with human rights
violations.
The Chinese central govern-
ment encourages the partici-
pation of social organizations
and young people are more
and more frequently being
highlighted as the future of
the country. Government has
begun to recognize that any
mapping and progress of
governance, policy making,
and social/economic devel-
opment should not leave
young people behind. However, young key
population members have not presented
themselves as the new generation of leaders
within this youth-led movement; the gap of
theoretical knowledge about human rights norms,
democratic governance, transparency and
accountability, and the interconnection between
health promotion, the SDGs, and the
2030 Agenda, still exits and restricts
opportunities for the YKP communi-
ty to move forward.
Community human rights education
is a good entry point into fostering
an atmosphere of learning (including
self-learning) and to strengthen the
capacity of young leaders and
activists. During the process of
mainstreaming the human rights
framework within our daily work on
YKPs and the HIV response, we
accumulated much more than just
knowledge of International human
rights convention and sources; we
strengthened the dynamic and
sustainability of our community organizing.
Mainstreaming Human Rights Education
for Chinese Young Key Populations
- LIU Xue, Director, Youth Network Central, Yunnan Sexology Association; Member, Vectoring China
ZHANG Nanjie, Executive Director, Vectoring China (Chinese Youth Leader’s Resource Centre)
XIAO Ya, Director, Yunnan Pingxing
Country: Nepal
Organizations: Youth LEAD Nepal, YKAP Nepal, NEDUPA
I have been involved in Youth LEAD since December 2013. I am currently
working as a young activist for women who use drugs. I am also involved in
YKAP Nepal and NEDUPA, the only network of women who use drugs in
Nepal.
The current situation of women drug users in Nepal is worse than before. All
the women-led organisations are closed because there is no more funding for
women drug users in Nepal. Women who use drugs tend to have a more
difficult time than male drug users and are generally the most invisible.
Youth LEAD has strengthened my advocacy and leadership skills. I think all
drug users must now band together to change laws. We should learn from the
abject failure of prohibition and build on the examples of Portugal, Uruguay,
the Netherlands, and others. We must also listen to, and learn from, people
who use drugs to understand them better.
It is high time we work hand in hand to establish and promote
definitive solutions to addressing human rights for people who
use drugs.
7. Myanmar Youth Stars Network at the 2016 IAC
Youth LEAD | Page 6OCT 2016| NEWSLETTER
- Adapted from the MYS report on the IAC
The 21st International AIDS Conference was held in
Durban from July 18 to 22, 2016. Two youth representa-
tives from Myanmar Youth Stars Network (Chan Aye San,
Central Executive Committee member, and Myo Thet Oo,
Project Manager of MYS) presented at the conference
with the support of LINKUP consortium partner Stop
AIDS Now! They worked together with other young
passionate leaders from LINKUP implementing countries
during the pre-conferences and Main Conference. The
following sessions focused on how to ensure meaningful
youth engagement within the HIV/AIDS
response:
Amplifying Youth Voices: A Mini Peer
Mentorship Training for Youth Advocates
This session was led by Chan Chan, who
shared the mentoring tool “Step Up, Link Up,
Speak Up.” The goal of the session was to demonstrate the
role and value of mentoring in youth advocacy, and equip
participants with the knowledge and skills to put mentor-
ing into action.
What Does Meaningful Youth Engagement Really Look Like?
This session looked at what LINKUP has been able to achieve by using the “Aiming High” strategies and scorecard.
Meet the experts: Getting a seat at the table: Young leaders share the Highs and Lows of Leadership and Accountability
This session highlighted the fact that young people are often excluded from decision making fora. Even when they do gain ‘a seat at the
table’ young people living with HIV and from key populations often continue to face marginalization and isolation. This session brought
together a group of young people involved in such spaces at the country or global level, including Country Coordinating Mechanisms
(CCM) of the Global Fund, National Strategic Plan Working Groups, the UNAIDS Programme Board Committee (PCB), and the
UNAIDS Dialogue Platform for Women Living with HIV. The session explored some of the strategies employed by young people to make
the most effective use of their engagement, their successes in representing different constituencies of young people, how they remain
accountable to the communities they represent, any challenges they have encountered and how they have overcome these.
