Guide for HIV community advocates

Full version | Key points

Becoming an advocate

1. It is important that you are doing this

2. Pick an issue or an organization to focus on and follow it wherever it goes

3. Don't get isolated

• An affinity group is a group of people who work together on a certain issue
• Make contacts, and use them

4. Do your homework

5. Don't try to do everything

Sitting at the table

1. Remember the people who aren't in the room

2. Set goals to focus your partcipation

3. Be truly present

• Listen to everything
• Stay awake
• Focus on what you do understand, not what you don't yet understand

4. Make all your comments and get your questions answered, sooner or later

• If you ask a question, and feel that it was not answered all the way, point that out
• If you are not sure of how to say something important or sensitive during a meeting, follow the matter up later on
• Don't be afraid of disagreements, even with your contacts and allies
• Avoid making up facts and figures

5. Get in on the details

Updated: 12 August 2008

Based on 'A Guide for HIV/AIDS Community Advocates' collected by Julie Davids for Project TEACH, with help from Charles Nelson, Kiyoshi Kuromiya, and Jane Shull.