Teachers everywhere are marking World AIDS Day with special lessons, marches, and cultural activities. Education International’s lesson plan called “One Hour on AIDS” is being taught in classrooms around the world, from Peru to Nepal to the Netherlands.
In Costa Rica, after conducting the “One Hour on AIDS” lesson, teachers will march through San José and then participate in an event on AIDS in the world of work and AIDS-related discrimination. Teacher unions SEC and ANDE will continue the momentum of World AIDS Day, travelling throughout the country from December 6–8, training teachers on strategies to include HIV/AIDS themes in the curriculum.
In Nepal, teachers and students will work through “One Hour on AIDS” lesson in Nepali. As well, the teacher unions, NTA and NNTA, have created a radio advertisement on HIV/AIDS which will be broadcast for the next two weeks on radio stations throughout the country.
Schoolchildren in the Netherlands are active in the “Art for AIDS” campaign through workshops organised by the teacher union, AOb.
There are many ways to participate in World AIDS Day. EI joins the Global Union AIDS Programme in encouraging unions and their members throughout the world to make a statement on World AIDS Day. Follow the steps below to send your message to: statements@worldaidscampaign.org. 1. Put your union’s name and country in the subject line, 2. Write a statement in any language about your union’s response to the AIDS pandemic, and 3. Copy your message to Education International ( efaids@ei-ie.org) and to the chair of the Global Unions HIV/AIDS Programme ( alan.leather@gmail.com).
On World AIDS Day and year round, teachers are raising awareness and preventing HIV and AIDS through education, as well as combating discrimination and stigma. Together we can make a difference and help create healthy schools and communities!
The toolkit is available on the EI EFAIDS website not only in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese, but also in the languages of Wolof, Setwana, Sepedi, Kiswahili, Kirundi, Joola, Isixhosa, Fufulde, Kinyarwanda, and Nepali.