Jirair Ratevosian: A letter to Diaspora on HIV/AIDS in Armenia

Friends:

Today is World AIDS Day — the day of the year when the world’s attention is temporarily fixated on a social phenomenon that has stolen the lives of millions of people around the world over the last thirty years.

But there is some good news. A new report by the United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) shows that the AIDS epidemic is beginning to change course as the number of people newly infected with HIV is declining and AIDS-related deaths are decreasing.

Yet, despite important advances over the last ten years, some 2.6 million people became newly infected with HIV last year. Africa continues to be the region most affected by the epidemic. But now a new trend is emerging: In seven countries, mostly in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, new HIV infection rates have increased by 25% in recent years.

Here’s the bad news. ARMENIA is #1 on that list. In our motherland, the epidemic is concentrated primarily among people who inject drugs, sex workers, gay men and other men who have sex with men. It is no coincidence the epidemic is spreading in populations that are socially marginalized and politically irrelevant. Stigma, discrimination and violence against LGBT Armenian and other vulnerable groups fuel the spread of HIV and AIDS.

Today, this injustice is tainting the moral character of our resilient people. The Armenian government, civil society groups, the private sector, the church, and the media all have a critical role to play in respond to our generation’s greatest challenge. And so do we.

As diaspora, we must face up to this new reality. We have a responsibility to raise awareness in our homes and in our communities—in schools, with lawmakers, community leaders, the media and the church. Above all, we must support our courageous brothers and sisters working in our homeland each and every day for equality and social justice.

Get involved-- write a letter to your local Armenian newspaper, encourage community leaders to raise awareness at events and support NGOs in Armenia fighting the good fight.

Jirair

*Jirair Ratevosian, MPH, based in Washington D.C., chairs the International Health Advocacy and Policy Committee of the American Public Health Association, deputy director of public policy for amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research

**posted on Facebook, Asbarez and The Armenian Weekly

*** And here is a perfect example of NGO that Jirair mentioned in his letter: PINK Armenia + few others who made this day a memorable one in Armenia with a clear human rights message.



"Our slogan today is 'Silence is not a Solution'; that is, by being silent or indifferent, we won't solve anything, we must speak particularly about the HIV virus, about human rights, so that we can prevent the increase [of the virus] in our region," said PINK Armenia NGO President Mamikon Hovsepyan during a march organized to mark World AIDS Day in Yerevan today. He noted that the focus of the demonstration is mainly on protecting human rights. (via Epress.am)

HIV and human rights: HIV/AIDS educational campaign in Gyumri and Vanadzor 4-6 December 2009 supported by OSI Armenia

*press release in Armenian

Բաց Հասարակության ինստիտուտի Հայաստանի մասնաճյուղի նախաձեռնությամբ 2009թ-ի դեկտեմբերի 4-ից մինչև 6-ը Հայաստանի մի շարք մարզերում իրականացվում է ՄԻԱՎ/ՁԻԱՀ-ի դեմ պայքարի համաշխարհային օրվան նվիրված քարոզարշավ:

Քարոզարշավի շրջանակներում նախատեսվում է Գյումրի, Վանաձոր քաղաքներում կազմակերպել կլոր-սեղան քննարկումներ և հեռուստաեթերներ, որոնց ժամանակ հանրությանը կներկայացվեն ներարկային թմրամիջոցներ օգտագործողների, նույնասեռականների, սեռական ծառայություններ մատուցող անձանց, ինչպես նաև կանանց ու երիտասարդների խնդիրները ՄԻԱՎ/ՁԻԱՀ համատեքստում: Կքննարկվի նրանց իրավունքների և հիմնարար ազատությունների լիարժեք իրականացման անհրաժեշտությունը` որպես ՄԻԱՎ/ՁԻԱՀ համաճարակի դեմ գլոբալ պայքարի կարևորագույն բաղադրիչ, քանի որ հանրային առողջության պաշտպանությունը հնարավոր է միայն մարդու բոլոր իրավունքները պաշտպանելու միջոցով:

Քարոզարշավին մասնակցում են խոցելի խմբերի շահերի պաշտպանություն իրականացնող մի շարք կազմակերպություններ, այդ թվում` Հելսինկյան Քաղաքացիական Ասամբլեայի Վանաձորի գրասենյակ, Հակաթմրամոլային քաղաքացիական դաշինք, Իրական Աշխարհ, Իրական Մարդիկ, ինչպես նաև Հանրային տեղեկատվություն և գիտելիքի կարիք հասարակական կազմակերպությունները:

