Large mobilization


"I LOVE YOU POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE",

An awareness programme fighting against stigma towards people affected by HIV/AIDS organised
by Designing Hope Africa, together with its French counterpart Dessine l'Espoir and Ithemba.

ARTISTIC MOBILISATION

Both NGOs mobilized since 2005 international musicians (Music4Life), contemporary artists (Artists4life) and famous 'Messangers" from various backgrouds in order to sensitize different targets, young or older, man or women, living in cities or in rural areas.

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CAMPAIGN.

Designing Hope is busy preparing the African implementation of this campaign, using the strengh of the charismatic and popular leaders to spread this message of tolerance to targeted populations at risk on a large scale.

Dessine l’Espoir is willing to develop the campaign also in Europe, with a more specific approach.
A preliminary study will be put together to target the populations needing this message, and make it useful and efficient in countries where the proportion of people affected is sometimes 500 times less than is some african countries.

Why this message, why this campaign?


ANTIDOTE TO STIGMA

A Positive or Negative sign can not stop people from loving one another.
One can be loved, even with a positive status.
One can have lots of love to give and share, even being positive.
Protection is the only key to unlocking love, whatever one's status is.
A message for anyone, but incredibly needed in Africa.
An antidote to stigma, to dare to speak, to dare to love, to dare to live.




GET MILLIONS OF PEOPLE A CHANCE TO HEAR THIS MESSAGE
"I LOVE YOU POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE" FROM THEIR ENTOURAGE

This declaration is the one that every person affected by the virus would like to hear from their community: husbands, wives, partners, friends, parents, children, employers, colleagues...

The purpose of the campaign is to target these different groups with a specific approach, a specific baseline and personalized message, to remove the stigma and fear of people living with HIV/AIDS, in a familial, workplace, and community context of daily life, a message of love and respect. It will contain precise information to reassure people and to fight existing prejudice.


STIGMA IS A BARRIER TO ANY IMPROVEMENT OF THE HIV & AIDS PANDEMIC.

If access to treatment remains a major issue in Africa, many countries, even the most affected ones, have the ability to supply people with Anti-retroviral therapies. However, the stigma against testing and acknowledgement of a positive HIV status, is recognizably the greatest barrier:
the will and determination to get tested is drastically lacking.


Above artwork from IngridMwangiRobertHutter supporting the campaign.

Rather than having pressure from people demanding treatment, you have, on the contrary, unexploited resources, unused medication reserves, and millions of people who choose to remain unaware of their status. Fear of exclusion is extremely high, even in countries like Swaziland, where HIV/AIDS is a national issue, affecting more than one-third of the population.

STIGMA'S FIRST VICTIMS ARE WOMEN.

Many women are too afraid of asking their partner to wear a condom, even if they know that they are positive themselves HIV positive status is very often linked in people's minds with an impossibility of rebuilding one's life with a steady partner. In a context of extreme social precariousness, women often have to support children and members of their extended family as well.

The attitude of the majority of the male population is reflected in their lack of concern for becoming infected or passing on the disease: low self-esteem, one among many interrelated factors, results in little desire to protect themselves or their partners.
Exclusion of a HIV-positive female partner is often considered as the easiest solution, even if it is obvious that the male partner had transmitted the virus in this relationship.

The message has been chosen as an affirmation for all men and women, to help them face the daily reality of a continent affected at an extreme level by the virus.
This message also has the strength to transcend cultural barriers and address the growing problem of decreased vigilance globally.

In Europe and North America especially, where sophisticated therapies are available to almost anyone, and HIV/AIDS has the false image of a solved issue, this message is a reminder of the unfailing need not to forget that the threat of HIV/AIDS, and the prejudice, divisiveness and its potential to wreak havoc in any and all populations has not gone away.


Double artistic mobilization.


“I Love You Positive or Negative” is a two-years international campaign gathering multiple initiatives always enriched by a creative input.


MUSIC4LIFE - MOBILISATION OF MUSIC INTERNATIONAL PERSONALITIES

Keren Ann, Cali, Johnny Clegg, M, Marc Lavoine, Tom Mc Rae, Sansévérino, Véronique Sanson, la Grande Sophie, Alain Souchon, Chris Stills, Tété, Laurent Voulzy, Zazie...
In order to sensibilize the public, pop stars have been asked to sign and personalize the message,
and bring their support to the campaign.



Ithemba and Designing Hope Africa link up this initiative to a new project "Music4Life" started within a collective of women affected by HIV/AIDS in Soweto.
They create miniature guitars decorated with beads, made as broches reproduicing the musicians guitars. T-shirts carrying the same guitars are also handmade by the women.

These guitars and T-shirts have been distributed for World Aids Day, on the first of December 2005. Prototypes and original messages signed by the artists have been auctioned on the 22nd of November by Remy Le Fur at the Intercontinental Grand Hotel Paris to the exclusive profit of Dessine l'Espoir to fund its actions in Africa.

