Stories of Response
What is Local response:
In an AIDS-competent society, people are dealing effectively with AIDS where they live and work when they accept the reality of HIV, they assess how HIV and AIDS are affecting their lives and work, and they are adapting to live positively with HIV. (UNAIDS Local response Technical Note 3 July 2000)
For other Stories of Response see: Care, Change, Community & Hope: Local responses to HIV in Zambia
Affirm facilitation for January 2011 includes:
UNAIDS, combination prevention staff workshops, Geneva
The series continues with a New Staff Orientation (NSO) session scheduled for 22nd March. On 23rd March Ian will be facilitating a UNAIDS Prevention team strategy discussion—the challenge they have is for all parts of UNAIDS in Geneva and worldwide to take on prevention as a key agenda.
A result of an NSO session of 2010 was the invitation from the UNESCO representative in Bangkok to guide the process of a regional meeting on HIV prevention in December. This apparently went very well.
Habitat for Humanity, community counselling and conversations, Haiti
Bobby Zachariah spent three productive months supporting the Habitat work in three community locations, by mentoring SALT and community counselling to complement the rebuilding interventions of Habitat. Alison joined for the final week, and despite post election disturbance, she was able to engage in community visits and staff interaction with potential partners including The Salvation Army. A report will eventually be released through Habitat, but in short the local response was fresh, unifying, strong and connecting. And spiritually uplifting!
Global Reconciliation, Calcutta and Gaza
Paul Komesaroff has visited Gaza again, with a team, to facilitate a research seminar. Ian and AFFIRM associates will, we hope, follow up with Paul later this year for community mental health practical engagement and application of human capacity for response approaches.
Build It, Zambia
Elvis Simamvwa has led the facilitation team visit arranged by Sue Lucas, for Build It, linking the building of a clinic with community ownership of HIV. A report is in preparation. The response was optimistic, and local Build It staff and communities want more stimulation and shared learning.
DIFAEM, Germany
Ian and Alison visited DIFAEM (the German Medical Mission Institute) in Tubingen in October, for a day of discussion on human capacity development applied to district wide primary health care. A partnership is emerging with DIFAEM and Hands on Health of USPG (headed by David Evans, an Affirm associate), with action plans forming for Malawi based work.
St. John’s HIV evaluation, Africa
April Foster has led the interaction with St. John’s based in London. The task is to facilitate an evaluation of some of the HIV training in home care in Africa. The decision is pending awaiting response from South Africa—meanwhile Ian has been invited on to the newly formed development board of St John's, which meets for the first time in February 2011. HIV response through home care and youth engagement is a St. John's priority for 2011.
Nelson Mandela Foundation, Johannesburg, HIV Community Conversations
Ian was invited to present the key note at a meeting on November 15th, in Joburg. Alison participated in a panel on ‘evaluation’, the core message being that shared learning and long term accompaniment is vital elements for authentic measurement.
Constellation for Health and Life Competence with UNAIDS, Russia
Ian will be participating in the facilitation of 'AIDS Competence' processes in 2011, in each of three cities including Moscow. The work in Russia is spurred in part by the signing of the MOU by the Constellation and UNAIDS Geneva.
GLOCON: A Global Local Community Conversation
Help is needed for sponsorship of facilitation team mates, and for communicating the story. All donations and sponsorship funds will be channeled through the AFFIRM account held at InterHealth, a registered charity.
The UK reference group met last October, and a sub group will meet in January 2011 to discuss and plan for sponsorship, etc. In May, Ian and Alison will be visiting Asbury University in Kentucky USA to discuss potential dissemination of the GLOCON story. Whilst the UK and international reflection groups will engage with these questions of sponsorship and communication, all AFFIRMers are invited to help.
Plans are now forming for the first quarter of next year, i.e. visits to Africa. Locations and the months in which they will be visited are on the planning charts, while the basic objectives and methods are outlined in the core document, or template. Both documents are available from the Web site home page. Sign up form for visits will be available from February. Anyone who wants to support, or join in the journey at any point, please contact Ian Campbell.
Posted 23rd January 2011
Affirm facilitation for October 2010 includes:
University of East London
Alison is the lead for a module called 'Consultation in Practice' on the theme of HCDR (human capacity development for response), which is part of a Diploma Course on Humanitarian Response. It is ready to go. Technical group video training for Alison and Ian happened at UEL on 1st October! A master’s course will soon be developed. The curriculum content is worth looking at – I will clarify how that can be possible.
Community Health Response Programme (CHRP)
Zambia is doing SALT effectively without funding in several locations – this is a very excellent result after two years of reflective interaction.
Hands On Health...
...is re-activated now that David Evans started his full time Health Director role at USPG in September. A USPG visit by David, with Ian, to Copenhagen is planned in October, to forge a partnership with the Danish Mission Council.
