'AIDS a fight for the youth'
published: Saturday | May 6, 2006

United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Goodwill Ambassador, philanthropist and actor Danny Glover (second right)), laughs with fellow philanthropists Rita Marley (second left) and Pastor Calvin Butts (right), executive director, UWI Development and Endowment Fund, shortly after his presentation on the final day of the second annual Conference on Caribbean Philanthropy, in Montego Bay, St. James yesterday. Held under the theme: 'Caribphilanthropy, The Region's Philanthropic Movement' the conference saw discussions on creating and maintaining endowment funds, corporate philanthropy, HIV/AIDS and philanthropy and entertainment philanthropy. - CLAUDINE HOUSEN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

WESTERN BUREAU:

STATING THAT the youth are an untapped resource as agents of change in the fight against HIV/AIDS, a United Nations official is suggesting that the Abstinence, Be faithful and use a Condom (ABC) approach is not reaching the children to adolescent age group.

Mark Connolly, the United Nation's Children's Fund (UNICEF) Regional Director for HIV/AIDS, suggested on Thursday that, until the health officials come up with more creative ways of promoting HIV/AIDS prevention among youth, there will be little or no change in the Caribbean's battle against the deadly disease.

Mr. Connolly was speaking at the HIV/AIDS and philanthropy session at the Conference on Caribbean Philanthropy, in Montego Bay, St. James.

CHANGING THEIR BEHAVIOUR

"If we look around the world to see where the AIDS epidemic has stabilised or even decreased among adolescent populations it is because the adolescents are quite capable of changing their attitude and changing their behaviour that they can also change the dialogue on the issue on what it means to their societies and peer groups," he said.

"Unless we (as a region) work more with them they will continue with what (has been) our response to the epidemic which is blaming others, blame someone else, blaming another country, or blaming a type of people."

According to Mr. Connolly, children and adolescents are the missing voices and faces in the fight against the epidemic as many of the policies and talks on the fight against the disease do not take into consideration their lived experiences.

A four-day conference which ended yesterday, the Conference on Caribbean Philanthropy was hosted under the theme: "Caribphilanthropy, The Region's Philanthropic Movement."