http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20111207/local/lgbt-group-launches-educational-campaign.397279
Wednesday, December 7, 2011, 12:18
[Click on the hyperlink above to watch the video.]
The Malta Gay Rights Movement has launched an educational campaign aimed at promoting acceptance and countering bullying.
Gabriella Calleja, coordinator of the movement, told a press conference that the campaign will run throughout the scholastic year.
It will be based on video clips, posters and other literature, aimed at discouraging the use of disparaging homophomic and transphobic language which is used on an everyday basis to insult people; physical bullying because of a person's sexual orientation; the need to encourage gays to 'come out' and the need for parents to listen to their children.
The campaign is targeting secondary schools and also includes lesson plans for teachers.
The campaign is being held in collaboration with Drachma Parents - an inclusive support group for parents.
Anthony Girard, representing Drachma, said group representatives last year met the Archbishop to voice their concern about the Church's attitude to gay people. Parents loved their children unconditionally, he said, and he felt the church should do the same.
The €9,000 campaign is fully funded by the Voices Foundation.
www.maltagayrights.org
[Click on the hyperlink above to view the comments on the Times' website.]
Thursday, 29 December 2011
Times: AIDS awareness? What AIDS awareness?
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20111204/local/AIDS-awareness-What-AIDS-awareness-.396670
Sunday, December 4, 2011 , by Ariadne Massa
The posters for bus shelters.
GU Clinic head Philip Carabot is “extremely disappointed” World AIDS Day has come and gone with barely a whisper on awareness in Malta, after the whole fanfare to launch the national sexual health strategy.
World AIDS Day, celebrated on December 1, came three weeks after the strategy’s official launch, so Dr Carabot was expecting something more hard-hitting.
In past years, he said, campaigns associated with this important date were careful not to tread on anyone’s toes or offend morals, so after the strategy’s launch he was confident the tone of the message would change.
“After all the publicity and launch of the strategy, we had a golden opportunity so soon after to put these wonderful aspirations into practice and we lost it. I’m extremely disappointed,” he said.
“We must be one of the only countries in the EU not to hear anything mentioned on World AIDS Day.”
However, Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Department director Charmaine Gauci defended the low-key approach, saying awareness campaigns were taking place all year, not just on World AIDS Day.
Apart from this, on the actual day, the department teamed up with the Malta Medical Students Association to raise awareness about HIV on the University campus and there was a whole week of outreach projects.
Dr Gauci added that in the coming week there would also be a sexual health media campaign and posters put up on bus shelters promoting ABCD – abstinence, be faithful, use condoms, and don’t do drugs.
“We are working with the community and encouraging people to change their behaviour – we can’t do everything at once,” she said.
Between 2000 and 2010, there were 47 cases of HIV registered at the GU Clinic, and while the numbers remain small the cases are increasing and it is hard to say what the true prevalence of this illness is.
[Click on the hyperlink above to view the comments on the Times' website.]
Sunday, December 4, 2011 , by Ariadne Massa
The posters for bus shelters.
GU Clinic head Philip Carabot is “extremely disappointed” World AIDS Day has come and gone with barely a whisper on awareness in Malta, after the whole fanfare to launch the national sexual health strategy.
World AIDS Day, celebrated on December 1, came three weeks after the strategy’s official launch, so Dr Carabot was expecting something more hard-hitting.
In past years, he said, campaigns associated with this important date were careful not to tread on anyone’s toes or offend morals, so after the strategy’s launch he was confident the tone of the message would change.
“After all the publicity and launch of the strategy, we had a golden opportunity so soon after to put these wonderful aspirations into practice and we lost it. I’m extremely disappointed,” he said.
“We must be one of the only countries in the EU not to hear anything mentioned on World AIDS Day.”
However, Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Department director Charmaine Gauci defended the low-key approach, saying awareness campaigns were taking place all year, not just on World AIDS Day.
Apart from this, on the actual day, the department teamed up with the Malta Medical Students Association to raise awareness about HIV on the University campus and there was a whole week of outreach projects.
Dr Gauci added that in the coming week there would also be a sexual health media campaign and posters put up on bus shelters promoting ABCD – abstinence, be faithful, use condoms, and don’t do drugs.
“We are working with the community and encouraging people to change their behaviour – we can’t do everything at once,” she said.
Between 2000 and 2010, there were 47 cases of HIV registered at the GU Clinic, and while the numbers remain small the cases are increasing and it is hard to say what the true prevalence of this illness is.
[Click on the hyperlink above to view the comments on the Times' website.]
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