Romanian youth are breaking the silence about the rights of people living with HIV and AIDS and giving them a voice through an advocacy Peer Network that is determined to combat discrimination and effect positive change in their world.

Some 20 participants aged 14-20 from the 'Together for the Future' and 'Community Development Projects', developed by World Vision in Constanta County, recently underwent professional advocacy training, organised in partnership with the Resource Center for Public Participation (CeRe).

'I now understand that I have all the necessary instruments to inform the community about the challenges faced by people living with HIV and AIDS in a creative way', said Peer Networker Loredana, who is also HIV-positive.

'People are bored with just participating in Candlelight Memorial Day and receiving flyers with information about HIV and AIDS. Something is missing. What we do in our advocacy work is not enough', she added.

The advocacy training was structured into four sessions: management and strategy of the advocacy campaign, organisation and cause's promotion, work with mass media and building coalitions.

'We offered youth from the Peer Network instruments to bring about change. They also learned what it means to have a vision, to have a goal, and how to reach the goal. They learnt how to identify potential collaborators or their opposition, which are the different strategies to broach a violation of the rights' situation. Lastly they learnt how to create advertising materials, a strong slogan, flyers and a press statement', said Sinziana Olteanu, a CeRe trainer.

'Most of the teenagers are from small rural communities. I was impressed by their desire to help people and I heard that many of them became volunteers after they were supported by World Vision. They are responsible – it is important to invest in them because they can become participatory citizens and effect change in society.

'The next step is to become justice-oriented citizens, this is what I wish to happen in the future', added Olteanu.

Youth learned that are three different ways to broach a problem with an advocacy approach: information, collaboration and confrontation.

'If the local mass-media doesn't want to publish articles about discrimination then we must confront them through our campaigns and show them that we care. Even if the media is not interested in supporting us to promote the rights of HIV-positive persons, we will persevere through advocacy campaigns. This is the main idea that I took from the advocacy training', said Geany from Cumpana village.

'This advocacy training made me become more confident in my ability to influence change and helped me to realise that I want to do something more against discrimination, together with my friends from the Peer Network', said Oana from Corbu.

The Peer Network was formed in 2007 to inform community members about HIV and AIDS and to promote and protect the rights of people with HIV- help them to integrate into society and to create a coalition with trusted partners to help achieve these goals.

'Taking into consideration that youth are involved in World Vision Community Development Projects, they can influence local authorities' decisions, which is very important', said Raluca Bretea 'Together for the Future' Project coordinator.

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