The AFAO/APCASO Community Advocacy Initiative (CAI) aims to strengthen advocacy capacity among HIV and AIDS community based organisations in selected countries across Asia.

New: View CAI partner VCSPA's Candlelight vigil video

CAI is funded by AusAID via the HIV Consortium for Partnerships in Asia and the Pacific and is implemented in partnership with the Asia Pacific Council of AIDS Service Organisations (APCASO). The program will run from July 2008 - June 2012 in Indonesia, Laos and Vietnam.

In late 2011 CAI held evaluation and forward planning workshops in Laos PDR and Vietnam. Read more ...

The CAI program aims to better enable community organisations to participate in and influence HIV and AIDS related policy and program development; ensuring that these are informed by, and responsive to, issues faced by those communities most affected by HIV and AIDS. The program builds and expands work conducted by AFAO and APCASO between 2005 and 2008 as part of AusAID’s HIV/AIDS Partnership Initiative (AHAPI).

The CAI program has two primary objectives:

• Strengthen the advocacy capacity and skills of most affected communities through HIV community organisations in three Asian countries and within APCASO’s network.
• Strengthen advocacy capacity within the APCASO Secretariat

The CAI program includes two inter-linked components, one focused at selected country contexts, and one at the regional level.

At the country level, CAI works with a diverse range of CBOs (or their equivalent) in Indonesia, Laos and Vietnam. In each country, the program is implemented in partnership with a local community organisation. These local partner organisations play a critical and leading role in the development of the program and to ensure that program approaches and activities are tailored to local contexts and need.

In each locality the CAI program is implemented over a year and includes a series of workshops which aim to negotiate understandings of advocacy in particular socio-political and cultural contexts; identify priority HIV advocacy issues; discuss and develop advocacy techniques and approaches; and assist organisations to develop and implement advocacy activities. CAI provides ongoing support and mentoring throughout the duration of the program and practical assistance to implement local advocacy activities.

At the regional level, CAI seeks to enable APCASO to more effectively design, implement and evaluate advocacy capacity development programs as well as strengthen its partnerships with community organisations across the region. AFAO will work with APCASO to strengthen its structures via the development of a five year strategic plan and advocacy sub strategy. These activities are aimed at ensuring that APCASO's regional and global advocacy agenda is responsive to its constituencies' needs.

Current local implementing partners are:

Gaya Nusantara (GN) www.gayanusantara.or.id/

Laos Youth Action on AIDS Program (LYAP) www.lyap.org/

Supporting Community Development Initiatives (SCDI) www.scdi.org.vn