The annual EFAIDS Programme meeting for Latin America took place from 11-13 February 2008 in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Activities and progress in 2007 were reviewed whilst programme objectives for 2008 were agreed.
Representatives were gathered from teacher unions participating in the EFAIDS Programme: CTERA/Argentina, CNTE/Brazil, ADP/Dominican Republic, STEG/Guatemala, FETRAENSEÑANZA/Venezuela and COLPROSUMAH, COPEMH, COPRUMH, PRICPHMA, COLPEDAGOGOS, all from Honduras. Three further unions (FECODE/Colombia, and ANDE and SEC from Costa Rica) were invited to participate and it is foreseen that they will be incorporated into the programme in the near future. For Donatella Montaldo one of the EI representatives present, “the event allowed twelve EI member organisations in the Latin American region to exchange information and experiences, highlight best practices and share views on the challenges they face while working on EFA and HIV/AIDS education issues.” She believes the meeting “helped to strengthen regional coordination and to foster key actions at national level“.
The wider HIV/AIDS context was explored; the ongoing importance of slowing the pandemic at a global level was highlighted and those present discussed how best to strengthen the capacity of union structures in this area. Policy linkages between quality public education, Education For All, HIV prevention strategies, gender and, child labour were synthesised. An analysis was made of opportunities and challenges for the EFAIDS programme at an organisational and regional level. Materials produced by Education International, by the Latin American office and by the affiliates themselves were presented. Case studies of the organisations’ experiences preceded workshops to plan projects for the current year.
Project parameters for 2008 were set and the unions committed to expanding and increasing their actions throughout the different EFAIDS Programme working areas: research, policy development, advocacy, training, and development of publications. Special commitment was made to World AIDS Day 2008 and activities will build on last year’s campaign, under the continued slogan ‘One hour on AIDS’.
For more information, please contact us at efaids@ei-ie.org.