Youth-driven advocacy: What it takes to put young people in the driver’s seat
This session looked at successful approaches to advocating for young people's sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). Chan
Chan joined the session as a panelist and talked about her work to promote the SRHR of young people from key populations, especially
through community mobilization events (such as the international youth day event, Valentine’s Day event, and Candlelight vigil) as well as
the establishment and work of the MYS network.
Satellite session: Respect! Choice! Diversi-
ty! Creative and inspiring young people
from the Link Up project share practical
innovative tools they have developed
In this session, eight youth advocates shared
eight unique and innovative tools or processes
for engaging with and advocacy on behalf of
young people in the HIV response.
Other youth-friendly events included a
leadership workshop, a meet and greet with
community leaders, and a live radio interview
with MYS members on Channel Africa, in
which they shared their experiences, lessons
learnt from the conference for YKPs, and take
home messages for all young people.
8. OCT 2016 | NEWSLETTER Youth LEAD | Page 7
- Junelyn R. Tabelin, ACHIEVE Inc.
Country Update: The Philippines
In the Philippines, there is almost no data on the experiences of
young transgender women in relation to HIV and sexual and
reprodtuctive health and rights (SRHR).
Community accounts reflect than an increasing number of transgen-
der women are getting infected with HIV but that they remain
invisible in the monthly HIV registry of the Department of Health.
ACHIEVE, with the support of Youth LEAD through the Robert
Carr Fund, is conducting Exploratory research on the needs and
concerns of young transgender women in relation to SRHR. This
research will run from June 2016 to December 2016. ACHIEVE will
focus on the key elements relevant to young transgender women,
namely; 1) Risk and
vulnerabilities to HIV and other sexually transmitted Infections; 2)
Practices related to hormone pills; 3) Gender-based violence.
On June 14-16,
2016, Youth
LEAD, in
Partnership
with
ACHIEVE,
UNFPA, and
DLA Pipper,
piloted its
Young People
and the Law in
Asia Pacific
Legal Advoca-
cy Training in the
Philippines.
Twenty-seven
participants from
CSOs, CBOs, UN
agencies, and
government
agencies attended
this three-day
training during
which they
conducted a
systematic review
on how laws and
policies affect
young people’s access to SRH services. Different YKPs and the
agencies working on their issues were well represented. The
participants learned how to take action to improve the health and
well-being of young people with regard to SRH and within the
legal and policy context in the Philippines. Different ideas and
experiences from different regions were shared during these
trainings. Young people from the community shared their experi-
ences and expertise with government agencies in order to enhance
existing policies and laws related to young people and to create new
ones. The pilot also provided an opportunity to identify areas for
improvement with regard to making this training relevant to young
people, not only in the Philippines, but also in Asia and the Pacific.
Country: Cambodia
Organization: Youth LEAD Cambodia
Since 2013 I have participated in some of Youth LEAD’s activities at both the regional and country levels. In
Cambodia, I helped facilitate the New Gen training course in Battambang, Siem Reap, Kom Pong Cham, and
Phnom Penh. I also helped facilitate the refresher training proposed by our partner NGO, KHANA, which is
hosted and trained by the Cambodia Youth LEAD team. There are only three national Youth LEAD focal points
in Cambodia but there are many New Gen teams as well. Even though all three focal points have their own work
and responsibilities, they are always eager to take time out of their busy schedules
to contribute to Youth LEAD activities in Cambodia.
I am personally responsible for mobilizing more young men who have sex with
men (MSM) and transgender (TG) people to partake in Youth LEAD Cambodia
activities by liaising with Cambodia’s national MSM and TG networks.
