One Community Campaign

Nadine ToussaintSocial Marketing & Design OfficerWA AIDS Council

Background

• People living with HIV continue to report stigma and discrimination.

• Despite having some legal protection many people living with HIV do not feel safe to disclose.

• This burden takes a high toll on health, well being and capacity to participate in community life.

Anti-stigma campaigns to date

• infrequent • dependent on an emotional, empathic

response (your sister, your brother, your colleague etc.)

• little community participation• little educative component• limited applicability beyond the gay

community

High Court Justice Michael Kirby identified; “AIDS is a paradox. The best way to fight HIV, and to command the minds of those who are most at risk, is to win their trust and confidence by laws and polices that protect their rights and uphold their human dignity”. 

M Kirby “HIV/AIDS: Anger, Hope and Love” in Through the World’s Eye (2000) pp82

Original Campaign

• Developed in WA in late 90’s targeting gay men's communities

• Ran as a national campaign in 2000 – 2001

• Predominantly a t-shirt, poster and other print resource campaign

• Successful yet very specific and limited application

Current campaign

• Started as a simple t-shirt campaign

• A response to the lack of visible public/community presence for Pride Fairday

• Had a far more positive response than anticipated

Campaign Goal

• To address the issue of HIV/AIDS stigma and discrimination in the gay men’s, LGBTI and wider community.

• To engage the community in the message through a simple community action, and education.

Target Audience

•Initial target group - gay men (due to Pride event)

•Broader target group - entire community in the lead up to World AIDS Day and beyond.

General Strategy

• Engage the community in the message, raise awareness about the issue and provide basic information/education to reduce stigma

• Invite individuals to submit a photo statement taking a stand against HIV/AIDS stigma and discrimination.

Online Initiative

• Develop a photo blog/basic website www.1community.org.au

• Provide accessible HIV/AIDS information

• Complement site with a Facebook strategy

www.facesforfreedom.blogspot.com – Freedom Centre

www.thisisoz.com.au – ACON

Take Action

What can you do?•Educate yourself and your community about HIV.

•Challenge peoples misconceptions about people living with HIV.

•Participate in the 1community project and encourage others to do so.

•Contribute to organisations that provide support to people living with HIV.

Other Engagement/Promotion

• Engaged with participants prior to the Pride parade – 47 participants

• One Community as Pride float theme• Distributed materials along with WAD

resources• Displayed images and photographs at WAD

event• Distribution of 1 Community Condom Packs• Info circulated to other HIV/AIDS orgs and

local papers and radio

In 6 months…

• Over 240 individuals have participated• 127 people like our Facebook page• 365 t-shirts have been distributed• 1800 condom packs have been

distributed• T-shirts, and information distributed at a

WAD African community event• Over 130 participants at University

O’Day and youth events

"The way I see it, stigma and discrimination are far more dangerous than HIV/AIDS. Fortunately though (and unlike HIV/AIDS)(yet) there's a cure for that - education and basic human decency. So lets all get educated, be respectful and work together to fight the virus and not each other."

- Aram, Perth WA

"Empower ourselves by learning more and taking care of ourselves and each other.“ - Zoe, Perth WA

“Be brave, be accepting, become wise. Learn all you

can. Meet the challenge with knowledge and

compassion., not ignorance and fear”

- Steve, Perth WA

“Promote education in our community.”- HIV Community Educators, Metropolitan Migrant Resource Centre

Reduce stigma through education.

- Anne, Perth WA

Success dependent on

• People willing to advocate for the campaign

• To tag themselves on facebook and promote the message through their networks

• Having trained individuals capable of engaging with the community to provide campaign information

• Willingness of community groups and organisations to support the campaign

Future Applications

• Multi-cultural communities• Platform for stories of people living with

HIV and their supporters• Providing further information around

legal rights and responsibilities

More informationWebsite: www.1community.org.au

Facebook: www.facebook.com/1community.org.au

Email:info@1community.org.au