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A range of services and programs are made available to HIV positive people and/or people we assume to be HIV positive. They are however, not the only people in need of services who come into contact with our organisations. What programmatic obligations, if any, do we have towards HIV negative people given that their socio economic positions are indistinguishable from their HIV positive peers?

Organising at a community level is often difficult without collaborative relationships with major social actors in that particular community. Community service forums provide a useful way of building collaboration and ensuring broad representation but they are difficult to set up and manage. How have organisations gone about setting up forums of this nature? What lessons can we draw from their experiences? What potential do structures like these have for advancing the development agenda?

Addressing women’s strategic interests is critical to shifting power relations. Much of this work requires that women themselves are provided with the opportunity to act in their own interests. However, because of their particular vulnerability, many women are in need of basic services and support before any more long term work can take place. How do we work with women who are highly vulnerable, in ways that provide them with safety, security and support? How do we meet the basic needs of women while at the same time advancing a more progressive, self enabling agenda for women?

Increasingly organisations are being called upon to engage the media in order to change public perceptions, to promote their organisations and to comment on ‘burning issues’. This session will look at how we can better engage with and use the public media.