Culture and HIV/AIDS

HIV/AIDS: The Creative Challenge in Cambodia & Viet Nam

Hanoi Workshop March 2006

The first Cambodia/Vietnam workshop was held in Hanoi in March 2006. It was attended by nine development practitioners from five non-governmental organisations (NGOs) utilising cultural approaches to HIV and AIDS prevention and care, and 14 representatives from regional policy, donor or government agencies.

A meeting report is available here (adobe pdf document 830 KB)

An overview report exploring issues emerging in the light of evidence from the Hanoi workshop and Cambodia/Vietnam case studies is available here (Adobe pdf document 198 KB)

Case Studies 2006

All five NGOs contributed to a series of case studies from the region. Of the five NGOs represented at the workshop, three operate in Vietnam and two in Cambodia; three (two in Vietnam and one in Cambodia) are general development agencies and two (one in each country) are arts based. Four of the five projects utilise drama/puppetry/circus performances as the basis of their cultural methodology and one produced an information leaflet through the implementation of a participatory process using arts-based content.

Magic Threes Consulting - “Do you have a friend who has H?” A leaflet for and by PLWHA

Phare Ponleu Selpak - Trains against HIV/AIDS, drugs and trafficking

Sovanna Phum -Shadow puppet performances on drug awareness and HIV vulnerability

World Population Foundation and David Glass Ensemble - Participatory theatre in sexuality and reproductive health education for young people

Thiện Chí, Center for Community Support and Development -Thiện Chi (“Goodwill”) theatre

Pnom Penh November 2007

A further workshop was held in Cambodia in 2007. Two of the initial participants and a further 23 cultural practitioners and civil society representatives were able to attend. The Cambodia meeting revisited the starting point of the Hanoi meeting (identifying what is “cultural” about participants’ work in HIV and AIDS, and elaborating the participants’ concept of “culture”). Then the participants also discussed advocating to policy influencers for greater recognition of the importance of, and support for, cultural approaches to HIV and AIDS in Cambodia and Vietnam.

A report of the meeting is available here

For further information about HIV/AIDS: the Creative Challenge in Cambodia and Viet Nam please contact Jane Martin, former local project manager.