The HIV and AIDS peer education programme “together we can” has been a success in the Caribbean for the past decade. Started by the Jamaica Red Cross in 1992, the method of teaching young people to talk to their peers about HIV and other sexually transmittable infections has spread to the rest of the area. The manual has been translated into several languages, and thousands of youth have been involved. And that is not all. As a result of the youth delegate exchange between the Red Cross societies of Jamaica and Norway, together we can has crossed the ocean. With some modifications, the Norwegian Red Cross youth version of the programme, “active choice”, is now running in several districts in Norway as well.

The youth delegate programme of the Norwegian Red Cross is currently in its fourth round. For a period of nine to ten months, young people work in another National Society. Arranged with basic assistance from the International Federation, and in partnership with the Norwegian “Fredskorpset – Partnership for development”, the aim is to let young people learn from each other and contribute to the development of the youth work in the societies. So far the Red Cross and Red Crescent societies of Jamaica, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Sudan, Kenya and Lebanon have been involved in the exchange, sending young people to Norway and receiving Norwegian youth. While not the main goal of the youth delegate exchange, the transfer of programmes is proving to be a great spin-off effect.

Over the past three years, six Norwegians and six Jamaicans exchanged their knowledge and experience through this programme and active choice in Norway is a direct result of the partnership. Jamaican youth delegates in Norway helped introduce the programme to Norwegian youth, while Norwegian youth delegates learned about the programme in Jamaica, and are involved in active choice after their stay in the Caribbean.

While the programme is close in themes and methods to the Jamaican counterpart, adjustments have been made to better suit the Norwegian situation. By using the youth delegates, as well as Norwegian Red Cross youth volunteers and other organizations working with the same issues, both the original methods and the local situation have been considered in the transfer of the programme.