I have also advocated for a seat for a YKP representative within the Global Fund’s
Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM). Within the community, everyone knows
me as a member of the Youth LEAD Cambodia team and as a young representative
of gay people at both the community and national level.
Focal Point Profile: Kong Bunthorn
9. What is the difference between the right of young women and girls
to equal access to healthcare services, comprehensive and non-judg-
mental information and education, and freedom from stigma and
discrimination, and that of young men and boys? Should Youth
LEAD simply follow the current structure of feminism, which
identifies gender bias with regard to health, education, and social
justice? Or is it feasible for Youth LEAD to re-conceptualize
feminism to suit our agenda?
We have vowed to engage with the feminist community and explore
what our unique position and message should be. We are chairing
Unzip the Lips, the regional network of key affected women and
girls (KAWG) in Asia and the Pacific, whose goal is to unite the
voices of different constituencies to ensure that we are integrating
the women’s rights movement into the HIV response.
What are the
challenges? As
analyzed above, the
methodology of
Youth LEAD is to
adopt and further
develop our message in response
to women’s rights, based on our
existing vision and mission.
Going beyond the current
structure of the movement for
gender equality, we need not only
recognize the barriers facing
YKPs to achieve sustainable
development because of their
gender issues, but also research
the ways in which the current
structures of the feminist move-
ment have not fulfilled the needs
of YKPs. This is very important
and essential.
Throughout the meeting, Youth
LEAD explored a collaborative
partnership with the Asian-Pacific
Resource and Research Centre (ARROW), the aim of which would
be to reshape and gain a new understanding of feminism within the
frame of the SDGs and beyond, which is very new for Youth
LEAD but essential to the realization of our work with YKPs. We
serve as the new constituency of women and girls’ rights promoters
in the region. We have been labeled as a young people-led network,
meaning that we integrate YKPs into the entire community of
young people and work to eliminate discrimination and stigma
based on HIV status, living and working situation, and health
condition, etc. As such, the realization that all young people in the
region face similar barriers gradually emerges.
- Zhang Nanjie,
Executive Director, Vectoring China
President, Youth LEAD
From left to right:
Ms. Sopheaneath,
Ms. Dewiyanti,
and Ms. Zhang.
OCT 2016 | NEWSLETTER Youth LEAD | Page 8
Rearticulating Our Feminist Structure:
What are the significances for Youth LEAD?
Reclaiming Our Feminist Struggles: Strategizing for Change in the
2030 Agenda World was held in Kuala Lumpur between July 27 and
29, 2016. It was a joint meeting led by the Asia Pacific Research and
Resource Center (ARROW) and Post-2015 Women’s Coalition,
APWAPS, CARAM Asia, CREA, and Youth LEAD. With a diverse
group of participants and backgrounds from sub-regions across Asia
and the Pacific, the meeting provided a chance to apply feminism to
different scenarios, including political, economic, health, social
relations, justice, and education. Zhang Nanjie, on behalf of Youth
LEAD, led a discussion on the micro level (communities like schools
and institutes, etc.) and the opportunities therein to voice feminist
values. Ms. Sulique Waqa from Haus of Khameleon, a country focal
point of Youth LEAD in Fiji, shared her perspective on micro level
barriers to appealing for the rights of cis and transgender women’s
rights. Ms. Md Luh Putu Ari Dewiyanti from Fokus Muda in Indonesia
and Ms. Oukrak Sopheaneath from Youth LEAD Cambodia were also
invited to participate.
Feminism is not new but
provides Youth LEAD with a
more innovative avenue
through which to assess our
perspective towards the HIV
response and young people’s
empowerment. Looking at the
new structure of the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs)
implemented in 2016, women’s
rights are emphasized specifi-
cally in SDG 3, while other
goals, such SDG
16 (Peace, Justice,
and Strong
Institutions),
relate to women’s
rights as well. Yet
criticism regarding whether the SDGs really reflect the voice of civil
society and the feminist community continues to emerge. The meeting
was held in order to map out any gaps with regard to the bodies, voices,
ideology, and resources needed to realize our neo-feminist goals.
