Streams at AIDS2006 and Beyond

The ' stream' approach is a “roadmap” that gathers into a single list all the different sessions (including Global Village sessions, skills building workshops, special sessions etc), affiliated events, satellites, cultural and other events that relate to that particular population or issue. For example, men who have sex with men, women, youth, harm reduction and injection drug use, sex workers, African diaspora, and children. Delegates can then follow the flow of these events that relate to their field of interest through the week.

Given that most delegates are not generalists, they are usually involved in one or a few specific topics in their work and want a quick and easy way to track the sessions and other events that relate to their field of interest.

Early in the Conference planning process, the Conference Organizing Committee decided that the concept of streaming would not be used in planning and building the Conference programme.  Despite this decision, numerous communities continued to advocate and write letters in order to influence the Conference planning committees and related decision-making about themes, priorities, key issues, and speakers.

In the past, the printed Conference Programme had identified some streams (youth, women) by using a symbol for each one that was printed next to the event that related to this stream. At AIDS 2006, the programme stream information was integrated online so that Conference delegates could access particular information and plan their Conference itineraries following sessions, activities and other events of particular interest. In total there were 15 population or issue related streams including Aboriginal / Indigenous Peoples; Treatment Access and Literacy; African-Black Diaspora; Asian; Canadian; Children; Faith-based; Gender Issues; Harm Reduction; Human Rights; Microbicides; Men Who Have Sex With Men; Prisoners; Sex Workers, Vaccines and Youth. 

As a result of the stream activities, new global networks were formed or strengthened: the African-Black Diaspora Global Network; the Men who have Sex with Men Global Forum; the International Indigenous People Secretariat, among others. 

Developing the streams took an enormous amount of effort on the part of community groups. They had to sift through the entire programme of sessions, Global Village sessions, Cultural activities, affiliated events and satellites in order to identify those that related to their stream. However, the information was enormously useful to delegates. It also helped identify just how much was happening at the Conference in any given field.

We will update as information comes in.