Finally, 2013 is coming to a close. We believe that 2013 has been a surprising and memorable year for everyone. That’s also happened to Bali Against AIDS. We first launched on 2013 and there’s so many things we’ve been going through this year. We hope in the 2014 and in the upcoming years, Bali Against AIDS could develop into a better one and could gain more supports from the community. Happy New Year 2014! Wishing everyone a success 2014 and full of happiness year ahead!

Love,
Bali Against AIDS

Hi everyone! Finally I got back to office after spending time in Jakarta for almost 1 week. Tiring yet fun! And now I’m so excited to share with you my experiences during my stay in Jakarta. I had the chance to attend the first Indonesian Conference for Youth on Sexuality, Reproductive Health and Human Rights: Indonesian Youth Diversity Celebration 2013 (IYDC 2013). It was held in Jakarta from December 13-15.

There is a new article on Buzzfeed about 7 common myths related to HIV. The author tries to disprove them with simple matters of facts and funny images and I think he succeeded in it pretty well. I will list all the mentioned false beliefs one after the other, and I'd like you to honestly think about how and how many of them are part of your way of thinking:

"Protect Yourself At All Times" is the new HIV/AIDS awareness campaign that The Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada has recently launched together with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Exponents of this crowd of super bad-a** fighters became the testimonials for a project that aims at reaching the younger population.

Don’t know where to go on Saturday night? Come and join us at AYO! Kita Bicara HIV & AIDS Concert! This concert will be brought to you by Bali Spirit Festival (BSF) and will be held on December 14 in Astina Ubud Field. There will be a lot of guest stars to come like Nanoe Biroe, Nosstress, Suicidal Sinatra, Griya Faria and Clokontong Mas.

This is an annual activity conducted by Bali Spirit Festival and for this year concert, they are targeting for 6.000 people to come to the concert. Cool! So don’t hesitate to come! You can enjoy not only music performance, but also many interesting booths provided in the concert area. There will be merchandise booths and HIV and AIDS information booth. They also provide us with health service booth where you can do the STI and HIV testing. Good news that Bali Against AIDS will join the concert as well! If you have questions on HIV and AIDS, want to read some books or you want to get cool sticker of Bali Against AIDS, come visit us at our booth! See you there! And remember guys, this is a free entry concert! So don’t miss it out :)

The Swedish organization RFSL Gotheborg is promoting an unconventional HIV/AIDS campaign to encourage LGBT people in getting HIV tests. The organization decided to use the strategy of the viral video and I think they had quite a good idea. Viral videos are nice because they usually don't need a real reason to be the way they are, they just have to catch your attention. Hence RFSL simply decided to show naked wrestlers fighting with each other after being covered in coloured jelly. This idea worked pretty well since now you can find this spot also on the Huffington post website.

I can't say that this is the best way to raise the interest in the lesbian community, but I think that it works pretty well with gays. I must say that I find it pretty nice, actually I just love it and I'm surely not the only one. It's a bit kinky and also really funny because it mocks the drama and pathos of the main wrestling tournaments in America. Plus the website of the campaign is really useful if you need to find clinics in Stockholm, Malmö and Göteborg, the cities where you can get tested.

I'm still not sure whether this kind of campaign can be really effective to prevent the spread of HIV, but I don't know much about Sweden and Swedish people. I've never been to this country but I experienced it already in some ways - my sofa ‘Ektorp' by IKEA isn't the only Swedish thing in my life.

My father works for Tetrapak since when I was a child and I always had the impression he was not working for a regular company, not at all. I remember for instance that he took some weird and adventurous team-building trips, where he and his colleagues had to drive a dog-sleigh, or sleeping in the marshes in Florida near the caymans.

Then, this year at DAA, I also met Tova, our former EVS intern from Sweden. She spent last spring in Antwerp and we met many times, so we also became friends. I really like her because she is a super sweet and super straightforward person and I also had the impression that this is something typical for Swedish people.

So, who is joining me for a trip to Sweden? And who can give me the number of some of the ‘actors' of the spot? Thank you very much!

Source: DAA website

There was no way I wouldn’t join the media today by writing few lines about the biggest news in the world at the moment. South Africa’s first democratically elected president has passed away Thursday evening, 5th of December at his home in Johannesburg, aged 95 years old. I did not have the pleasure to meet him but I can write about his ideals as I believe that everybody should know who he was, especially the younger generation as that’s a social group he supported the most.

There are enough books (especially his autobiography Long Walk to Freedom) detailing Mr Mandela’s life to realise that there would be no way I could ever summarise everything he’s done during his fight for human rights and education. Nelson received this name by a tutor but his real name was Rolihlahla, which means “troublemaker” in Xhosa. He did indeed cause some trouble, but for the bad people. He was a revolutionary, a socialist and a philanthropist who believed in democracy to the point that he’d follow majority decisions even if he disagreed with them. After spending 27 years in prison (think how much he’s accomplished despite such long period!), he is responsible for the biggest advances in reunifying South Africa and contributed to the negotiations that lead to the end of the apartheid system (separation of races) in 1990. This efforts lead to him receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. One year later and only four years since he got out of jail, he becomes president of South Africa and rules for one term.
 
