1. Involvement of PLWHA in the Decision Making Process Anastasia Kamlyk UNDP Consultant/Coordinator of Tides Foundation Grant program for HIV/AIDS Treatment Preparedness in the EE and CA 2 HIV/AIDS Focal Points/CoP Meeting Bishkek, 3-5 November 2004

2. Roman Dudnik AIDS Foundation East-West (AFEW), Russia Svilen Konov European AIDS Treatment Group (EATG), Bulgaria Natalia Leonchuk Ukrainian Network of People Living with HIV, Ukraine Konstantin Lezhentsev IHRD/OSI, Hungary David Ananiashvili Georgian Plus Group Natalia Shumskaya NGO “Podruga”, Kyrgyzstan Raminta Stuikyte CEE-HRN, Lithuania CRP: different communities and orgz, different parts of region, expertise in AIDS

3. Community Review Panel (CRP): role in the grants program Setting Priorities Selection of successful applications Technical assistance to applicants and grantees Monitoring and evaluation of grant implementation

4. Grants program aims Support advocacy for treatment access Community development (PLWHA and HIV/AIDS-affected groups) Reduce stigma and discrimination

5. Impact mobilizing community and raising activism to advocate for treatment, as well as shifting from formal representation of PLWHA community members to more proactive and expert position, especially regarding GF treatment component implementation

6. 1st year grants for activities in 2004 overview 20 projects supported from 9 countries (out of 133 applications) $188,130 in total ($9,000-$10,000 grant in average) Grantees: New and not well-funded organizations Self-organized groups (10 out of 20) Activities: HIV treatment advocacy Community activism and networking Overcoming stigma and discrimination

7. 1st year grants for activities in 2004 a few examples Ranar and Koz Karash (Kyrgyzstan): developing PLWHA network Credinta (Moldova): developing PLWHA network, educating stakeholders in regions and active participation in GF process Delo (Russia): mobilizing society groups and political commitment IDUMS (Lithuania): assessing real access of drug users to services (incl HIV treatment) and advocating for improvement

8. Contacts www.community-grants.org tides@community-grants.org (Anastasia Kamlyk)tides@community-grants.org

10. Using community-led model Similar grant programs on treatment preparedness in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Carribeans (Tides, ITPS)

11. Grant program and CRP for transparency & efficiency Conflict of interest policy No review of applications that might lead to conflict of interests (employee, expert,...) Closed discussions Reporting to communities Rotation of CRP members Supervision by coordinator and Tides Foundation Feedback from applicants and grantees

12. Grantees meeting Dec 2004 - Jan 2005 1st and 2nd-year grant program grantees Experience/knowledge exchange Discussing further priorities Feedback about the process Rotation in CRP

13. HIV/AIDS Grant Program for HIV/AIDS Treatment Preparedness in the EE and CA, Tides Foundation Launched in May 2003 For advocacy of interests of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and other HIV/AIDS-affected communities Geography: Newly Independent States incl Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Georgia, Ukraine, Russia, Lithuania One-year grants, 10,000 USD Funding: Tides Foundation and IHRD/Open Society InstituteTwo one-year programs: grants for activities in 2004, for activities in 2005

14. 1st year grants for activities in 2004 a few examples Georgian Plus Group (Georgia): ensuring inclusion of cheap generic ARVs in the procurement list of treatment component/GF grant Way Home (Ukraine): Establishing egal consultation system to drug users

15. 2nd year grant program for 2005 process started 88 applications received NGOs and groups without legal status 33 applications from 13 countries selected for the 2nd round Final decision – by Nov 1, 2004 Implementation of supported activities - in 2005 Up to 250,000 USD raised

16. 1,5-year experience challenges and issues to be addressed Careful selection and management of Community Review Panel Monitoring and evaluation process Technical assistance to applicants and grantees and coordination with other capacity building initiatives Improvement of networking between grantees

17. 2nd year grant program for 2005 priorities Treatment advocacy Community and self-organization development incl mobilizing political commitment, addressing ARV medication pricing, watchdogging the Global Fund grants, developing PLWHA networks, building self- organization infrastructure…