This symposium, held in Durban, South Africa March 26-28 2001, brought together a selection of Africans engaged in governmental and non-governmental activities to combat HIV/AIDS in post-conflict areas, to explore commonalties in their approaches.   The gathering was not conceived as either a formal academic conference nor a training course led by outside “experts.” Rather, it provided a forum for networking, learning, and sharing experiences amongst all participants.  Together, the African practitioners came together and identified “lesson learned” and issues for consideration for practitioners, policy-makers, and the international community on interlinked strategies to address HIV/AIDS, conflict, and women’s empowerment.

The symposium was hosted by Tulane University’s Payson Center for International Development and Technology Transfer and the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD) and sponsored by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in association with CERTI, the International Centre for Migration and Health (ICMH), and the World Bank – Pretoria.

The goals for the symposium were:

1. To provide an overview of gender-sensitive practices and knowledge in preventing and coping with HIV/AIDS in the aftermath of violent conflict.
2. To expand this knowledge base by sharing and disseminating the experiences of Africans who are confronting these issues in their countries.
3. To work towards consensus on strategies, programs and policies for practitioners, policymakers and donors.

State Department Cable
 on the Workshop

Hosted by:

African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD)

Tulane University Payson Center for

International Development and Technology Transfer

Sponsored by:

United States Agency for International Development

In Association With:

Linking Complex Emergency Response and Transition Initiative (CERTI)

International Centre for Migration and Health - Geneva

World Bank - Pretoria