APACHA Bangladesh Chapter conducted a national consultative meeting on March, 20th and 21st, Dhaka. All together 22 different organizations including INGOs, NGOs, and grassroots level organizations participated in the meeting.
Addressing the meeting, the Asia Regional Coordinator of APACHA, Prabodh Devkota said, "APACHA is growing as one of the largest mass-based network in Asia." He emphasized that if we all continue to generate synergy and work together, Asia will experience a unique social movement for the rights and justice of people."
He shared experiences of how APACHA is emerging in other Asian countries like Cambodia, Nepal, Pakistan, India, Indonesia etc. He also shared that APACHA International Secretariat is communicating with potential partners in Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Myanmar to expand their network.
APACHA Bangladesh participants raised some issues around how to make HIV&AIDS as important sociopolitical issue in Bangladesh and in Asia. Participants also expressed their ideas on how can they mobilize civil society, political parties, trade unions, and other social movement groups on the issues of HIV&AIDS. Dr. Halida, Executive Director of Confidential Approach to AIDS Prevention (CAAP) also a member of APACHA Bangladesh highlighted on the need of such a common and critical forum in the context of Bangladesh and that APACHA could fulfill that need. Similarly, Kamal Hussen, Theme Leader Social Inclusion of Actionaid and Dr. Munir from CARE said, we need to have more organized advocacy strategy to make real change happen in the ground and APACHA has this potential.
APACHA Bangladesh Team Sharing strongly endorsed the idea that they need a common platform for solidarity movement on issues about HIV and AIDS, they also discussed on the issues and challenges of network. Some of the members highlighted on the existing network of HIV&AIDS in Bangladesh and added that there is a real need to have a space for critical forum and APACHA Bangladesh can play that role in the context of Bangladesh. APACHA would not be a project but would be a social movement and it would be a platform of like-minded people rather than open loose network
Members agreed to take some immediate action on CCM and Global Fund process in Bangladesh. They also identified some core areas for their constant engagement which are:
- accountability and transparency
- Access to care, treatment and support
- Food security
- Women rights and end violence against women
- Stigma and discrimination
- Meaningful participation of PLHA
Based on these discussions, APACHA Bangladesh has decided to develop an interim plan of action as soon as possible. Similarly, some new organizations such as CARE, Plan, Concern and other local organizations are also being part of the process. SHISUK, a local organization has been hosting the national secretariat of APACHA Bangladesh. The focal point of APACHA Bangladesh and the representative of SHISUK, Morshed said APACHA Bangladesh will come up as one of the major advocacy agency in Bangladesh very soon. In the meantime Devkota, also informed that APACHA team is having dialogue with UNAIDS and others on how can we improve the governance and democratic practices within CCM and the global fund process. He said there is a lot of hope that APACHA Bangladesh team will play an important role.