READ MORE ABOUT MUSIC4LIFE: MUSIC4LIFE, MUSIC4LIFE T-SHIRTS , PARIS AUCTION,

A project supported by: Intercontinental Grand Hotel Paris, Belgian Technical Cooperation, Fried freres, Creanog and Optimark.

ARTISTS4LIFE - MOBILIZATION OF 30 INTERNATIONAL CONTEMPORARY ARTISTS


Renowned international artists address HIV and AIDS related stigma and discrimination
interpreting « I Love You Positive or Negative »

Developed as a joint ‘Dessine l’Espoir’/UNESCO project, an exhibition has been organized in Europe gathering the artwork of the 30 prominent international artists designed around the sensitization campaign « I Love You Positive or Negative ».

The exhibition was officially launched in Paris at the Artparis Art Fair at the Grand Palais (March 2006) and at the Hôtel Salomon de Rothschild (May 2006), followed by a tour in various African, European and American cities. This cultural event will also sensitize public audiences at major international events, such as the Women’s Forum in Deauville, France, October 2006.

In efforts to reach the most concerned populations in sub-Saharan Africa, the artwork will also be reproduced on posters for circulation in townships, schools, cultural centres with the support of the Alliances Françaises throughout the region.
A catalogue/pedagogical guide will accompany the exhibitions and assist teachers and animators in the development of discussions addressing stigma and discrimination through arts and creativity in general.


ARTWORKS

You can view the artworks by clicking on the following link:
(Artworks fotographed by Christian Rouchouse - cover visual by Elodie Lachaud)



ARTISTS4LIFE - DIFFUSION OF CONDOMS

Designing Hope and Dessine l'Espoir are preparing a massive condom diffusion campaign
Condoms will be packed in original printed boxes carrying a selection of Artwork from
the artists associated with strong awareness messages, and famous signatures of the campaign messagers.


Cndom factory, by Anne-Catherine Becker Echivard.


This campaign will have two main aspects:

In Europe, it will put the stress on the vitale importance of using condoms for safe sexual intercourses.

Boxes of condoms carrying all designs from the artists will be sold in Europe, with a donation to fund the free distribution in Africa with support of local authorities.
Read more: designinghope.org/artists4life/condom

MORE ON ARTISTS4LIFE:

DOWNLOAD FLYER, VIEW THE ARTWORK, NEXT DATES, CONTACTS, SHOW THE EXHIB ITION, ART PARIS, ROTHSCHILD FUNDATION , CONDOMS -, UNESCO

Rich of this creativity, and support of well-known messangers, Dessine l’Espoir and Designing Hope are busy developping the campaign to spread in Africa to the communities who need to receive this message.

ZONE OF ACTION - SOUTHERN AFRICA 

Designing Hope and Dessine l’Espoir chose to select 3 countries to launch the campaign: South Africa, Swaziland and Mozambique.
This area of action can then open up to more countries, including French speaking countries, but Southern Africa will definetly be the first step.
Campaign tools and messages will be available in English, French and Portuguese.
In each country, messengers will be selected to support the message officially, and stand for millions of people affected by the virus.

MESSANGERS - TARGETTED PERSONNALITES SUPPORTING THE CAMPAIGN

Targeted messengers have been approached to support the campaign in order to target populations at risk, especially the youth, through music and sports, but also women and men, especially living in rural areas, and needing charismatic leaders to spread this message of tolerance.

- Youngsters, thanks to music and sports personalities (Rugdby, Football, Athletics, Skate board...), TV presenters, acteurs, models...
- Men and women leaving in rural areas thanks to national leaders, or regional charismatic figures, in a township a town or a city ( mayors, religion leaders, chiefs...)



Adrian Hay, Skate board champion - South Africa.


TELEVISION CAMPAIGN

Messangers are invited to sign and personalize the campaign with a written and oral message.
Designing Hope is involving South African students to the campaign, working with AFDA in Johannesburg and CITY VARSITY in Cape Town. Last year students, with support of their teachers, have followed the campaign messangers and filmed their personalized interpretation of the message. Post production will be organized at AFDA and 30 seconds spots will be shown on two of the leading South African channels MNETand E-TV.


Zama Jobe



TV presenters Ruda Landman, Nnekwa Tsaija and Vanessa Jansen, fashion designer Kensani Maganyi, singers Zola, Kabelo, Dozi, Mandoza, Gloria Bosman, Nathaniel, Adri Kotze, Judith Sephuma, Lize Beekman, and Zama Jobe, Hip Hop bands Black Noise, Tulano and DSO, Jazz musicians Lex Futhane, Mlungisi, and Anna Davel, Skate Board champion Adrian Day, rugby players Egan Seconds, Zahier Rlands, swimmer Nathalie Du Toit, actors Goliath Davids and Christo Davids, film director Darell Rodt, and other personalities like Gail Johnson, Bert Du Toit and China ESP have already confirmed their collaboration.


Mnet, E-TV, Afda et City Varsity, partenaires de la campagne télévisée.


Campaign targets

WOMEN LIVING WITH HIV AIDS WHO LOST THEIR PARTNER
convince them that love and a meaningful life are still possible, and that they can rebuild their lives with a steady, faithful partner, if desired. Develop support from within communities to reintegrate them with their families and their communities.

