The Positive Leadership Summit and the XVII International AIDS Conference AIDS 2008

The themes of LIVING 2008 and AIDS 2008 are closely interlinked. Especially around access to treatment, care and prevention, as well as HIV-related stigma and discrimination, the two conferences are complementary. While AIDS 2008 is being convened around three main programmes - science, leadership and community- LIVING 2008 will link in specifically with the leadership and community tracks, both of which have a focus on PLHIV.

LIVING 2008: The Positive Leadership Summit will prepare people living with HIV to be not just attendees of AIDS 2008, but also leaders on the issues of importance to people living with HIV, and to work in partnership with other AIDS 2008 delegates, both HIV-positive and HIV-negative.

The LIVING 2008 delegates will lead with a unique and current perspective on treatment, care and prevention issues within AIDS 2008 through plenary presentations, abstract driven sessions, organising satellite meetings and conducting skills building workshops.

People living with HIV, many of whom experience facing stigma and discrimination, human rights violations and gender inequality, will lead the discussions and debates on the elimination of HIV-related stigma and discrimination.

The outcomes of LIVING 2008 will be presented at a large plenary satellite at the start of AIDS 2008.

Links between LIVING 2008 and other key HIV meetings

Two smaller PLHIV focused international meetings prior to LIVING 2008 have been held. The first was the Global Consultation on Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights which was held in Amsterdam in December 2007. The Consultation was attended by almost 80 people living with HIV from all over the world, who together produced the Amsterdam Statement. The main focus of this consultation was to develop a guidance package on sexual and reproductive health rights that can then be utilized in LIVING 2008 to assist in achieving Objective Two.

The second linked international meeting is HIV+ Monaco , which Her Serene Highness Princess Stephanie of Monaco hosted in January 2008. This conference provided an important opportunity for key PLHIV organizers to undertake preparations for LIVING 2008, including finalizing format, content, facilitators and speakers. The major goal of HIV+ Monaco Conference was to provide a unique and innovative opportunity for the PLHIV movement to reflect on how it can improve knowledge and information exchange, as well as improve the collaboration among PLHIV groups at county, regional and global levels.

HIV+ Monaco will be followed by a 3-month e-consultation with PLHIV in countries to further develop content and gather evidence of best practice and lessons learnt for discussion at LIVING 2008.