In 1995, he establishes the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund to help individuals from birth to age 22, particularly orphans of HIV complications (his eldest son died of AIDS ten years later). Although his time as a president ended, he continues with his efforts and creates the Nelson Mandela Foundation to promote social justice, followed by the Mandela Rhodes Foundation four years later, which focuses on building leadership capacities in Africa.

In 2007 (and at 79 years old!), he starts the non-government organisation of elder statesmen, peace activists and human rights advocates to put together their experience and knowledge and to try to find solutions for global problems like HIV, poverty or climate change.
 
It’s such a shame back in the day technology wasn’t advanced enough to have proper recordings of him and most of the ones available are of poor quality. However, I thought this interview was a really good way to show how determined and confident he was of his ideals. I would also suggest you to watch the movie (here is the trailer) about the period between his childhood and his election as president. Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom has been released on the 29th of November. He was supposed to see it – but passed away before he could. According to the Nelson Mandela Foundation, his two youngest daughters – on the other hand – were informed of his death while watching the film at the premiere in London yesterday and immediately left the cinema.
 
To this point, his vision has undoubtedly improved the life of millions and this wonderful achievement will serve as a stable base for the future, not only of South Africa but also for the modern society as his influence had no borders. He never gave up; he has set an example and given hope and that – is certainly priceless. With my most sincere admiration, rest in peace.

Source: DAA website

Let's talk about puppets, again. It seems that talking about HIV with a character made out of foam rubber is becoming really popular. Last week I talked about a brand-new spot made by Avenue Q characters,and this week I found other similar videos that have just been uploaded on YouTube (first link - second link). These two videos are about the work of Darren Collins and -more in general- about the project 'Hand Up'. This is an educational project that aims to inform adults and children in Kenya about HIV/AIDS matters as well as safe sex. The strategy is to involve the use of puppets in the educative process since in this way it is possible to bypass the difficulties of talking in public about sex and STDS. This can be a problem because, in Africa, sexual issues are not subjects that people are used to discuss in front of others. The second advantage is that puppets are not only attractive for children, but for adults too. Even if it is easier to notice the amusement of a child that watches a puppet show, it is also true that adults feel the same attraction to them. Both adults and children interact with the puppets - talking with them and asking questions - during the performance. 'Hand Up' is not the only organization that's using this strategy in the fight against AIDS and I really hope that all these talented people and their work become an example to everyone. Wouldn't it be amazing to defeat the plague with just puppets as weapons?

Source: DAA website

For those who came to Youth Against AIDS 2013, you would see a huge group of young people dancing attractively in the center of Lapangan Puputan Badung. Do you guys know what were they doing? That move is Dance4Life!

Dance4Life is an international movement by young people aged 13-19 years old and it has done and has been doing in more than 30 countries all over the world, including Indonesia. The vision of Dance4Life is to increase the awareness of young people on HIV and AIDS, to engage young people as an agent for change in combating HIV and AIDS, as well as to eliminate the stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV (ODHA). Isn’t it cool? Educating the youngsters about HIV and AIDS using a fun and interesting way. One example of Pop Culture Method that Designers Against AIDS and Bali Against AIDS always use to inform people.

Please visit the website of Dance4Life Indonesia here: http://www.rutgerswpfindo.org/programkami/dance4life#

To see the flash mob of Dance4Life during Youth Against AIDS 2013, check here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VJxKDj5h4E&feature=youtu.be&a

START DANCING, STOP AIDS!!!

On December 1, 2013 Bali Against AIDS in collaboration with KISARA PKBI Bali and PMI Denpasar (Denpasar Red Cross) were holding an event to celebrate the World AIDS Day 2013. This event called "YOUTH AGAINST AIDS".

World AIDS Day is a right moment to create and to increase the awareness of people, especially young people on HIV and AIDS issue that is occurring around them. The idea of this Youth Against AIDS event is not merely to educate the youngsters, but also to entertain them with a fun and interesting things so that they are willing to come and to access the information and the HIV test provided during the event.

Youth Against AIDS was held in Lapangan Puputan Badung, Denpasar from afternoon till evening and was a free entry event for all people! We had a lot of activities during the event such as Poster Contest for Youth, Flash Mob Dance4Life where 250 young people were joined to dance with us (see the video here), and Youth Concert enlivened by many local stars like Magic Flame, Gung Dessy, DG Couzen, Diah Jomie and Yudis, Gita and Deden, The Rolic, Lawak Bondres Denok dkk, Sutha AFI, Nanoe Biroe, and many more. We also provided HIV and AIDS information booth, merchandise booth, playing booth, and also health services booth. Here people did a blood donor and HIV testing for free!

Bali Against AIDS is planning to make another Youth Against AIDS in the next year with a new and interesting concept and we will also invite more youth to get involved within this event. We thank all of the sponsors, visitors, guest stars and all young people who helped us in the Youth Against AIDS event! You guys made this happen! Thank you and much love for everyone!