NEW ERA FOR POSITIVE LIVES

Positive Lives is entering a new era – since 1993 Positive Lives has operated within the UK HIV/AIDS charity, The Terrence Higgins Trust. Following on from this hugely successful period, the Positive Lives Committee (Trevor Pearcy, Amanda Stone, Francesca Kirby, Thomas Lawson and Kevin Ryan) is pleased to announce that in December 2009 Positive Lives moves to become part of the International HIV/AIDS Alliance, the ‘Alliance’.

This new stage is welcomed by those most closely linked to Positive Lives, its Founders, Lyndall Stein and Steve Mayes, the Terrence Higgins Trust and the volunteers and Committee of Positive Lives.

“The Alliance and Positive Lives have shared values in the fight against stigma and prejudice surrounding HIV/AIDS and in providing support to the individuals and communities living with the disease. The Alliance very much welcomes Positive Lives as an important resource in its ongoing work.”, confrims Alvaro Bermejo, Chief Executive International HIV/AIDS Alliance.

The Terrence Higgins Trust
Trevor Pearcy, Chair of Positive Lives says, “I am taking this opportunity to express the deep appreciation of all the Committee for the Terrence Higgins Trust and its Chief Executive, Sir Nicholas Partridge, who has given his support over the years from the very beginning of the Positive Lives Project. His commitment and the assistance of the staff at THT have made the Project possible”.

The International HIV/AIDS Alliance and Positive Lives
Positive lives is taking a great stride forward in coming into the International HIV/AIDS Alliance.

Human stories can challenge the sources of the ignorance and prejudices faced by individuals, communities and societies living with HIV/AIDS - Positive Lives plays a vital role in strengthening community, government and administrative resolve to make a difference. The work of the Alliance and its global ‘family’ is very much driven by working with communities so often marginalised and provides an excellent opportunity to utilise the Positive Lives resource.

Positive Lives – the individuals and communities
There would be no Positive Lives if it was not for the courage of those individuals and communities who are prepared to tell their stories. So often those stories are of their daily fight against stigma, prejudice and the denial of their basic Human Rights

The Committee is indebted to them for their bravery.

Positive Lives – our photographers
The work of the vast majority of our photographers will transfer to the Alliance. The Positive Lives Committee would like to thank all the photographers for their time, commitment and dedication.

The Photographers: Mike Abrahams - Shahidul Alam - Michael Amendolia - Jodi Bieber - Pep Bonet - Gigi Cohen - Denis Doran - Nilayan Dutta - Stuart Freedman - Mike Goldwater - C Moore Hardy - Fritz Hoffman - Roger Hutchings - Peter Jordan - Osamu Kikuchi - Barry Lewis - Harriet Logan - Paul Lowe - Jenny Matthews - Gideon Mendel - Lu Ning - Alan O’Connor - Judah Passow - Jack Picone - Christopher Pillitz - Mark Power - Steve Pyke - Paul Reas - Eugene Richards - Dayanita Singh - John Sturrock.

The Positive Lives photographers have won numerous prestigious awards – including for photographic commissions with Positive Lives.

Positive Lives – our global partners & friends
Positive Lives has worked closely with a variety of individuals, organisations, groups and governments to challenge the stigma and prejudice surrounding HIV/AIDS, to provide for the basic Human Rights of individuals and to push for greater access to education and treatment.

These partnerships enable all parties to develop projects, reach communities and make a difference in ways otherwise unachievable.

However, whilst there have been many who have contributed to the success of Positive Lives as a resource to fight stigma and discrimination around the globe, the Committee would especially like to thank Alan Christie, Alice Wynne Willson, Betsy Williams, Colin Lloyd, Dale Eru, John Sturrock, Lynn O’Donoghue, Mark Muggeridge, Mike Abrahams, Neil Burgess, Roy Edmondson, Scott Bradley-Pearce, Shahidul Alam, Terry Trethowan, Wilma Doedens together with the support of Emma Lister, Kevin Rudeforth and - Ayuda en Acción, Actionaid, Concern Worldwide, Drik, The Elton John AIDS Foundation, The Levi Strauss Foundation, The Asia Society, UNFPA & UNHCR.

We would also like to acknowledge the outstanding commitment and dedication of Francesca Kirby, Positive Lives’ Project Manager, who has ensured the Project and Programmes around the Globe have been so instrumental in challenging the discrimination arising from HIV/AIDS.

Positive Lives – the future
"Positive Lives has grown from what was intended as a one-off exhibition, into a global project working with organisations and community groups around the world. That it is still run by volunteers is a testament to all those who have continued to make it happened.

Its aim has always been to challenge the stigma and prejudice surrounding HIV/AIDS, to support those living with and effected by the disease and to fight for their basic Human Rights. We therefore very much welcome the Project becoming part of the International HIV/AIDS Alliance and this new era in Positive Lives."

