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BACKGROUND
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WHAT WE
DO | SPONSORS
PROGRAMMES
Action -
Research
CARAM partner’s key thrust is to develop continuous information
through participatory action research with migrants and their communities at all
stages of migration. The action research strengthens the migrant perspective.
It also bridges the gap in intervention within the HIV/AIDS discourse linking
health to development strategies. Since action-research is dialectical and has
a circular process, CARAM Asia is challenged by new research questions, which
demand continuous information and action. Thus, action research is a key thrust/programme
with CARAM’s partners. The research is supported by the Section Health Care
and Culture of the Faculty of Medicine of the Virje Universiteit in the Netherlands.
Community - Based Interventions
CARAM Asia’s fight against
HIV/AIDS is rooted in our actions and interventions with communities at the grassroots
level. Arising from the information developed through action research, migrants
and their communities are empowered to resist HIV/AIDS.
Some of CARAM
Asia’s innovative programmes are:
• Pre departure programmes on
reproductive health for domestic
workers in Cambodia
•
Reintegration programme for returnees and peer education
development
in Bangladesh
• Seafarers spouse programme in the Philippines
•
Development of legal support and rights education in Malaysia; and
•
Radio programme and violence against women programme for
Burmese
migrants in Thailand
Advocacy
Change and efforts to reduce
vulnerability cannot come through with migrant workers alone. Various stakeholders
involved in the migration process at national and regional have to be involved,
particularly in the development of effective policies and regulations. CARAM Asia
with its partners has dialogued, campaigned and developed tools to sensitise the
different stakeholders on HIV/AIDS and mobility and bring policy changes nationally
and regionally. This will be an on-going process as new challenges come in changing
realities within different countries and sub-regions in Asia.
Regional
Network
CARAM Asia has programmes in over ten countries in Southeast Asia,
South Asia and the Middle East. It has an organisation as its focal point or partner
in each country for production of information, community-based interventions,
advocacy and in building of broad networks of organisations concerned with HIV/AIDS
and mobility. The national initiatives are then strengthened through regional
actions, information exchange and partnership for regional awareness, advocacy
and campaigns.
The Partnership
Through its regional secretariat
in Malaysia, CARAM Asia, provides information to its partner and other interested
organisations and agencies; takes the lead in designing international interventions
and undertakes regional advocacy work. CARAM Asia is part of the Seven Sisters
Network on HIV/AIDS and works to bring the mobility and HIV/AIDS agenda to other
regional networks of women, migrants, workers and various community-based groups.
CARAM Asia has also developed regional partnerships with various United Nations
agencies such as IOM and ILO to move its agenda on mobility and HIV/AIDS.
CARAM Asia will continue with greater fervour to develop information, interventions
and partnerships with migrant workers in the struggle against HIV/AIDS as globalisation
brings adverse realities to our communities and our lives.
Contact:
Sharuna Verghase
Secretariat Co-ordinator
CARAM Asia Secretariat
8th Floor, Wisma MLS
31 Jalan Tuanku Abdual Rahman
50100 Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
Tel: (60-3) 2697 0708
Fax: (60-3) 2697 0282
E-mail:
caramasia@hotmail.com
Website: http://www.caramasia.gn.apc.org
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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. 
