WAC Europe

Europe has a wide and diverse range of HIV service providers ranging in size and scope. It also has special interest group such as the AIDS and Mobility project; and the European AIDS Treatment Group plus acting as the base for some international groups such as GNP+ and ICW.

Despite the richness in experience and knowledge of the many groups establishing national and pan-European collaboration has been challenging. The earliest vehicle for greater collaboration was Eurocaso, part of the ICASO network. Recently this has been replaced by the creation of AIDS Action Europe (AAE) which now represents Europe at the ICASO meetings but was originally formed to create a voice at the European level aimed at the European Union’s internal policies on HIV at a time when the membership of the European Union was rapidly increasing.

AIDS Action Europe is steadily growing in size and establishing ways to involve groups across Europe. The ICASO supported office in Vilnius has become part of AAE. For more information on AAE you can visit their web site:

www.aidsfonds.nl/AIDSActionEurope or contact the AIDS Action Europe secretariat:
Martine de Schutter (Co-ordinator)
Soa Aids Nederland (STIs AIDS Netherlands)
Keizersgracht 390
1016 GB Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Phone: +31 (0)20 6262669
Fax: +31 (0)20 6275221
[email protected]

At the country level there has been an increasing level of collaboration on advocacy and campaigning, particularly in response to the needs of communities in the Global South. This collaboration can take many different forms and in many instances may result from an agreement by a domestic HIV organisation to work with one or more international development agencies on fundraising, public awareness, joint advocacy and campaigning or a combination of any or all from this list.

In countries where there are no campaigns the WAC has worked with country based groups to organise a national meeting where the concept of a national campaign is examined, debated and a view taken by the participants as to whether they want to create a national campaign. If so the WAC looks for one group to be given the authority by the others to act as the coordinator and the lead contact with the WAC.

In Europe this first process has either happened and lead roles and responsibilities already established or the arrangement is based on a few key organisations coming together as described above.