A Perfect Storm? Molecular HIV Surveillance in the Context of Criminalisation

BEYOND BLAME
Challenging Criminalisation for HIV JUSTICE WORLDWIDE (HIV2020)

Livestream: Beyond Blame – Challenging HIV Criminalisation: Opening Plenary (HJN, 2018)

Welcome to BEYOND BLAME – Challenging HIV Criminalisation, live from De Balie in Amsterdam, 23 July 2018.

09:00 – 09:10 Welcome remarks by Edwin J Bernard (HIV Justice Network) on behalf of HIV JUSTICE WORLDWIDE Followed by Laela and Naomi Wilding (The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation)

09:10 – 09:30 The Lived Experience: What it’s like to be personally impacted by HIV criminalisation and be part of the movement to end it Facilitator: Edwin J Bernard (HIV Justice Network) With: Chad Clarke (Canada), Marama Mullen (New Zealand), Ken Pinkela (United States), Ariel Sabillon (Honduras)

09:30 – 11:00 The Movement to End HIV Criminalisation Globally: Where Are We Now? Presentation by Edwin J Bernard (HIV Justice Network) Followed by panel and Q&A With: Kené Esom (UNDP), Diego Grajalez (CNET+ Belize), Cécile Kazatchkine (Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network), Svitlana Moroz (Eurasian Women’s Network on AIDS), Annabel Raw (Southern Africa Litigation Centre), Sean Strub (Sero Project), Omar Syarif (GNP+)

The Colorado Story

(15 min, HJN, USA, 2017)

How a group of dedicated advocates in Colorado ‘modernised’ their HIV-related laws to improve the legal environment for people living with HIV. Featuring Barb Cardell and Kari Hartel of the Colorado Mod Squad and Colorado State Senator, Pat Steadman.

Interviews by Mark S King

Written and introduced by Edwin J Bernard • Directed and produced by Nicholas Feustel for the HIV Justice Network

BEYOND BLAME
Challenging HIV Criminalisation @ AIDS 2016, Durban

(29 min, HJN, South Africa, 2016)

On 17 July 2016, approximately 150 advocates, activists, researchers, and community leaders met in Durban, South Africa, for Beyond Blame: Challenging HIV Criminalisation – a full-day pre-conference meeting preceding the 21st International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2016) to discuss progress on the global effort to combat the unjust use of the criminal law against people living with HIV.

Attendees at the convening hailed from at least 36 countries on six continents (Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, and South America).

Beyond Blame was convened by HIV Justice Worldwide, an initiative made up of global, regional, and national civil society organisations – most of them led by people living with HIV – who are working together to build a worldwide movement to end HIV criminalisation.

The meeting was opened by the Honourable Dr Patrick Herminie, Speaker of Parliament of the Seychelles, and closed by Justice Edwin Cameron, both of whom gave powerful, inspiring speeches. In between the two addresses, moderated panels and more intimate, focused breakout sessions catalysed passionate and illuminating conversations amongst dedicated, knowledgeable advocates

HIV JUSTICE WORLDWIDE
Launch video

(6 min, HJN, UK, 2016)

In April 2016, thanks to generous funding for 2016-18 from the Robert Carr civil society Networks Fund, seven global, regional and national civil society organisations that have worked closely, but informally, together on HIV criminalisation for a number of years, announced a brand new initiative, HIV JUSTICE WORLDWIDE.

HIV JUSTICE WORLDWIDE will enhance and build on contributions its founding partners have previously made: monitoring, informing, connecting and engaging with People Living with HIV networks, civil society organisations and others who advocate against HIV criminalisation, and engaging policy-makers in pursuit of protecting against HIV criminalisation.

The initiative allows us to:

  • Avoid duplication by bringing together the many existing resources on this issue, sharing information and coordinating advocacy efforts.
  • Build broader consensus amongst People Living with HIV networks, civil society, policymakers, key scientists/clinicians, criminal justice actors and funders that ‘ending AIDS’ will not happen unless we put an end to HIV criminalisation.
  • Create new energy and action, ‘riding the wave’ of recent advocacy successes, pushing for commitment to change at the highest level.
  • Develop and strengthen much-needed civil society capacity to ensure continued advocacy against HIV criminalisation, and to sustain this capacity in order to further advocate against related punitive laws, policies and practices aimed at people living with HIV and which impede the HIV response.

BEYOND BLAME
Challenging HIV Criminalisation @ AIDS 2014, Melbourne

(13 min, HJN, Australia, 2014)

In July 2014, at a meeting held to just prior to the International AIDS Conference in Melbourne, Australia around 150 participants from all regions of the world came together to discuss the overly broad use of the criminal law to control and punish people living with HIV – otherwise known as ‘HIV criminalisation’.

The meeting was hosted by Living Positive Victoria, Victorian AIDS Council/Gay Men’s Health Centre, National Association of People Living with HIV Australia and the Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations, with the support of AIDS and Rights Alliance of Southern Africa, Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network, Global Network of People Living with HIV, HIV Justice Network, International Community of Women Living with HIV, Sero Project and UNAIDS.

The meeting was financially supported by the Victorian Department of Health and UNAIDS.

This highlights video (12 mins, 50 secs) was directed, filmed and edited by Nicholas Feustel, with interviews and narration by Edwin J Bernard.

The video was produced by georgetown media for the HIV Justice Network.