Mildmay International
An excellent strategy interaction with the board in June in Uganda by Ian was followed up with meetings about policy and programme by Ian with Fi McLachlan. See attached story of response.
UNAIDS
The last staff Prevention Refresher workshop series is to happen in November, including the New Staff Orientation. Ideally such a process should happen in-country in several locations. We would prefer that focus in the new year.
Partnership with Global Reconciliation
Three follow up pathways to the December 2009 Amman meeting are happening: Gaza (community mental health, and research methods, coordinated by Paul Komesaroff), India (Calcutta community health), and Israeli-Palestinian dialogue. Affirm is a participant and/or facilitator in all three pathways. Funding is needed for the first two in order to ensure learning and progress.
Haiti
A link with Habitat for Humanity has formed through Rachel McIlroy, who is now working with Habitat in Haiti. Neighbourhood based community counselling and Participatory Action Reflection (PAR) with SALT is the agenda, to complement interventions, post disaster. Bobby Zachariah is the Affirm lead, and Alison will visit in late October.
St. John Associations in Africa HIV training evaluation
A proposal was submitted by April (the lead) in August, and the prospects are favorable.
HIV AIDS Research Conversation (HARC)
Gillian Paterson explained the possibility of connecting innovative exploratory approaches to research and evaluation through HARC. We can all join HARC and be part of particular elements of the conversation through on-line groups.
UK NGO AIDS Consortium
The value added of faith to HIV response: Gillian will explore connections (academic and practice) with Affirm support. We agree that agencies need to self assess and base the locus for reflection in local relational community.
GLOCON
Ian and Alison are shaping a literal face to face 'global and local community conversation' which will start in 18 months. It will be a year long conversation, with longitudinal community faith related journey as the subject. Such an experience has not yet been captured anywhere. GLOCON will contribute to the understanding of measuring local community capacity for response – it will illustrate how the locus for initiation and transfer of response needs to change if measurement is to be effective. GLOCON will be an expression of appreciation above all, whilst seeking stimulation of expanding local response to HIV and other issues, and adaptation of approach, policy and practice. A sign up page will be added to the Affirm website by the end of the year – expectations, context, approach, thematic options for particular emphasis. See also the comment on Funds below.
The core document is attached, along with some planning charts in early development. A UK reflection group and an international group has formed to reflect, support, advise, and connect. If you want to join please let me know?
Build It and Zambia
In some communities local people are being trained through experience based learning in Build It initiatives e. g. school structures. Sue Lucas is the chair of the Build It board, and has found an opportunity to link community based construction to HIV issues. Elvis Simamvwa, with Sister Beatrice, is the lead in Zambia. The CHRP experience is finding expression through the Build It collaboration.
DIFAEM
Alison and Ian will co-work with DIFAEM (the German Medical Mission Institute) in Tubingen in Germany in late October at a health mission workshop. The CHRP initiative was the meeting point with DIFAEM.
The Constellation for Community Life Competence
Ian will attend the board meeting in Belgium in October. A recent visit to UNAIDS in Geneva, in September, with Jean Louis Lamboray (Chair), and Marlou de Rou, was energetic and authentic in terms of conversation with UNAIDS about global community engagement.
Funds
We are not making money! But that has not been the aim. We are a little in debit at present, and we will need at least US$114,000 to fully develop the GLOCON, even though US$30,000 is already committed. Of the balance required, which is about US$84,000, about US$40,000 is needed for the top priority sponsorship of facilitation team members (those who cannot self pay) to join the segments of the journey that will happen in their country. The rest, if found, will help cover local community expenses, and other facilitation team visit costs. So pray if you can, and make GLOCON known to your visionary connections, friends, and organizations? The reflection groups will spend time on this question.
Website
The Affirm website is now hosted by GoDaddy. Thanks to Heather for her commitment, professional skill, and patience during set up and initial activity. Thanks to Gillian for her links with Heather at the beginning and for her willingness to provide administrative support. Thanks to Sue for keeping the links with GoDaddy and guiding me on administrative aspects now and then over the past two years. Thanks to Robin who is now managing the site, with technical help from Nick. We expect to add more profiles and content soon. The site is well appreciated and serves Affirm effectively. It provides an introduction to curious explorers, to those seeking to validate us, such as UNAIDS; and to groups with which we may try to connect for HCDR related partnership.
Thank you for the supportive links. Affirm practice is now consolidating around the core HCDR vision and direction framework – any of us can take an initiative forward within this framework. The examples show the lead being taken by many people, each of whom can count on a large team behind them – each will know they have the spiritual and moral support of all the Affirm global team.
Is this an indicator that we are in some way part of a spiritual and community movement? I suspect so – perhaps more than we realise.
