washington DC

Youthforce
committee responsibilities and application form:
The Washington DC YouthForce 2012 is a coalition of International and community based
organizations: Advocates for Youth, CHOICE for Youth and Sexuality, dance4life, Espolea,
Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS, LetsStopAIDS, MSMGF - YRG, Y+ Programme GNP+,
Youth Coalition for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, Youth Peer Education Network
(Y-PEER) and Youth RISE. These organizations are working together to ensure that youth is
meaningfully involved and represented at the XIX International AIDS Conference (IAC) AIDS
2012.

Background

As the largest international gathering on a health-related issue, the IAC has consistently
served as a landmark event for the AIDS community. It is a unique place where researchers,
policy makers, activists, educators, people living with HIV and other key populations affected
by HIV link with people in other countries and meet to share and learn about scientific
discoveries and effective HIV prevention, treatments and care policies and programs. Due to
the vast diversity of participants at the Conference, it is also an event at which a variety of
constituencies compete for limited resources and time to highlight their issues. At the
IAC, a coordinated approach is critical to effectively highlight youth issues and
influence international and national level commitments.

Since the Barcelona International AIDS Conference in 2000, the YouthForce has
served as the collaborative mechanism for young people, organizing and mobilizing
youth leaders and ensuring their access to key government and civil society
leaders. Through this coordination, youth voices are heard, programs and
research that affect youth are discussed and evaluated, influential adults are
rallied to support youth-led programming, and international commitments
favorable to youth are made.

Vision & Goals for the Washington, DC YouthForce

With the International AIDS Conference in Washington, DC (July 22-27, 2012),
the YouthForce, in collaboration with the conference’s Youth Programme, has
another chance to empower young people and advocate for current and critical
issues affecting youth worldwide. Furthermore, given that it is an election year in the
United States, it also presents an unprecedented opportunity to elevate global HIV issues
among key US foreign policy funders and stakeholders, such as Members of Congress and the
US Global AIDS Coordinator, in addition to Heads of State, foreign dignitaries, Ministers of
Health and Parliamentarians. YouthForce organizers are also committed to reaching out to
young people and HIV organizations based in the United States as well as in Washington, DC,
which has an HIV prevalence rate of 3.2 percent, to ensure their inclusion in the conference.
The YouthForce will work closely with the IAC 2012 Youth Programme to contribute towards a
coherent vision, illustrated by the IAC’s Youth Programme objectives for 2012, which are as
follows:
Objectives of The Washington DC YouthForce
The YouthForce will seek to achieve the following project objectives through the
implementation of its activities, outlined further below:
1. To empower young people from both developing and developed countries to be effective
advocates during the conference;
2. To build an audience of proactive young leaders who are aware and can make use of
technical resources available to the field, including UNFPA other UN partners’ programs,
policies, and capacity-building and training materials;
3. To facilitate representation of young people, especially
young key populations affected by HIV across YouthForce
activities and the main conference.
4. To raise the visibility of youth HIV issues, including the
sexual and reproductive rights of young people, especially
young key populations affected by HIV, during plenaries,
sessions, and other events across YouthForce activities
and the main conference;
5. To support networking spaces for youth delegates and
adult allies by assisting with the realization of the youth
reception and youth pavilion;
6. To facilitate the development and dissemination of
youth-driven advocacy messages, new media, and materials that
are disseminated prior to and during the conference.

Committees
To realize the objectives mentioned above and better represent the voices of all youth, the
Washington DC YouthForce is seeking members to join the 4 different organizing committees.

Pre-Conference

Logistics (venue, accommodation, meals)

Programme design
Identify organizers, presenters, facilitators
Determine and administer application process
Translation of documents into different languages (when possible)

Advocacy and Media

Preparing youth to advocate effectively on Youth and HIV related issues

Link the International HIV response context with youth messages to the Conference and
International and local media
Online e-consultation to develop the YouthForce advocacy and communications strategy.
Translation of the consultation and communications (if possible)
Organize advocacy and communications activities at the Conference and pre-Conference.
Develop the YouthForce key advocacy messages
Develop the YouthForce website and Social Media Strategy (Podcasting, blogging, Social
Network Services, etc.)
Produce advocacy materials and dissemination strategies
Youth-Adult Commitment strategy and uploading daily prominent commitments
Develop the youth journalists strategy linked to the advocacy and media plan

Youth Pavilion and Reception

Logistics & design of space

Set-up of space
Promotion of pavilion
Co-ordinating events and sessions within pavilion
Working and communicating with the Global Village Co-ordinator / Youth Co-ordinator on
logistics within the Youth Pavilion
Main Conference

Act as Mentor Group

Assistance with navigation around the Conference
Connecting delegates beforehand
Developing orientation materials (Youth Roadmap to the Conference)
Observing youth issues throughout the Conference
Working with young speakers
Engage with scientific program (Young scientists)
Prepare morning sessions during main Conference
Publicising youth-focused sessions to attend

Selection Process

The Washington DC YouthForce is co-chaired by members of youth

organizations, civil society or networks and/or core partner
organizations. Committee Co-Chairs will review applications and
select the top 10 to 12 candidates for each committee.

Although efforts will be made to provide assistance to

committee members to find funding to attend the Conference,
we cannot guarantee funding and have no input into the IAS
scholarship decision process. Committee Co-Chairs reserve the
right to replace committee members who do not contribute
according to the agreed upon work plan and timeline for delivery,
after discussing the situation with them privately and in advance
of taking any decisions.

Criteria.

! Fluency in English absolutely necessary;

! Frequent Internet access;
! Ability to attend monthly teleconference calls from March 2012 to May 2012 and
weekly calls from June 2012 onwards;
! Commitment to a rights-based approach (including evidence-based information and
services, condoms, sexual and reproductive rights, harm reduction, etc.);
! Skills and/or organizational capacity that is relevant to the Sub-committee you are
applying for;
! Permission from the organization you work with to contribute your time (approx.
2-3 hours/ week) on a voluntary basis;
! Motivation, pro-activeness, flexibility, reliability and a good sense of humor!

Ø Young People Living with HIV and young people from key populations affected
by HIV are strongly encouraged to apply and get involved in the Washington
DC YouthForce.

How to apply?

1. Go to http://bit.ly/z3yqFV
2. Fill out the application
3. Upload your CV by clicking the “Upload” button. You will receive a confirmation
message.

The deadline to submit the application form is the 12th of march 2012 .

If you have any questions write us to: youthforcedcyf@gmail.com

Check our facebook site for more information facebook.com/youthaids2012
or follow us in twitter: @youthaids2012