Welcome to GYCA!
 | | GYCA members conducting outreach in Nigeria |
AIDS was first discovered over 25 years ago. Yet today, 6,800 people will be infected with HIV. Of the 2.5 million people infected yearly, young people ages 15-24 account for 40 percent of new infections. Poverty, unemployment, a lack of education, sexual violence and gender inequality increase the vulnerability of young people to HIV infection.
11.4 million children and adolescents have been orphaned by AIDS and are now heads of households, as we lose an entire generation of parents, teachers, workers and doctors in many regions. Although world leaders committed that by 2005, 90% of young people would know how to protect themselves from infection, currently in the hardest hit countries, less than half of youth can correctly identify modes of HIV transmission.
Despite the debilitating effects of AIDS, young leaders are taking action in their communities to prevent the spread of the disease and to address the devastating consequences of the pandemic. In fact, evidence shows that young people are most effective at changing the risk behaviors of their peers and at shaping a better future for themselves and their families.
The Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS (GYCA) recognizes the potential of young leaders as the best force to address AIDS in their own communities, and empowers them with the knowledge, skills, resources and opportunities they need to scale up and expand their initiatives.
Check out the 30 second television commercial that GYCA did with MTV!
It is airing all across Latin America for the next few weeks, and the winners will receive scholarships to attend the IAC in Mexico City, along with a youth media training. The winners are responsible for increasing Latino youth participation in the YouthForce especially with media- podcasts, blogs, video documentaries, photography, writing, and more. This is only for Latinos, as this is the first International AIDS Conference to be held in Latin America, and Latino young people are under-represented in the global movement.
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Click here to check out the Youth Awake! Newsletter.
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Commitments Follow Up report!
As of this month, GYCA staff, Regional Focal Points and members completed follow up on the 344 commitments made at the Youth-Adult Commitments Desk at the Toronto International AIDS Conference. Read the report here!
SCAM!!
Someone is illegally using GYCA's logo and part of our name for a fake conference scam designed to steal young leaders' money and identity information.
Click Here to see the fake conference announcement.
Click Here for tips on how to spot a fake conference!
UNGASS National Youth Shadow Reports
Do 90% of youth in your country know how to protect themselves from HIV? We didn't think so!
Join us to demand accountability to youth by writing a National Youth Shadow Report to evaluate your government's progress on the 2001 UNGASS Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS!
Find Out How!
ICASA2008
GYCA's South Secretariat in Ghana is coordinating the youth program for the International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa, ICASA, in Dakar, Senegal (December 2008).
Find out more or write to Sydney Hushie for more information!
Mexico City YouthForce
GYCA is one of the main coordinating initiatives of the Mexico City YouthForce for next August's XVII International AIDS Conference, "AIDS2008". Read the Mexico City YouthForce newsletter! Click here to join the AIDS2008 e-group!
Visit the AIDS2008 official youth website!
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