For Youth LEAD, a regional network working on young key populations
and the HIV response, the feminist approach and ideology may prove
both positive and negative. What do I mean by this? Investments in
projects for young people within the wider HIV response have been
accused of lacking gender sensitivity. Even though young sex workers
(SW) and young transgender people (TG) are highly vulnerable to HIV,
gender equality and a solid gender-based approach have been neglected
by policy makers and programmers. While the path to integration of
feminism and women’s rights into Youth LEAD’s work is a long one, it
will allow Youth LEAD to evolve and move forward.
To link the HIV response to young women and girls’ universal human
rights and social justice access - it is not just a saying, but a solid
ideological stance with advocacy and policy support.
10. Masters of Global Affairs Candidate 2017 - Munk School of Global Affairs, University of
Toronto
If you asked me a year ago where I thought I would be for my international internship for my
Masters program at the University of Toronto, I probably would have replied with "Geneva," "New
York," or "London." Never did I think once, that my summer would be spent in the city of street food, tuk tuks, and unbelievable
sights that is Bangkok, Thailand.
My internship within the Youth LEAD Secretariat has been amazing and has provided me with incredible exposure to the UN
system from the perspective of civil society and has introduced me to a powerful set of community activists from all over the
region. It has been incredible to witness how regional organizations such as Youth LEAD and Unzip the Lips (with whom I have had the
pleasure to work with) are able to bring up community voices from the country level to regional and international platforms, which has
reaffirmed my belief that no matter how young or small you think your voice is, it is powerful beyond belief.
In my opinion, the power of an individual and the power of youth is exemplified through the achievements of Youth LEAD. Since its creation
six short years ago, this organization has achieved more than some organizations achieve in their lifetime. This is because youth brings a sense
of energy and optimism about the future that I believe a lot of development workers lose through their years in their field. It is inspiring and
motivating as a young woman to know that my voice is powerful and that it can make a difference when amplified and in solidarity with others.
In conclusion, my summer in South East Asia has been one of the most exhilarating, beautiful, and challenging experiences of my life. I would
not trade this opportunity or working at Youth LEAD for the world and if I didn't know before this internship that I wanted to work
in development and global health, this summer experience definitely would have sealed the deal, with a cherry on top.
Intern Profile: Olivia SonnenbergBojana Radan
Masters of Global Affairs Candidate 2017 - Munk School of Global Affairs, University of Toronto
Working with Youth LEAD has been a truly eye-opening and fulfilling experience. I was initially drawn to Youth LEAD by the
passion and warmth of its Secretariat. I knew that it would be a positive and productive working environment. While I
possessed experience creating educational programs for adolescents and some academic knowledge of the HIV/AIDS epidemic,
I came into this internship never having travelled to Asia and with limited knowledge of the internal workings of global health institutions and
structures.
However, I have learned so much since May and have come to understand the centrality of human rights, harm reduction, and gender equality
advocacy to the HIV response. Likewise, I have come to realize the importance of community mobilization in advocating for these rights.
Interning at Youth LEAD has provided me with the opportunity to learn many new skills and has pushed me out of my comfort zone on many
occasions. I have been able to contribute to workshop facilitation and documentation. I have also begun to learn how to edit videos, design
newsletters, and manage Youth LEAD’s twitter account. Finally, I have gained grant proposal writing skills that will serve me well in the
future. All of these skills are essential to amplifying the message of the many courageous and
inspiring young people on the front lines of grass-roots activism.
One of the highlights of my internship this summer was our visit to Cebu Plus in the Philip-
pines. It was amazing to witness, and understand the impact of, one of the on-the-ground
service delivery programs that Youth LEAD supports. Having had the privilege of travelling
within the Philippines, Cambodia, and Thailand, I am determined to return to the Asia Pacific
region, as there are so many beautiful sights that I have not yet seen and adventures I have not
yet had.