COUPLES WITH ONE OR BOTH PARTNERS POSITIVE
- Learn to live a normal life by following easy rules of safe sex, and utilizing basic daily precautions.
- Fight secondary infections, due to unsafe sexual intercourse between two HIV positive partners.
- Bring knowledge about mother to child contamination and Birth control.
- Reduce the concomitant risks.

CHILDREN IN A FAMILIAL ENVIRONMENT
Fight the feelings of fear and abandonment some children have when discovering their parents are affected. Encourage disclosure and education of everyone within the household.
- Teach children to be supportive toward their parents in the face of HIV infection.
- Encourage them to get tested as well and feel reassured about their status, and provide them with support in these critical times.

CHILDREN IN A COMMUNITY AND EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT
- Discourage the social stigma amongst young people, by education and role models within the community.
- Encourage tolerance between children, and give support to the ones who are affected personally or within their families.


Awareness event organized with Dessine l'Espoir at the Lycée Jules Verne (Johannesburg French School) - Dec 2005

PROFESSIONAL ENVIRONMENT

Sensitize through this message the management of companies as well as employees in their relationships with their colleagues.

Management Approach
Encourage testing, and support employees who disclose their status, by providing them simple considerations, such as, rest periods, if and when needed, or time to go regularly to the clinic or hospital, without prejudicing their standing in the workplace.
Respect the position and role of each employee, whether or not they are affected.

Employees Approach
Support colleagues who are affected by the virus, especially in periods of physical and psychological weakness.
Utilize this message “I love U + or –” , with posters, pamphlets, workshops, role modeling, etc, in the workplace, to create an atmosphere of confidence that will ease testing and disclosure.

The variety of the campaign messangers is crutial to reach all these targets.


Nkhensani Maganyi - Stoned Cherrie's label fashion designer and TV presenter in South Africa.


African events and actions undertaken


ARTISTS4LIFE TOUR EXHIBITION IN AFRICA

A selection of 16 artworks from Artists4life, associated to messages of the artists and key messages froim the camapign, will be reproduced on posters and distributed through the network of Alliances Francaises in Southern Africa and displayed in 50 cultural centers from 20 countries.
Posters will be available in French, Portugese and English.

AWARENESS TOOLS.

The strongest posters from this exhibition will be reproduced and distributed to local NGOs, schools, hospitals, community centers and companies.
They will have some specificity depending on the targeted populations and environment.
Specific leaflets will also be printed carrying the stongest graphic and wrtitten ressources of the campaign.


ARTISTS4LIFE LOCAL EXHIBITIONS - JOHANNESBURG & MAPUTO

Two "Artist4life" exhibitions will be organized simultaneously in Maputo and Johannesburg for World Aids Day. They will gather local artists in each country with their personal approach of stigma and discrimination in their country. South African artists who are already part of the international exhibition such as Armin Pflanz, Sue Williamson, Guy Du Toit, Malcolme Payne and Nicolaas Maritz, will be associated to this local initiative.

AWARENESS T-SHIRTS

Dessine l'Espoir & Designing Hope have organised the distribution of free awareness T-shirts carrying the campaign message "I Love You Positive or Negative" to some local targeted groups.

The originality of this initiative consists in giving the realization of these T-shirts to South African and Swazi women as an income generating activity for people in need.



Designing Hope together with Ithemba, developed with the women in Swaziland a range of awareness T-shirts carrying the message "I Love You Positive or Negative". These T-shirts, sold to the public in Europe, finance a parallel action of free distribution by Designing Hope of similar T-shirts to targeted communities in Africa. Beneficiaries of these T-shirts will be people sensibilized to HIV/AIDs, positives or not, but willing to communicate this message to their relatives and friends.
T-shirt have already been distributed at Piggs Peak's Hospital in Swaziland, Amazing Grace orphanage and Orange Farm township in South Africa)

A pilot project started in December 2005 at Piggs Peak's hospital in Swaziland, targeting the patients under ARV in this hospital. Designing Hope's Support group has raised a brainstorming on the campaign message "I Love You positive or Negative". Each patient has been asked to write its interpretation of the message, and imagine a sentence to be enbroidered on a T-shirt he would be ready to wear.



CONDOM PACKS REFLECTING THE CAMPAIGN MESSAGES AND ARTWORKS

In 2005, 20 000 condoms have been donated by French stylist Agnes b. to Dessine l'Espoir, packed in a very attractive box carrying the campaign message. Designing Hope distributed them in Swaziland and South Africa and could see the impact of an attractive packaging on the distribution.

At present, free condoms are distributed in anonymous boxes left on the side of counters in some, administrative buildings, and in some testing centers and hospital building.
Original packaging carrying artwork, awareness messages, and famous signatures of the campaign messagers can ease distribution.

MORE INFORMATION ON THE CAMPAIGN:

DOWNLOAD FLYER, MUSIC4LIFE, ARTISTS4LIFE, VIEW THE ARTWORKS, CONTACTS, CONDOMS -, UNESCO