Moving the Midwest AIDS Agenda Forward!

Last week, the Midwest AIDS Policy Alliance (MAPA), a collaborative of Midwest AIDS organizations dedicated to advancing sound HIV/AIDS policies, met in Chicago to exchange best practices and advocacy strategies for moving the fight against AIDS forward. Representatives from the AIDS Foundation of Chicago (IL), AIDS Task Force of Greater Cleveland (OH), Brothers Uplifting Brothers (IN), Community HIV/Hepatitis Advocates of Iowa Network (IA), Doorways (MO),  Minnesota AIDS Project (MN), Nebraska AIDS Project (NE), Ohio AIDS Coalition (OH), and STEP Up (IN) shared their unique perspectives, expertise, and what is and is not working in their individual states.

MAPA is posting all of the presentations and materials from the two-day meeting here at Dose of Change and encourages fellow advocates to take liberally from them. Though some of the presentations have a Midwestern flavor to them, they are relevant and transferable to any AIDS advocacy work being done around the country. Topics ranged from how to effectively engage grasstops advocates in HIV policy work to utilizing innovative strategies to address social determinants to the latest information on the federal AIDS policy front to harnessing the power of electronic media to advance advocacy efforts. Below are just a couple of the presentations. More to come soon!

2009 HIV/AIDS Federal Policy Update
Identifying, Recruiting, and Engaging Grasstops