News from YAHAnet Team

Back on December 1, 2011, the YAHAnet intern team crafted its first interactive condom banner to display on the McGill University campus.

Check it out and be inspired to create your own condom banner at your school, community centre, or other hang-out!

The McGill University chapter of Dignitas Youth hosted its 6th annual Race for Dignity on March 3, 2012, and the YAHAnet team joined in to cycle to support Dignitas International's work in Africa, including ensuring access to HIV medications.

In early January 2012, YAHAnet Coordinator John Murray was appointed to the UNAIDS-sponsored CrowdOutAIDS Drafting Committee! With a team of 9 other youth activists from around the world, he began working on developing an innovative UNAIDS youth policy on HIV and AIDS from the online and offline input of more than 5,000 young people around the world! The final strategy document was launched in April 2012 (see bottom of this page) after many conference calls, emails, Skype sessions, and live drafting discussions!

John and Emily from the YAHAnet team recently went on the Health and Earth program at McGill University's campus radio station (CKUT FM) to talk about YAHAnet's recent podcast competition and to introduce the winners and their wonderful work in sexual health and leadership in Louisiana (USA), Gambia, and beyond! (See our homepage for a feature on the winners.)

Be sure to click the image below and stream/download the show if you want a short history about how YAHAnet came about and how we navigate the challenges of increasing usership on a virtual platform.

Thanks to everyone who voted on the runner-up podcasts! The winner of the Honourable Mention title is...

Danielle Peters and Danielle Himelfarb's podcast

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If only we could award prizes and radio play to the 4 runner-up podcasts in addition to the 2 winning ones!

We hope that through the voting process the ideas expressed in these podcasts reach a large audience and inspire other youth in their awareness and peer education efforts.

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The YAHAnet team has finished judging all the podcasts, and the winners have been selected!

1st place in the 15–18 age category =
Youth Peer Advocates in the Media Advocates for Prevention program (New Orleans, Louisiana, United States)

So here we are. World AIDS Day 2011.

In the past year, there has been the news of a decline in the global HIV infection rate, but this comes with further news of a high rate of new infections in certain regions and does not mean that awareness efforts should start leveling off. These efforts must multiply more than ever, with special care taken to avoid promoting campaigns that seek to divide rather than include.

With December almost here, it is time to look back at the events and activities that YAHAnet was involved in and organized during November.

We are very pleased to introduce you to YAHAnet's new student intern team that will be responsible for some exciting developments in the coming weeks and months! The team will be working out of The Participatory Cultures Lab, the new research home of YAHAnet.

YAHAnet's participation in Dignitas Youth's Race 4 Dignity

Events worldwide for World AIDS Day 2010

Results of YAHAnet's 2010/2011 T-shirt Design Challenge!

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Voting Instructions:

Educate, Motivate, and Mobilize! An International Challenge to Raise Awareness about Sexuality and HIV & AIDS

***If you cannot read this entire page, please download the attached document for all the details.***

The Challenge:

Today – December 1, 2009 – is World AIDS Day.

Today marks the 21st anniversary of World AIDS Day.

There remains much to be done to ensure universal access to medication, to stop stigma, to increase peer education, and to raise awareness among all ages of people.

On November 9, 2009, members of the Montréal community gathered to discuss the theme of the upcoming XVIII International AIDS Conference in Vienna, Austria: "Rights Here, Rights Now"

Start spreading the word about Youth, the Arts, HIV & AIDS Network!

YAHAnet hosts workshop at Youth Pre-Conference of XVII International AIDS Conference in Mexico City