From July 22 to July 27, 2012, SMART Youth leaders went to the International AIDS Conference (IAC) in Washington, DC, the first time the conference has taken place in the United States since 1990. We were so excited to learn that our request was accepted to participate in the Global Village, the free part of the conference where organizations from around the globe set up booths to represent their ideas, their cities, and their prevention/awareness efforts to end HIV/AIDS.
All in all, the International AIDS Conference was a huge success! The SMART Youth booth inside the Global Village was designed around our graphic “I Love Safe Sex”, the logo that was emblazoned upon many of the items sold, such as magnets, buttons, t-shirts, and even boxer shorts! Our SMART Youth artists donated their original work for a silent auction and created DIY t-shirt tote bags, and many people at the conference were seen sporting a SMART Youth “I Heart Safe Sex” button!
We were able to learn about other youth organizations from around the world, as well as up to date information about HIV/AIDS research. SMART Youth co-founder, Christina Rodriguez, served as our delegate at the IAC, and attended several workshops and seminars conducted by notable individuals in the field of HIV/AIDS (read her blogs below). Through exploration of the Global Village, we were able to collect pamphlets and condoms from around the world, and through our digital outreach project we spoke with representatives from a variety of nations to interview them about sexual health and sexual health education in countries like the Ukraine, Jamaica, Great Britain, and Gambia.
Many thanks to those who contributed to this once-in-a-lifetime experience, including those who donated both time and money to the trip! Stay tuned for our video clips…
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