Posted 19th December 2010
AFFIRM facilitation for March 2010 includes:
Haiti earthquake
In the wake of the Haiti earthquake, Rachel McIlroy is exploring with colleagues in Boston a possible post trauma neigbourhood psycho-social support process. Rachel was involved with Claire Campbell’s post tsunami work of 2005/6 and there could be an opportunity for AFFIRM to adapt the learning to Haiti.
SALT Woking
SALT Woking is alive and well. A meeting is scheduled for the first week of March in Woking to agree on a project document which, if accepted, will enable a more systematic SALT-based approach in Woking and Oxford with immigrant communities living with and affected by HIV.
UNAIDS Geneva
UNAIDS asked AFFIRM to facilitate a Prevention Refresher course for all staff in Geneva. This went very well. The second phase was completed by mid February. Some of you saw the workshop outline and supported its development. Responses included: Humbled by the distance to the needs of individuals -- People are in the centre – Learn and care -- Wealth of community experience We look forward to country based connection with UNAIDS on a similar theme in association with partners such as the Constellation for AIDS Competence.
Hands On Health
The USPG (Anglicans in World Mission) HIV and PHC project in Ghana is moving ahead after a design visit by David Evans, Alison Campbell and Ian Campbell in mid January. Human capacity development is undergirding PHC revitalization. A small start-up proposal has been submitted to the Churches Health Association of Ghana (CHAG) which should allocate some funding by mid March sufficient to develop a demonstration.
Community Health Response Programme (CHRP) Zambia
CHRP needs sustainable operational funding in order to start work. Following a visit in early February, which included AFFIRM support team of Alison Campbell and April Foster and in-country team member Elvis Simamvwa, CHRP is weighing options for moving forward in line with core priorities within and outside the country.
Collaboration
There may be a collaboration developing with Build It International, a group with which Sue Lucas is closely involved.
Meeting
We want to have a meeting opportunity in 2010 probably in India, in October, possibly first week. We need to enjoy each other, share experience, and clarify what we are learning about movements for response to various issues, and how we can each influence their development.
Posted 16th August 2010
AFFIRM facilitation during the latter part of 2009, and into 2010, includes:
UNAIDS (Geneva) Prevention refresher workshops
The refresher workshops are a part of a UNAIDS strategy to engage all staff, globally, in prevention. Ian Campbell was part of the ‘Joint Learning Planning Process’ 27-29 October, and David Evans participated in the 15-17 December follow up.
About 66 UNAIDS staff members finished the first series of workshops 11 to 28 November 2009, with uniformly positive response and serious personal and workplace application. There will be another series of workshops in February.
Thanks to Geoff Parcell and Usa Doongsa for help with preparing the self assessment tool (which can be adapted by NGOs for their own use), and to David Evans and Alison Campbell for the resources document.
AFFIRM could be involved in more country workshops in 2010, possibly working with the Constellation for AIDS competence. There is interest in Uganda and Botswana.
Global Reconciliation
Ian Campbell, Zannah Jeffries, Rachel MacIlroy, Elvis Simamvwa, Sima Barmania, Paul Komesaroff, Kevin Belcher, and Onesmus Mutuki found each other in Amman, Jordan, 13-18 December for the summit on Pathways to Reconciliation. Paul Komesaroff led the summit. Ian Campbell convened the theme on Spirituality and Celebration.
As a demonstration of engagement, Paul and Ian are hoping to visit a Community Mental Health Programme in Gaza in early May 2010.
The reconciliation theme is an example of shared engagement by AFFIRM, the Community Health Global Network (CHGN), and InterHealth Worldwide.
Zambia: Community Health Response Programme (CHRP)
We hope there will be some funds released for the initiation of Zambia -CHRP. In preparation for this, there will be a meeting on 23-26 February 2010 to discuss monitoring and evaluation. AFFIRM (with DIFAEM: German Institute for Medical Mission) will facilitate the process of implementation. We wish the Zambia team strength and optimism as they leap into the future.
WHO (Geneva) meeting on training Community Health Workers (CHWs)
Primary Health Care is a strong theme of WHO this year. Ricardo Walters and Sumon Vangchuay represented AFFIRM in November 2009 in Geneva for a meeting on CHW training. Ricardo helped initiate a tighter working group approach to follow up.
UK NGO AIDS Consortium
The Consortium has a faith based organization (FBO) committee, which is seeking to review the added value of FBO work. Gillian Paterson has been asked to shape the approach and she has enlisted AFFIRM.
Hands On Health
David Evans, through a working group of Community Health Global Network (CHGN), AFFIRM and USPG: Anglicans in World Mission, continues to facilitate the design of Hands on health. This is the USPG initiative aimed at revitalising health work in at least 3 countries, including Ghana and south India. Mirriam Cepe of World Vision (UK) has been very helpful in linking the initiative to WV country contact people. Design and partnership development visits are planned for January 2010.
