International AIDS Conference - Mexico

AIDS 2008 Update

In this update, we would like to bring to your attention the many deadlines in the month of February: the standard registration fee ends (late surcharge begins) and registration by 19 February is recommended. Proposals for programme activities - including skills building workshops and applications for the Global Village, Cultural and Youth Programmes - close. Abstract submitters have less than three weeks to submit their abstracts and only Late Breaker Abstract submissions will be accepted thereafter, from 20 May.

The most up-to-date information can be found on the conference website www.aids2008.org

In this issue:
1. Key Dates and Deadlines
2. Access to Online Applications
3. Registration
4. Letter of Invitation
5. Programme Activities
a) Skills Building Workshops and Selection Process
b) Global Village
c) Cultural Programme
d) Youth Programme
6. Conference Hubs

1. Key Dates and Deadlines
19 February 2008
- Standard registration fee ends (late surcharge begins 20 February)
- Skills building workshop proposals close
- Global Village applications close
- Cultural Programme applications close
- Youth Programme applications close Abstract submission closes

The Global Village, a free space to share significant AIDS experiences

The International AIDS Conference is the most important gathering for the release and discussion of scientific, programmatic and policy developments in the global response to HIV/AIDS. The conference will be held from 3-8 August 2008 in Mexico City and it will be the first International AIDS Conference ever held in Latin America.

In addition to scientific sessions, the conference programme will include three major activities with the main objective to share significant AIDS experience as well as social, cultural and artistic expressions from people around the world:

Youth Programme. Aimed to strengthen youth participation in the Conference through activities such as Youth Pavilion, Youth Online Bulletin, Media Center, web site and another activities.

Cultural Programme, aimed to highlight art and cultural expressions role in the prevention and response to HIV/AIDS through visual arts, literature, movies and videos, theatre and another artistic activities.

Global Village. Held to increase and promote community involvement to the International AIDS Conference. The Global Village is a special space within the Conference, concurrent with sessions and open to the public. It is rich in diversity and with greater opportunity to learn from one another.

The Global Village has the objective of intensifying the involvement of affected and marginalized communities (people living with HIV/AIDS, youth, women, gay/lesbian/bisexual/transsexual/transgendered people, sex workers, as well as other communities from most affected regions of the world) in the Conference and in the global response to HIV/AIDS, in order to bring effective prevention and treatment.

Global Village Activities

Sessions, forums and oral presentations. A broad range of interactive and participatory sessions, forums and oral presentations organized in partnership with various social organizations.

Daily live plenary broadcasts and “Meet the Plenary Speakers” sessions. The five daily plenary sessions (from August 4-8) will be simultaneously broadcast onto screens in the Global Village sessions halls and the Main Stage. At lunch time each day, the plenary speakers from the morning session will go to the Global Village Main Stage to deliver a summary of their presentation and to participate in moderated question and answer sessions.

Networking zones. Activities, interactive awareness-raising, workshops and educational displays about issues such as most vulnerable regions, complementary therapies, gay and men who have sex with men, harm reduction, new prevention technologies, people living with HIV/AIDS, sex workers, women, children, etc.

The Youth Pavilion. To highlight and showcase youth achievements in the global response to HIV/AIDS through diverse activities.

Non governmental organizations exhibition booths. Free (no fee charged) booth space provided for selected not profit social organizations, AIDS service organizations and community-based organizations to display, provide and share their work, programming, resources, strategies and other related information.

Market place booths. A space for AIDS organizations to fundraise by selling their products, created by/for people living with HIV /AIDS as well as caregivers and others affected by the pandemic.

Virtual Global Village. A Global Village website will be created to enable people from across the world to have access to the Global Village sessions, forums and oral presentations and to participate in discussion boards and e-forums.

Cultural activities. These will include visual arts, literature, movies and videos, community radio, theatre and another artistic activities.

Applications online for the Global Village and for the Youth and Cultural Programmes are now open and they will be closed on February 19th. Details and application guidelines are available at www.aids2008.org