On Sunday the 18 May, to mark the 25th anniversary of International AIDS Candlelight Memorial Day over 60 volunteers of the Armenian Red Cross youth marched through the center of Yerevan with candles. “The third Sunday of May is the International AIDS Candlelight Memorial Day, we organize this march to remind of the AIDS problem, and so that we can inform more youth about HIV and AIDS," says Hripsime Sarukhanyan. She is the programme coordinator of the HIV awareness programme of the Armenian Red Cross youth called Time for Choice. Walking from the Red Cross office in Paronyan Street, the march went into the city centre. Volunteers were wearing t-shirts, dedicated to this special occasion, as well as carrying informative banners. Hripsime explains how when people saw the march approaching, they asked what the occasion is, and found out more about HIV and AIDS. Some even joined the march.
In the square in front of Moscow cinema, volunteers had prepared a big HIV ribbon. In total 100 candles were lit by those who had marched as well as by curious bystanders, and put into the HIV ribbon. This drew the attention of more onlookers and many people asked why we were there. They were given information on HIV and AIDS, and invited to join the group to view the film Transit inside the cinema. Transit is a movie that delivers important messages on HIV prevention, and is of particular interest to young people. The film was produced as part of the MTV Staying Alive campaign, which aims to raise HIV awareness and reduce discrimination against people living with HIV. The movie is available for free download at www.staying-alive.org.
Tigran Kharchaturov (17) is one of the most active volunteers for the Armenian Red Cross youth. He was one of the organizers of this march and was in charge of the candles. Tigran doesn’t think this march alone is enough to change the situation. “Young people do not know enough and some do not want to know. People think that they will never get HIV, that this problem will never touch them.” At the same time he emphasizes the importance of this: “It is important that at least somebody got to know something – every little helps.”
The Candlelight Memorial march is a part of Armenian Red Cross Youth’s HIV awareness program, Time for Choice. Tigran thinks that there have to be other ways to reach people’s minds, and the Armenian Red Cross youth is of the same mind. Red Cross volunteers are continuously working to find and develop new ways to inform and raise awareness about HIV and AIDS, including the stigma that those living with HIV often suffer. They are also arranging a nationwide basketball tournament involving school children from the tenth grade all over the country. The tournament is played under the motto “We are playing against AIDS.” The teams were formed when volunteers talked about HIV in the schools, and encouraged participation in the tournament. The games have a short introduction and information leaflets on HIV and safe behavior are distributed.
“Combining sports and dissemination makes it easier to talk about difficult subjects and makes it more motivating to learn,” says Katarina Vardanyan, Head, Youth Department. Red Cross youth also has good experience arranging concerts combined with HIV dissemination. The last concert was in a night club in late March involving several local rock bands. “This informal setting allowed us to reach young people in their arena. This way there was less embarrassment about condoms and reading the leaflets about safe sex and HIV.”
HIV is an important focus area for the Armenian Red Cross Society. “We will continue working and searching for new ways to communicate with Armenian youth to raise their awareness of these issues. They need to know more about HIV and how they can protect themselves.”
|
 |
 |
|
|
The candle lit red ribbon drew attention from onlookers of all ages / Trygve Utstumo, Norwegian Red Cross
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Over 100 candles lit up the square / Trygve Utstumo, Norwegian Red Cross
|
|
|
 |
|
|
HIV awareness is a major issue for the Armenian Red Cross Societies youth section
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Youth volunteers distribute information on HIV and AIDS
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Awareness through sport is one of the approaches taken by the Red Cross youth in Armenia
|
|
News
