By B.Karungi
Breaking down barriers to attend International AIDS Conferences is a central element of BPPP’s work. Attending the conferences allows sex worker, drug user, indigenous and trans rights representatives, who have been marginalized repeatedly in the HIV/AIDS discourse, to forge global connections, protest, educate and be heard. The next International AIDS Conference will be held in Montreal July 29 to August 1, 2022 and will include both in person and online forums. The risks posed by COVID-19 continue but some degree of participation may be good for communities that have been isolated for so long. We will post updates.
APPLY TO SPEAK OR PERFORM BY 27 Jan 2022 at 5:59pm ET / 2:59pm PT / 23:59CET: People from our communities can apply to present in all aspects of AIDS2022. The deadline for Abstracts to present in the main conference, Workshops in the main conference and Global Village presentations (this includes panels, performances, booths and film showings) is 27 January 2022 at 5:59pm ET / 2:59pm PT / 23:59 CET.
APPLY FOR SCIENTIFIC ABSTRACT MENTORING BY 14 Jan 2022: Historically very few community representatives have been permitted to present in the main conference where all the academics and scientists tend to present. While it is not aimed at the community, the conference now offers abstract mentoring (deadline to apply for mentoring is January 14, 2022). The mentoring includes an online course which we tested out on some BPPPers who reported that it was helpful but hard to access via the online system. In order to access the online course, set up a profile, click the Abstract mentoring tab and then apply to submit an abstract to review even if you don’t have one ready. You will find an option to access the online training in this process.
Apply for a scholarship by January 31, 2022 (11:59pm CET / 5:59pm EST / 2:59pm PST). In order to apply you will need a letter of recommendation from someone you work with or from a community group. Please reach out to us at hivaidsbppp@gmail.com if you need any help applying for AIDS2022 and check out our webinar recording from 2018 about how to apply.