Global Village

Global Village, a project under the Community Program Committee aims to promote the different meaning of “COMMUNITY”, not only geographical but also common ways of life. No matter who you are or what issue concern you: AIDS activists, People Living With HIV/AIDS, Women, Gays, Lesbians, Bisexual & Transgendered people network, youth, traditional healers, drug user, migrants, indigenous people, academics, etc, we would like to invite all of communities to join in The Global Village in the XV International AIDS Conference in Bangkok, 2004.

Join us to share the same spirit, to declare our will, to promote community effort and to move forward together to make recommendation and demand the common mission and commitment of communities in addressing HIV/AIDS problem from every angle of human being.

View the Global Village Events Schedule and Global Village Performances Schedule.

The Global Village will be located on at least 5,000 m2 of the ground floor of the Convention Center of IMPACT. The area is divided conceptually into 5 zones; in practice, an attractive design will provide meeting spaces, cultural spaces, exhibition spaces etc scattered across the whole ‘Village’.

Zone 1: Community Radio
Broadcasting for participants and communities near by the conference in different languages.

Zone2: Healthy Communities market
Demonstration and sale of products from income generation projects of NGOs and community organisations, focusing on health foods, herbs and traditional medicine.

Zone 3: Centre for Community Networking and Advocacy
This is the space for campaigning and advocacy, including the development of a community statement for closing ceremony that can be followed up at global level and country level by community delegates and organisations. A community advocacy parade is a key feature of this section. This section also includes the networking spaces – lounge areas perhaps grouped by themes or presented as ‘bars’ – where delegates can simply sit and talk and learn from each other. There will be conversation corner, bar corner, coffee corner, meeting rooms both large and small room and Open Area for Performance and Forum.


Zone 4: Promoting Spiritual and Mental Health Centre

Objectives
The principal objective of this program is to enhance awareness and consciousness on HIV/AIDS through increasing co-operation and networking among religious communities. In this sense, they should be aware of the influence they have on the communities, and be empowered to use this for the best of the people. Awareness raising and information are important tools for combating stigmatization and discrimination of people living with HIV/AIDS. Factual information may reduce stigma related to HIV/AIDS, help to reduce stigma, and encourage religious communities to relate to and care for the infected and affected.

It is our expectation that the outcome from this program will give room for contextual theology by and for HIV-positive persons themselves. And the potential for religious leaders and the religious communities should be further explored, promoted and encouraged.

Related Activities
The total space of 1,000 m is available for 4 main activities in Zone 4: “promoting spiritual and mental health center”.

1. Collaboration among religious communities
1.1 Small scale model
Small scale model will be setup as to simulate the involvement of religions in the communities: each religion model will give a chance for visitors to learn and understand the role of religion & spiritual believing support infected/affected HIV/AIDS people, they will gain knowledge of what multi-religions hold in common. Visitors will have an opportunity to response and give opinion/suggestion on how their communities work with religions on AIDS.

2. Raising awareness of religious communities
2.1 Outreach program
The main purpose of this activity is to raise awareness of how importance religions can manipulate as part of the community. In this sense, they should be aware of the influence they have on the communities. The program will arrange interested religious groups to explore other religions in working on AIDS based on their own philosophies and resource available in the communities, the target groups are Buddhist monks, Christianities, Muslims and other interested groups who request to attend this program.

Group discussion will be organised at the end of their exploring; we will provide the meeting space for further discussion & collaboration among multi-religions in combating HIV/AIDS work.

3. Promoting spiritual & mental support
3.1 Counseling activities
Difference of counseling method from various religions aspects will be demonstrated in the zone. The counseling service will also be provided for those who requested.

3.2 Spiritual & traditional healers working on AIDS
The space will be provided for traditional healers and spiritual healers that working on HIV/AIDS from all over the world to meet and share idea and working experience as well as provide service to participants. This program will demonstrate: 1) how PLHAs take care of themselves in spiritual ways and 2) how the spiritual and multi-religions apply their believing and philosophy to response to AIDS situation as well as helping PLHA.

An exhibition space will be available for those who request to share their own experience as a good practice succeeds in applying spiritual & traditional healing with HIV/AIDS work.

4. Religious chat corner
4.1 Religious ritual activities
Firstly, the space is provided to perform various spiritual/religious ritual activities for example ‘Christian worship service’, ‘Buddhist monks gathering for food offering’ ‘paying homage’, ‘meditation’. Participated monk will come from Lao PDR, China, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Thailand. Secondly, this open space is provided opportunity for participants to discuss/share viewpoint on working on HIV/AIDS based on the belief of each religion. They will also exchange experience on AIDS activities by the role of religions.

Zone 5: Global Village Coordination Centre
To coordinate and facilitate all activities in global village including producing documents and communication.