Campaign organizer: New Generation Humanitarian NGO (NGNGO)
Dates of project realization: 08.04.2020 – 31.05.2021
Due to COVID-19 pandemic and war conflict the campaign was postponed and implemented when the environment was more favorable and quarantine restrictions were eased.
Dates of key campaign events: May 17, 2021
Project goal: To ensure active participation of KPs in the advocacy actions and draw the attention of decision makers to the high-level stigma and discrimination towards the KPs and people living with HIV in Armenia.
Brief description:
On May 17, 2021, the raising awareness campaign event was conducted in Yerevan, Armenia. The slogan of the campaign was adopted to “Chase the Virus, Protect People” to highlight the importance of protection of all people in health crises which Armenia was undergoing in 2020 and is still going through 2021. Around 100 participants took part in active discussions, Q&A sessions, paying attention to the issues of stigma and discrimination which can’t be hushed up or paid less attention during COVID-19 pandemic. 14 participants agreed to give interviews which were summed up in a small film and highlighted the importance of such awareness-raising events on HIV stigma and discrimination.
The attendees were given T-shirts with the slogan of the campaign on it. Information papers and booklets on HIV and COVID-19 as well as COVID-19 preventive kits were given to the participants of the event to raise their awareness.
Partners and participants:
Partnership was established with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports. With the approval and support of both Ministries 400 wallpapers were printed and disseminated among the educational institutions, schools, galleries, libraries, other NGOs.
Representatives of Diplomatic Missions in Armenia, international organizations, state agencies, local NGOs, community-based NGOs and representatives of key populations, journalists, human rights defenders, activists and other stakeholders participated in the event expressing their solidarity to the values of the campaign, in particular:
- UN office in Armenia
- EU delegation to Armenia
- Embassy of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to Armenia
- Embassy of the United States of America to Armenia
- Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Armenia
- Embassy of Switzerland to Armenia
- Embassy of Sweden to Armenia
- Embassy of Argentina to Armenia
- The joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)
- National Center for Infectious Diseases of RA Ministry of Health
- Country Coordinating Mechanism against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria of the
- Republic of Armenia (CCM Armenia)
- Non-Discrimination and Equality Coalition
- Center for Legal Initiatives NGO
- Human Rights Power NGO
- For Strong Future Youth NGO
- Equality for All human rights defender NGO
- Colorful House social-cultural and human rights defender NGO
- Fearless human rights defender NGO
- Right Side human rights defender NGO
- Journalists Armenak Davtyan, Anya Hayrapetyan, Alina Nahapetyan
- Lawyers
- Human rights defenders
- Representatives of PLHIV community
- Representatives of LGBT community
- Representatives of CSW community
- Representatives of PWID community
The campaign video: