PROJECT SUMMARY

Stigma and discrimination fuel the HIV and AIDS epidemic. They are often reinforced by religious beliefs, cultural practices and gender inequality. They nurture poverty, disease, ignorance and exclusion and breed silence and denial. In Ghana many in the faith community fail to speak out, which has made the situation worse.

This project aims to change this by improving understanding of HIV and AIDS and enhancing communication and advocacy skills of religious leaders and faith-based organisations, community leaders, women groups’ leaders and youth leaders and other key influencers including teachers, community workers, health workers as well as journalists and other communicators.

The acquired skills will enable the beneficiaries to defend the rights of and contribute to the elimination of stigma and discrimination against those living with or affected by HIV and AIDS in Ghana, and thereby support efforts to mitigate the HIV and AIDS pandemic and the human suffering it causes. To provide information about HIV and AIDS, build capacity in communication and advocacy,

highlight the need for behaviour change, the project will develop and implement a range of communication strategies and processes: from theatre, music, dance, sport, competitions, community radio and TV to sermons, reflections, storytelling and testimonies.

Religious leaders, including representatives of the Islamic, Evangelical and Charismatic communities will be challenged to engage in tackling stigma and discrimination. Through workshops they will receive training in advocacy and communication, develop greater understanding of stigma and discrimination around HIV and AIDS, particularly with respect to cultural and gender based issues, be introduced to theological arguments underpinning the fight against stigma and discrimination and encouraged to develop networks of religious leaders committed to challenging stigma and discrimination. Similar programmes will be developed for the other key influencers.