I look forward to utilizing and building upon all that I have learned and hope to be able to
continue to work on legal and policy reform in defense of human rights and gender equality.
OCT 2016 | NEWSLETTER Youth LEAD | Page 9
Intern Profile: Bojana Radan
11. Pakistani Clerics Issue Fatwa on Transgender Marriage
This past June, fifty Pakistani clerics issued a
decree under Islamic law permitting marriage
between transgender (TG) men and straight
women and TG women and straight men. The
fatwa also classified discrimination against TG
people as a sin and emphasized that transgender
people should not be denied their share of
inheritance. The fatwa comes after a transgen-
der woman, Alisha, was shot eight times in
May. She died in hospital because staff could
not decide whether to admit her to the male or
female ward. Pakistan’s TG community and
activists welcomed the fatwa but expressed
skepticism with regard to its
impact. The fatwa is not legally
binding and does not permit
transgender people who exhibit
“visible signs of both genders” to
marry. This is because same-sex
marriage remains illegal in Pakistan. Addition-
ally, previous decrees, such as the Supreme
Court’s 2012 affirmation of equal rights for
transgender people, including the right to
inherit property and assets, have not succeeded
in diminishing violence against transgender people. Moreover,
police routinely underestimate the number of transgender
people who have been raped or murdered in the country
(Aoun, 2016).
REUTERS/K. PARVEZ
SAKCHAI LALIT/AP
Thailand Eliminates Mother-to-Child HIV Transmission
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared Thailand the first country
in the Asia-Pacific region to eliminate mother-to-child transmission (MTCT)
of HIV and syphilis on June 7, 2016. Untreated women living with HIV
have a 15 to 45 percent chance of transmitting HIV to their children during
pregnancy, labour, delivery, or breastfeeding. The Thai government now
provides free antenatal care, delivery, and HIV services to all pregnant
women, including both documented and undocumented migrant workers. As
a result, 98 percent of pregnant of Thai women now have access to antiretro-
viral therapy, reducing their likelihood of passing the virus on to their
children to just under two percent. At the same time, the annual number of
women newly infected with HIV
has fallen by 87 percent. Such
results are illustrative of
Thailand’s commitment to
UNAIDS’ “Global Plan towards
the elimination of new HIV
infections among children by
2015 and keeping mothers alive
(UNAIDS, 2016).
Filipino President Rodrigo
Duterte’s Drug War Presents
Challenge to Combating
Concentrated HIV Epidemic
Among PWID
Over 110 extrajudicial killings of
suspected drug dealers and users
by police have occurred since
Rodrigo Duterte was elected
President this past May. Civilians
have also taken the killing upon
themselves, leaving placards accusing their dead victims of
having been involved in the drug trade. Duterte has incited
the killings and has promised to protect police officers from
OCT 2016 | NEWSLETTER Youth LEAD | Page 10
News That Affects Us
12. Jennilyn Olayres weeping over the body of her husband,
Michael Siaron, who was killed in the Manila metropolitan
area last month. CZAR DANCEL/REUTERS
any repercussions (Tomkiw, 2016). He is well known for having made Davao City the safest in the Philippines, despite it’s location
within one of the Philippines most violent provinces, Mindanao. Duterte was able to achieve this feat partially by turning a
blind-eye to killings by vigilante squads (Sherwell, 2016).
