 |
BACKGROUND
|
WHAT WE
DO | SPONSORS
Co-ordination
of Action Research on AIDS and Mobility in Asia (CARAM ASIA)
CARAM Asia is an initiative of NGOs involved in migration issues in Asia.
These NGOs were concerned about the increased vulnerability of migrants in terms
of health in general and STD/HIV/AIDS infection especially. Simultaneously, the
HIV pandemic has special consequences for the human rights of migrants that have
to be addressed.
CARAM Asia’s involvement in the region and through
its participatory action research initiatives on AIDS and mobility reveals that
migrant workers are seen as economic tools. This influences policies that tend
to be developed to control the migrant worker and migrant workers are marginalised
in various HIV/AIDS programmes.
The initiatives and interventions to
reduce HIV/AIDS vulnerability in the migration process must begin with recognising
the migrant worker as a human person with needs, feelings, warmth, rights and
dignity. Equally, there is a need to work collectively towards creating an enabling
environment at all stages of migration with the migrant worker.
CARAM
Asia believes that commitment to reducing HIV/AIDS in the migration process
with migrant workers and their families can only be realised if we address:
| • | development
strategies within globalisation; |
| • |
promotion and protection of migrant workers’ rights |
| • | putting
people before profits | | • | strengthen
the migrant perspective; and |
| • | create
partnerships regionally and globally to realise the goals to empower migrants,
their families and communities in the fight against AIDS with an open mind and
holistic approach |
CARAM Asia’s Mission
To empower migrant workers and their
communities through the promotion and protection of their rights and the creation
of an enabling environment at all stages of migration to reduce HIV/AIDS vulnerability.
To realise our commitment, CARAM Asia’s goals and objectives are:
| • | Production
of information on health status and vulnerability of migrant workers to HIV/AIDS |
| • |
Development of grassroots or community-based interventions to conscientise and
empower migrants workers and to promote and protect migrant rights in order to
reduce HIV/AIDS vulnerability. |
| • | Strengthening
of advocacy especially policy development to ensure an
enabling environment
for migrant workers and to promote and protect
migrant rights in order to
reduce HIV/AIDS vulnerability |
| • | Initiation
and development of action-research models with migrants to collect data for effective
advocacy to realise change at various levels. |
| | |
|
NEW - (Colombo, 19 January 2007) The AIDS Society of Asia and the Pacific (ASAP) and UNAIDS have met today in Colombo, Sri Lanka as members of the International Advisory Committee (IAC) to the 8 th International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific (ICAAP) which is scheduled to be held in Colombo between 19-23 August 2007. 
