HARPAS organizing training workshop for Independent Artists/Bloggers in response to AIDS in the Arab Region

Cairo (Egypt) : This pioneer workshop is organized by UNDP/HARPAS, and it will be held in Cairo (Egypt) on Monday 5th of May at 8 am.

The 4-day workshop will be attended by 70 independent artists, journalists, and Bloggers from various Arab States.

It will be addressing HIV/AIDS as one of the most important human rights and developmental challenges that face the Arab region. It also tackles the underlying causes that fuel the spread of HIV, namely stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV, in order to build the capacity of people in the independent media field to help them present HIV/AIDS related issues in a way that leads to dispel stigma and abolish discrimination, and support the rights of people living with HIV.

It has become very crucial to mobilize all resources in response to AIDS, which has become a real threat in the Arab Region. UNAIDS 2006 statistics indicate that the infection rates in the Middle East and North Africa has raised by 12% between 2005 and 2006, and the numbers of people living with HIV is about 460,000 compared to 400,000 in 2004 estimates.

The workshop will include the following: