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Action Plus - a Coalition for Rights, Education and Care in HIV and
AIDS
Action Plus is a network of 14 organisations working on HIV/AIDS,
social justice and human rights in different parts of India. The
coalition aims to confront the evolving and complex challenges raised by
HIV and AIDS in India by developing strategic leadership and promoting
linkages between organizations that work on common interests. Action
Plus fosters an environment in which its member organisations share with
each other their experiences and learn together to operate more
strategically to address issues of HIV and AIDS.
Action Plus has conducted a series of People’s Panchayats which
have sought to understand and unravel heroic battles against Stigma and
Homophobia through the voices of survivors and resistors. Through their
testimonies the Panchayat sought to address the devaluation of
livelihoods and life systems of entire communities of people who
practice an alternate sexuality, to the absolute erosion of all notions
of rights or dignity.
This series of People’s Panchayats have been held in 5 cities in India
this year. The first one was in Bangalore on 28th January
2009, the second in Hyderabad on 6th February 2009 and the
third in Chennai on 21st March 2009 and the fourth on 11th
April 2009 in Pune. The fifth and final one was held in New Delhi on 24th
April 2009.
Each of the Panchayats followed a similar structure. The interactive
meetings were structured to have affected members from sexual minority
communities share their personal experiences of living with stigma and
homophobia. These were the deposers. Then the two member
expert panel shared their thoughts and ideas based on their
experience in the field. The audience comprising of the general
public, NGOs, media, opinion leaders and religious communities made
their queries and comments at the end of the deposition. There was a
brief audience interaction following which the jury or the panch
gave its ‘verdict’.
The structure of the programme in New Delhi on 24th April:
- Five deposers shared their life testimonies. The deposers from
sexual minority groups shared testimonies by narrating their childhood
experiences, the harassment faced from family, friends, neighbors,
teachers and public as they discovered their gender identity and
sexual preferences.
- Two experts who have worked on the issue of stigma and homophobia
presented their analysis to the People’s Panchayat. They were Pramada
Menon and Ashok Row Kavi. A brief write up about them is given below.
- A Panch (jury) comprising of eminent personalities heard
the testimonies and the experts and presented their observations
before drafting a statement. The Panch members were Dr. Sayeda
Hamid, Ms. Indrani Gupta, Mr. Salim Kidwai, Mr. Sunil Gupta and Mr.
Sanjeve Sethi.
- The audience was given a chance to interact with the deposers,
experts and the Panch.
Consensus Statement from the Panchayat
- We believe that sexual minorities should have the same rights as
all citizens of this country.
- We believe that sexuality education at the school level is
extremely important to create healthy growth for impressionable minds.
- We believe that agendas of political parties across the spectrum
should be compelled to state their position on sexual minorities.
- We believe that safe spaces should be created to allow people of
diverse sexual and gender identities to voice their experiences if
they so choose.
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