Առաջին կլոր-սեղան քննարկումը կիրականացվի դեկտեմբերի 4-ին ժամը 16.00-ին Գյումրի լրագրողների Ասպարեզ ակումբում: Նույն օրը` ժամը 20.00-ին Գյումրիի Ցայգ հեռուստաընկերության ուղիղ եթերով կկայանա հեռուստաքննարկում, որին կմասնակցեն վերը նշված կազմակերպությունների ներկայացուցիչները:

Երկրորդ կլոր-սեղան քննարկումը կիրականացվի Վանաձորում` դեկտեմբերի 5-ին ժամը 15.00-ին, իսկ հեռուստաքննարկումը կկայանա ժամը 19.00-ին Վանաձորի Լոռի հեռուստաընկերության ուղիղ եթերով:

Լրացուցիչ տեղեկավության ստացման համար կարող եք դիմել Հելսինկյան Քաղաքացիական Ասամբլեայի Վանաձորի գրասենյակ` Իրավական աջակցություն Լոռու, Շիրակի, Տավուշի մարզերի և Երևանի թմրամիջոց գործածողներին ծրագրի համակարգող Ելենա Սարգսյանին (հեռախոս 374322 4 22 68, hcav@hcav.am)

Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Vanadzor Office

PINK Armenia: Tolerance (video)

PINK Armenia uploaded this video to mark the International Day for Tolerance (16 November).



Posters in this video say (as per PINK Armenia video description on YouTube):

- I am a sex worker...
- My mother is the best mother in the world
- By denying me, you don't help me to leave drugs
- Being infected with HIV, doesn't stop me being your friend
- Being homosexual is not a choice
- We all are equal, this world is for everybody

Amazing social ad by group of students at Yerevan State University... and more

"This world is for everybody"

PINK Armenia reports that group of students at Yerevan State University prepared this amazing equality and tolerance related social ad, as part of their final term works. PINK Armenia also participated there.

Brave, tastefully made, right to the point. Well done, guys! Congratulations for this excellent work!! As far as I am concerned, you passed your tests with honors.



*English text of the video

- Being homosexual is not a choice.

- Being infected with HIV, doesn't stop me being your friend.

- By denying me, you don't help me to leave drugs.

- I am a sex worker...
- My mother is the best mother in the world.

- We all are equal, this world is for everybody


Another impressive example of social activism is by lesbian Armenians and their partners/friends. These photos below, via Queering Yerevan, entitled "Censored".

Queer

Միասեռական (in Armenian)

MetastaZ - gay related theatre play in Vanadzor, Armenia (video)

UPDATE: (11 June 2009) WTF? A bizarre follow-up to my posts on gay-themed theatre play in Vanadzor, Armenia
***
It’s my personal impression that theatre life in Armenia sees its kind of new revival. And it’s not only classical theatre but alternative one too. Experimental theatre has its regular scheduling at the NPAK or other venues. HighFest festival brings to Armenia cutting edge performances from within the country and abroad, e.g. by English playwright Mark Ravenhill.

But this mainly focuses in capital Yerevan. Therefore, it was even more encouraging to read on PINK Armenia about MetastaZ, theatre play in Vanadzor, Armenia’s 3rd city.

In the end of May the State Dramatic Theatre named after H. Abelyan of Vanadzor opened curtains for the premiere of the performance "MetastaZ (Metastasis)" under same play of Hovhannes Tekgyozyan "Metastasis". […]

From the very beginning it was planned as the audience would be a part of the play: there were 30 chairs black and white colored, like chessboard and they were on the stage. […]

A plead of talented actors was evolved in the play, such as Temur Atchinyan, Alla Darbinyan, Edgar Qocharyan, Hamlet Gyulzadyan and also one of the founders of PINK Armenia, Arthur Haroyan. The casting has been done very carefully. Also Hovsep Mesropyan and Vahe Shahverdyan were in all that action, the author of original sound tracks was the same Arthur Haroyan. […]

The most interesting fact is that a performance based on real facts of two homosexuals was played in the third city of Armenia and not Yerevan.The main goal of the director was not the elucidation of the theme of homosexuality and drugs in general, but the torture of the people, having a pain arisen by treachery. The same can overtake each of us like it happened to the heroes of performance "MetastaZ". […]

The most part of public has been shocked and admired from professional acting and director's work of performance, and some others experienced a shock, proceeding from basic reasons and traditional mentality: " How can it be possible, we are Armenians, not homos?" […]

For the first time, below you can see selected video clips from the MetastaZ. Many thanks to PINK Armenia for providing this material. (video clip No.4 was impossible to upload to the YouTube due to its duration – more than 10 mins – therefore, I uploaded it directly to the ‘Blogger’).

