Community Development - Building a national PLWHA Organisation Positive Proposal Writing Guideline Workshop

National Association of People Living with HIV/AIDS (NAPWA Australia)

The community development concept in building a national PLWHA organisation is an interesting model. It seems like one of the factors contributing to the establishment of PLWHA organisations is due to access to treatment. Whereas this is an empowerment and advocacy experience in Australia of mobilising PLWHA participation, there is doubt in its applicability in other countries. Most PLWHAs in Asian countries have no access to treatment showing how little we have progressed in the last 20 years. What are the factors behind the success of this national PLWHA coalition while it seems "impossible" to replicate this success in other countries such as Myanmar or China? Is it because of different political culture in different countries, where people are not allowed to express their opinion, or the prohibition of freedom of association? If this session had more time for discussion, it would bring more debate on the applicability of the NAPWA concept in other countries. The second presentation is Proposal Writing Guideline. It was an excellent opportunity for people to learn how to write proposals. It is regrettable that only 40 positive people attended this workshop. There was a discussion on "pleasing" funders and marketing their proposals in such a way by using funder's language or make the funder "visible" with their donation. It may be a way of getting the requested funds however some also posted a question of "ethics". Is it ethical to "please" the funder because of their dollars. The feedback from the attendees of this workshop was extremely positive and there is further discussion of NAPWA and related networks in building some form of database of funders and related materials.