Call for Applications: 2004 IHRD/GMHC Advocacy Fellowship Program

Gay Men’s Health Crisis and the International Harm Reduction Development Program (IHRD) of the Open Society Institute (OSI) are pleased to announce a call for applications to the 2004 Advocacy Fellowship Program. The 2004 program is open to community activists working on HIV/AIDS and/or harm reduction issues in the countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Priority will be given to candidates from Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Tajikistan, and Ukraine, but outstanding candidates from other countries will be considered. Candidates must demonstrate strong spoken and written English language ability.

HIV/AIDS continues to spread more quickly in Eastern Europe and Central Asia than in anywhere else in the world. By the end of 2003, UNAIDS estimates that at least 1.5 million people in the region are infected, 80%+ of whom are injection drug users or their partners. People with HIV—most particularly the injection drug users who make up the majority of HIV cases in the region— frequently face rampant and severe stigma which interferes with their ability to receive high quality healthcare and HIV treatment, and infringes on a range of civil and human rights. Harm reduction services are often not supported by local or national government. Treatment advocacy efforts are virtually unknown in many countries in the region.

Positive changes in the lives of people with HIV and drug users will not come without the development of strong, vocal, local activists. Yet, the kind of activism that has been able to shift AIDS policies elsewhere in the world is just beginning to take shape in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. IHRD and GMHC have established the six-week fellowship program, based at GMHC in New York City, as one means of promoting leadership in the region. The central goal of the program is to ensure that fellows learn the skills needed to change policies related to HIV/AIDS through work with governments, private institutions such as pharmaceutical companies and employers, and activist coalitions, so that these policies best serve the needs of people living with HIV and those most at risk of becoming infected.

The application process for the 2004 Fellowship cycle will have three steps: (1) Submission of a letter of intent (LOI); (2) Completion of a full application, by invitation; and (3) Interviews with GMHC and IHRD staff for the final candidates.

If you would like to apply for the fellowship, please submit the following documents, in English, to GMHC/IHRD not later than Sunday, 15 February 2004:

A one-page letter of intent, which describes: your experience working with HIV/AIDS issues, particularly in regard to access to treatment and/or harm reduction; why you are interested in the fellowship; and what you hope to gain from the experience.
Your resume or curriculum vitae (CV), including all of your contact details.
LOIs will be reviewed by GMHC and IHRD, and the best candidates will be invited to submit a full application in February-March. The two fellowship rounds in 2004 will be held from mid-May to late-June, and in the Fall. Application materials and any questions you may have should be sent to either:

Gregg Gonsalves
Director of Treatment and Prevention Advocacy
Gay Men’s Health Crisis
E-mail: greggg@gmhc.org
Phone: 1-212-367-1169
Fax: 1-212-367-1235

Matt Curtis
Program Coordinator
International Harm Reduction Development Program
Open Society Institute
E-mail: mcurtis@sorosny.org
Phone: 1-212-548-0634
Fax: 1-212-548-4607

For more information on GMHC online:
http://www.gmhc.org