MetastaZ (clip No. 1)



MetastaZ (clip No. 2)



MetastaZ (clip No. 3)



MetastaZ (clip No. 4)

[This video removed upon personal request]

Decriminalisation of drug users in Armenia

ArmeniaNow reports that “a new amendment to Armenia’s Criminal Code will reduce illegal drug use and possession to a civil crime rather than a felony. If the amendment goes into force (the amendment was approved by first reading in National Assembly on February 28) drug abusers will be subject to administrative fine – an amount in 200 to 400 minimal salaries (from 200,000 to 400,000 drams-$645-$1,290) instead of the current two month imprisonment.”

I principally welcome any move which would lead to decriminalisation of drug users in Armenia. Indeed, as agreed by most experts and medical profession, drug using should not be considered a crime but rather a condition which needs to be treated and tackled via social means (social marketing, public awareness/education campaigns and so on).

However, to impose such hefty fines on drug users not only will do little to solve the problem but may potentially turn things worse, as mentioned in ArmeniaNow report too. Knowing our realities, it would most certainly lead to increase in corruption and bribery when ‘caught’ drug users would prefer paying much smaller bribes to avoid being tried for, even if for a “civil crime” (exactly the way that most of them do now to avoid criminal proceedings).


Cure or Crime?: Armenian lawmakers revise punishment for drug abusers

By Naira Bulghadaryan
ArmeniaNow Vanadzor reporter
Published: 02 May, 2008


A new amendment to Armenia’s Criminal Code will reduce illegal drug use and possession to a civil crime rather than a felony.

If the amendment goes into force (the amendment was approved by first reading in National Assembly on February 28) drug abusers will be subject to administrative fine – an amount in 200 to 400 minimal salaries (from 200,000 to 400,000 drams-$645-$1,290) instead of the current two month imprisonment.

But the changes that were assumed to be considered as relief for drug abusers are not welcomed by those against whom they are aimed.

“One should be treated, instead of being imprisoned or fined for suffering an illness. Drug addiction is just an illness not a crime,” says a former drug addict in Vanadzor.

The 45-year old man says he has been clean for seven years, after many year of abuse of intravenous injection.

“My children were growing up and I, concerned with their future, gathered all my will and stopped it,” he says. He first tried drugs at age 26, when he used to work in a medical institution and had access.

Now the former user is an expert at the Needle Exchange Program of the Armenian Red Cross Company. Many times he has faced temptations during the work but says he has managed to show willpower to help 4-5 of his drug addict friends get rid of the habit.

“Let them fine those who just tried it,” the former user says. “If a person already has an addiction, it’s an illness already, so punishing is not right.”

The World Health Organization says 9,000 people have been registered in Armenia only in 2006 as using drugs by intravenous injection. The total number of drug addicts in Armenia is believed to be 140,000, most of whom use marijuana.

Arshak Dallakyan, a Vanadzor based doctor and drug expert believes the replacement of criminal persecution with an administrative fine for use of drugs is a strict measure.

“Those huge fines will make their situation even harder,” Dallakyan says, adding that addicts cannot afford to pay such steep fines. He worries that this will lead to abusers turning to bribes to pay off police rather than face prosecution.

Rights activist Artur Sakunts, coordinator of the Helsinki Citizens Assembly of Vanadzor believes drug addicts will prefer to appear in prison rather than pay a huge fine.

Sakunts says for years his organization has provided legal advice to drug users in Vanadzor, where according to him there are about 1,000 people using drugs.

Sakunts has prepared a guide for suspected drug users or dealers, the first in Armenia.

A survey of 53 addicts in Vanadzor found that most first tried drugs while working abroad. At present there are 50 drug users registered at the psychological and neurological clinic of the Lori province. Gayane Kalantaryan, senior doctor at the clinic says annually 5 people come to the clinic to get treatment.

*photo - via ArmeniaNow