Lyndall Stein & Steve Mayes Co-Founders of Positive Lives

FURTHER INFORMATION

Positive Lives on Flickr www.flickr.com/photos/positivelives/collections/ - these pages present the Positive Lives archive of photographic stories and details of our photographers and their work; as well as images showing Positive Lives Project exhibitions, events and other activities at work within communities living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. You can use the sets, collections and tags within our Flickr to search through the subjects, themes and issues of the Positive Lives images.

For more information on the Alliance see www.aidsalliance.org and see the monthly newsletter ‘The Loop’ and the Alliance ‘Positive Lives’ page

Photographic awards

The Positive Lives photographers have won numerous prestigious awards – including for photographic commissions with Positive Lives.

Awards include: the W. Eugene Smith Award for Humanistic Photography; the Oscar Barnack Award; the Ian Parry Award; the David Hodge Prize and a commendation in the John Kobal Book Awards; Nikon News Photographer and Photo Essay of the Year awards, the Mother Jones/Fifty Crows Grant for social documentary photography; World Press Masterclass scholarships; the Agfa Young Photojournalist of the Year as well as prizes in the UNESCO Documentary Awards; the World Press Photo Awards; Pictures of the Year Awards (POY) and from The Royal Photographic Society and UNICEF – also The Queen's Birthday Honours and the Amnesty International Media Awards for Photojournalism.

Most recently - at the ‘World Press Photo of the Year Awards’ 2009 Pep Bonet won second prize within the 'PORTRAITS/Stories' section for his series “Portraits: Forced Identity: transsexual sex workers, Honduras” commissioned by Positive Lives with Ayuda en Acción. The Awards exhibition is currently on tour – details here

Pep Bonet / World Press Photo 2009

3 photographs by Pep Bonet (as commissioned by Positive Lives with Ayuda en Acción), which won second prize in the World Press Photo of Year 2009 competition, are on display at The Royal Festival Hall (London) as part of the World Press Photo 2009 Exhibition.

Since 1955, World Press Photo has invited press photographers of the world to participate in the premier annual international competition in press photography. This year, a record number of 5,508 photographers, representing 124 nationalities, submitted 96,268 photographs to be judged by the international jury. The exhibition provides a platform for creative developments in photojournalism and provides an eyewitness record of world events. The 196 award-winning photographs on display capture the most powerful, moving and sometimes disturbing images of the year.

The exhibition runs from Friday 27 November 2009, 10:00am - Sunday 13 December 2009, 23:00pm

Robert Key M.B.E.

October 2009 - The global HIV community has lost one of its major supporters in the fight against stigma and prejudice. It is with great sadness that we inform you that Robert Key, Director of the Elton John AIDS Foundation recently died. Robert and the EJAF have been great supporters of Positive Lives for many years. It was Robert's vision that enabled Positive Lives to undertake ground breaking HIV education work in India and Bangladesh some years ago. We have all lost a person of vision and dedication in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Positive Lives committee

Positive Lives in Mexico

Mexico - Positive Lives exhibition at the Universidad Iberoamericana de Puebla; in partnership with Ayuda en Acción México. 29 October - 21 November 2009.

Positive Lives Exhibitions in Liberia - (Grand Gedeh and Maryland counties)

The first cases of HIV/AIDS in Liberia were reported in 1985 - though civil war hampered attempts to respond to the outbreak. It was in 2000 that the role of National AIDS Commissioner was established; in order to co-ordinate all HIV/AIDS activities across Liberia.

Grand Gedeh and Maryland counties have a prevalence of HIV/AIDS and
large numbers of people in these areas have little access to education
programmes, testing or treatment due to discrimination - individuals,
families and whole communities are affected by the stigmatisation
associated with HIV/AIDS.

The Positive Live Exhibition tour in Liberia was co-ordinated by the two
County Health Teams as well as local HIV activists; and with the support
of UNHCR-Liberia. The Exhibition programme featured community events
including drama, music, a street parade, quizzes, sports events and
condom distribution.

For each venue the organising committees set up focal points where
visitors could read explanations of the exhibited photographs or ask
question of the facilitators from MERCI and Tiyatien Health.

The Positive Lives Exhibition and programme benefited large numbers of
people from across the community: local people, refugees, County
representatives, youth groups, NGOs, UNMIL and UN agencies.

HIV activists and support groups from across the Grand Gedeh and
Maryland counties worked together for the first time to organise these
stigma reducing events and activities.

The Exhibition was at its most successful when it prompted people to
break their silence and speak about their situation or attitude
regarding HIV/AIDS. And when this dialogue occurs within the community
and not just the exhibitions venues then the value of the Exhibition and
programme activities are most apparent.



(report and images made available to Positive Lives by UNHCR/UNFPA)

UNFPA / UNHCR and Positive Lives 2009

The Positive Lives exhibition continues to tour in Africa, co-ordinated by our partners UNHCR / UNFPA - the exhibition venues include refugee camps.

The tour has completed in Liberia and the exhibition and associated educational activities will soon re-locate to Togo. Further details will soon be available.

UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) and the UNHCR (United Nations Refugee Agency) have produced a User Guide to support the Positive Lives exhibition when it is touring within humanitarian and low-resource settings.