Heythrop College, London
Gillian Paterson organized a day of discussion and reflection on AIDS: a Sign of the Times, around the themes of Stigma, Sin, and Hope. The goal was to link theologians working with HIV with practitioners, and with communities responding to HIV. Ian and Alison Campbell participated. AFFIRM is well placed, if asked, to arrange SALT visits with moral theologians and Christian leaders.
SALT Woking
The next meeting of SALT Woking will in February 2010 at the Woking Salvation Army building. The meetings and SALT (Support, Appreciate, Learn, Transfer) visits are always inspiring and point to an urgent area of work: HIV care and prevention within and by immigrant communities in the UK.
Strategies for Hope
The 20th anniversary of the launch of Strategies for Hope (a series of booklets on AIDS care and prevention) was celebrated on 19th November in Oxford. Glen Williams arranged the event. Ian Campbell, who co-authored the first book with Glen, attended, with Alison Campbell.
Posted 2nd February 2010
Update - November 2008
Dear friends,
The last month has been productive. Thanks to many for specific contribution in thought and action, and for all Associates and Affiliates who add strength by belonging and by supporting the HCD vision.
Read more:
AFFIRM Update Nov 2008 (.doc)
AFFIRM 2008 Self Assessment (.doc)
Community Health Response Program - Process outline (.doc)
AFFIRM and the promotion of gender equality
Drawing upon a stock of knowledge-based practices and experiences of facilitating a human capacity for response to HIV and other issues critical to communities worldwide, the methodology and tools which AFFIRM utilises facilitate the promotion of gender equality (individual) from a ‘community’ perspective (shared relational/collective) through assured inclusivity and meaningful engagement of all voices. Read more: AFFIRM and the promotion of gender equality (.doc)
Posted 22nd November 2008
In memory of Simon Mphuka, a friend and Affirm member.
I was asked to write for dissemination through the Constellation for AIDS Competence, and with the thought already in mind to acknowledge Simon from many perspectives, including Affirm, I responded. (Ian Campbell).
Remembering Simon (.doc)
Posted 24th August 2008
An analysis of the AFFIRM approach to 'Human Capacity Development for Response', in relation to HIV
click here to download...
Posted 11th August 2008
AFFIRM Core Group Meeting - 25th July 2008 - An informal update
PHC Revitalisation
A collaborative project to demonstrate human capacity development for response is being developed with WHO, WCC , Norwegian Church Aid and DIFAEM (German Medical Mission Institute). The challenge is to move toward a facilitation of expanded local response and encounter approach. Memorably expressed as follows: ‘We must be faith-sensitive, qualitatively-tuned and mission-focused, and in our matrix-orientation we should also be design-conscious. Gill commented that the aim is to hear the truth and have it told. It’s from that truth that a new vision will emerge.
Interhealth Tie-up
The following attachment is a significant note from Ted Lankester to all InterHealth staff describing the synergy expected from Affirm's link to Interhealth Worldwide.
Click here to download.
Oxford / Woking
The Oxford meeting produced very positive results, and the SALT approach demonstrated how little people actually know about what is going on within African communities here. Alison is exploring the possibility of something similar in Woking, invited by Dr. Jillian Pritchard who is based in Woking and joined the Oxford meeting.
Tony Blair Foundation
Ian Linden (new director) is very interested in the way Affirm is working. Decided to try and invite him to join the next overseas project. Plan A – Zambia; Plan B – Ricardo to think of something. In 2009 we will have a research workshop in collaboration with (and financed by) TBFF
Edinburgh
CHGN is involved with a health conference for the centenary of the World Mission Conference (1910) focussed on Christian mission for health in the 21st century. Ted Lankester is exploring how the theme might be explored in London as well as in Edinburgh in a two-track on-going process.
AFFIRM at work-Learning from local action and experience
All AFFIRM members and advisors/friends are welcome to a catalytic learning and strategy consultation 8th -14th March, 2008 , at Chisikesi Zambia. We will be hosted by the Gwembe Health District manager who is Elvis Simamvwa and some other local friends, who also coordinate a small youth focussed programme called 'Spring of Life'.
Objectives include- AFFIRM identity discovery; stimulation and support, with learning from 'Spring of Life'; exploration of 'Human Capacity for Response' to HIV, applicable to a district wide approach over a two year period (inclusive of access to ART); spiritual reflection and renewal; visits to Lochinvar National Park (birds), and Victoria Falls National Park (falls and rafts and...) We will form small thematic teams to discuss and document critical elements such as measurement of response patterns; community to community transfer; facilitation team development; project writing as a support to community driven initiatives.
For all who request we are exploring co-funding options for tickets and costs - not yet available but we are hoping. Sign up in faith if you wish to come and we will expect to see each other.
The contact person is Sue Lucas – info@affirmfacilitators.org