Special Events/Campaigns

WPF regularly organises special events, such as conferences and takes part in (worldwide) campaigns.

Campaigns:

• Global Campaign for Microbicides is not an organisation, but an international coalition or ‘umbrella’ of NGOs working collaboratively to shape and accelerate the development of microbicides and other prevention options. This structure was chosen explicitly in order to foster collective ownership and investment in microbicide advocacy.
  WPF has become one of the endorsers of this campaign.

Events:

2006

• National Congress on STDs, HIV and AIDS (December 2006)
  The 4th of december the annual National Congress on STDs, HIV and AIDS took place in the Amsterdam RAI.
  
  Tool
  WPF presented the 'Evidence-Based Planning and Support Tool for SRHR /HIV-Prevention Interventions for Young People’.
  The ‘Evidence-Based Planning and Support Tool for SRHR /HIV-Prevention Interventions for Young People’ is a tool for project managers who either design new programmes or who evaluate existing programmes.
  
  The tool focuses on the planning of school-based sexuality/ SRHR education programmes for young people and consists of 33 indicators for successful/ effective education programmes. The indicators are based on existing theory and evidence and are based on the Intervention Mapping framework.
  
  The tool is developed by the World Population Foundation in collaboration with STOP AIDS NOW! and their partner organisations (Oxfam-Novib, Cordaid, HIVOS, ICCO, Edukans, Save the Children NL and the Aids Fonds) and Maastricht University.  
  The developers would like to receive feedback on the usefulness of the tool.
  
  Workshop
  WPF (Yvonne Bogaarts and Jo Reinders) conducted one of the workshops (a debate) with the title: From ABC-to AB: Culture and Ideology as excuse?
  Despite evidence of a significant percentage of youth practising pre-marital sex worldwide, abstinence-till-marriage programs have won and continue to win recognition. The AB-approach fits better in traditional cultural norms than the ABC-approach does. In addition, reviving conservatism promotes the AB-approach, fuelled as well by the billions of PEPFAR dollars of the Bush Administration, only accessible for prevention if an AB approach is used. These trends severely hinder the implementation of the Dutch government policy, based on freedom of choice, promoting comprehensive sexuality education and consistent condom use.
  The workshop debated the tension between reality and ideology; in other words between an evidence-based need for the C in a comprehensive ABC approach versus a more feasible and culturally acceptable AB approach.
  The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs/DGIS and WPF invited the audience to participate in a “Lager Huis” debate on this issue.
  
  Programme of the Conference
  See also the programme of the congress, which was organised by SOA AIDS Nederland, AIDS Fonds and STOPAIDSNOW.

• Conference 'What about sex?' (March 2006)
  This conference was organised by Youth Incentives and WPF.
  The focus of policymakers and programme officers in the area of SRHR and HIV/AIDS is usually on the negative aspects of sexual health and sexuality: unwanted pregnancy, HIV infections, STIs, unsafe abortion and sexual violence.
  During the conference participants demonstrated that, regardless of their own cultural, social and religious backgrounds, it can be easy – and even fun – to talk about sexuality. But most importantly: talking about sexuality is a necessity to improve the quality of sexuality education interventions!
  Openness about sexuality is a precondition to create a safe, non-judgemental and respectful environment in which people can enjoy their sexuality. Research shows that such openness delays the age of first sexual intercourse, increases the use of contraceptives and decreases STI and HIV-infection, unwanted pregnancy, abortion and maternal and child mortality. The message ‘just abstain’ is too simple to prevent these problems as often such messages are not embedded in comprehensive sexuality education: the listed problems remain and occur a little later. Attention to the positive sides of sexuality, providing insight in one’s own sexual development and achieving skills in communicating, are the determining factors. This enables people to negotiate safe and consensual sexual behaviour. It also helps people to make their own choices, either to abstain or enjoy sexuality free of guilt, shame and regret.
  
  In the Call for Action you will find the definitions, the empowering effect of discussing sexuality, the challenges and the recommendations as formulated by the participants. 

2004

• Conference 'Going Dutch' (March 2004)
  WPF, Youth Incentives (an international project of the Rutgers Nisso Group), the organisers of this conference have published a summary with the outcomes of the conference.

2003

• Conference 'Reproductive Health: Key to Poverty Reduction (November 2003)
  Reproductive health is one of the key factors to poverty reduction and sustainability.
  At the conference organised by WPF, Youth Incentives and Share-net the Amsterdam Call for Action was formulated.  View the programme of the conference.