Duterte’s crackdown comes as HIV infection rates continue to
skyrocket. The Philippines had maintained a low incidence of HIV
(i.e. less than one percent) since its first reported case in 1984 until
2009, when the infection rate among the general Filipino populace
increased 58 percent from the previous year. Most of the country’s
new infections result from unprotected sex. In Cebu City, however,
the epidemic is concentrated among people who inject drugs
(PWID). The Dangerous Drugs Act was amended in 2009 to
criminalize the possession and distribution of drug paraphernalia,
resulting in the closure of Cebu’s needle exchange programs. In
that year, the infection rate among injecting drug users in Cebu
increased from one percent to 53 percent (Santos, 2016). Over
7,000 suspected drug users and dealers have surrendered to Cebu
authorities since Duterte’s election. And while the government
promises to build more rehabilitation centres, none of the 7,000
have been admitted to the one existing centre in Cebu (Macasero,
2016).
The Philippines National Police (PNP) were grilled at a senate hearing on August 19th but merely maintained that 899 deaths,
allegedly committed by vigilantes, are under investigation (CNN, 2016). Meanwhile, Duterte responded to the UN’s criticism of his
drug war by calling the global institution “stupid” and by warning them not to interfere (Calvo, 2016).
- Olivia Sonnenberg, Youth LEAD Secretariat Intern
Last Word: New Videos
From August 6 to 8, 2016, Youth LEAD held a writeshop in Bangkok,
Thailand, in which we consulted adolescents from around southeast
Asia in the formulation of our new leadership training manual. This
manual will aid our Master trainers in facilitating Teen Gen workshops
at the country level. Teen Gen was piloted in Nepal from September 27
to 28. Check out a
video documenting the
writeshop on our
YouTube
channel
Youth-
LEADful.
Youth LEAD released a new
report at the 2016 International
AIDS Conference entitled Our
Rights Matter Too: Sexual and
Reproductive Health and Rights of
Young Key Populations in Asia
and the Pacific, as well as an
accompanying video, which can
also be found on our YouTube
channel.
OCT 2016 | NEWSLETTER Youth LEAD | Page 11
References
Calvo, Amanda (August 18, 2016). “Philippine Leader Duterte Calls U.N. ‘Very Stupid’ for Criticizing His Drug War.” TIME. Retrieved from: http://time.com/4457060/philip-
pines-duterte-united-nations-drugs/.
CNN Philippines Staff (August 19, 2016). “Senators grill PNP officials on drug-related killings.” CNN. Retrieved from: http://cnnphilippines.com/news/2016/08/18/sena-
tors-grill-pnp-officials-on-drug-related-killings.html.
Sahi, Aoun (June 29, 2016). “Pakistani clerics issue decree on transgender rights under Islamic law.” Los Angeles Times. http://www.latimes.com/world/europe/la-fg-paki-
stan-transgender-decree-20160628-snap-story.html.
Santos, Ana P. (January 5, 2016). “The City at the Heart of the Philippines’s HIV Epidemic.” The Atlantic. Retrieved from http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2016/01/ce-
bu-city-philippines-hiv-drugs/422700/).
Sherwell, Philip (May 9, 2016). “Who is 'The Punisher' Rodrigo Duterte - the tough-talking mayor poised to become the next Philippine president?” The Telegraph. Retrieved
from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/05/08/philippines-poised-to-elect-tough-talking-punisher-rodrigo-duter/.
Macasero, Ryan (July 12, 2016). “Over 7,000 drug users, dealers surrender in Cebu.” Rappler. Retrieved from http://www.rappler.com/nation/139398-drug-users-dealers-sur-
render-cebu.
Tomkiw, Lydia (June 13, 2016). “Philippines Drug War Out Of Control? Rodrigo Duterte Wants All Addicts, Dealers Dead As Police Kill 110 Suspects.” IB Times. Retrieved
from http://www.ibtimes.com/philippines-drug-war-out-control-rodrigo-duterte-wants-all-addicts-dealers-dead-2391120.
UNAIDS (June 7, 2016). “Press Release: Thailand is First Country in Asia to Eliminate Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV and Syphilis.” Retrieved from http://www.un-
aids.org/en/resources/presscentre/pressreleaseandstatementarchive/2016/june/20160607_Thailand.
News That Affects Us: Continued
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