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WCRP/HIVAN Forum - Building partnerships for HIV/AIDS management in KZN
Judith King. HIVAN Media Office. August 2004.
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HIVAN and the World Conference on Religion and Peace (WCRP) hosted the second in its 2004 series of day-long Capacity-building Workshops on 12 August at the Glenmore Pastoral Centre in Durban. The theme of the Workshop was ?“Building Partnerships for HIV/AIDS Management in KZN?”, and was facilitated by HIVAN?’s Community Responses research team.
Professor Catherine Campbell, the principal investigator of the Community Responses research project, is a HIVAN Research Fellow and Chair of Psychology at the London School of Economics. Her team consists of Yugi Nair as senior researcher, with research fieldworkers Sbongile Maimane and Zweni Sibiya, who together collect and evaluate data on HIV/AIDS-related challenges affecting households and communal structures in a rural community at Mtunzini, KZN.
Paddy Meskin of the WCRP introduced the day?’s programme, outlining how the theme focus would involve sharing expertise, experiences and critical thinking about the process of partnership. She explained that because the Workshop format could accommodate only limited numbers, HIVAN would use the information generated during the proceedings to compile an ?“Executive Summary?” document for distribution to participants and their partner organisations and other contacts. In so doing, it was hoped that the material could be disseminated as widely as possible in KZN.
Paddy appealed to all present to express and articulate freely their lessons and successes with regard to partnership, saying that the greatest gift we have is people?’s experience and knowledge. ?“Partnership is not only a contractual affair related to business ventures,?” she said. ?“In faith communities, our point of departure for joint projects is a specific emotion or spiritual value that is shared by the partners, and this adds a deeply significant dimension to the union and to our goals. Although our different faiths adopt various approaches towards worship, we are unified through our spiritual connection and identity.?”
Noting that this common cause and connection is a powerfully positive element, Paddy also observed that a spirit of compromise and a willingness to be open-minded would always be required to ensure that the diverse and sometimes divergent spiritual personalities would not obstruct understanding and progress within the partnership. ?“Through our inter-faith movement,?” she explained, ?“we?’ve come to see that these differences themselves can, in fact, be advantageous. We recognise our commonalities, and are also able to contribute our unique perspectives as a way of illuminating the same goal. That goal should be centred on building capacity so as to promote wellbeing across society and humanity.?”
Using the HIVAN-WCRP partnership as an example, Paddy briefly described the various Forum Series, the longest-standing being the religious leaders?’ dialogue with biomedical and social researchers. ?“These sessions have enabled all of us to participate in and guide the work of policy formulators and decision-makers, by sharing knowledge and raising problematic issues,?” she explained. ?“Not all of these problems can be easily resolved, but at least they are brought into the open. For example, debate continues about the morality and efficacy of condom use and promotion for HIV prevention ?– the various faith doctrines differ vastly on this subject, but because the sanctity of life, perceived as integrated with quality of life, is our primary spiritual value and practical objective, we are able to listen and respond respectfully to one another on this subject.?”
Paddy also noted that valuable resource material such as that issued to the participants, (i.e. the ?“Post-Conference Working Manual?” and ?“Capacity-building and Leadership Toolkit?” produced by the African Forum of FBOs in Reproductive Health and HIV/AIDS) could only have been created through viable partnerships.
Cathy Campbell then led the first plenary session, observing that an epidemic arises and spreads because existing methods no longer offer appropriate solutions, and new ways need to be formulated to address challenges.
As the compilation document would incorporate the sub-text of: ?“Advice for those becoming involved in new partnerships?”, the primary questions for consideration were:
- Why are partnerships necessary?
- What factors facilitate good partnerships?
- What factors hinder good partnerships?
The full report can be downloaded on the righthand side of this page
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