IHRD Call for Letters of Intent, LEgal Assistance for IDU and PLWA

crossposted from www.pili.org

International Harm Reduction Development Program
                          Open Society Institute

                       Call for Letter of Intention

   To: Independent human rights group, promoting individual rights and the
rule of law in democratic states and organizations of human rights lawyers
                              in CEE and FSU

   Twenty years after the first case of HIV positive was diagnosed, the HIV
   epidemic  in  the  countries  of  Central  and Eastern Europe the former
   Soviet  Union  (CEE/FSU)  is  still  rapidly increasing. Most HIV in the
   region  is related to the shared use of injection equipment. At present,
   efforts to educate and otherwise modify the behavior of IDUs are impeded
   because  the  target  population is ostracized and marginalised and many
   harm  reduction  projects still report strong community-level resistance
   to  their  work and still many local and national governments are averse
   to harm reduction.

    The International Harm Reduction Development program (IHRD) of the Open
    Society  Institute is pleased to invite independent human rights group,
    promoting  individual  rights  and the rule of law in democratic states
    and  organizations  of  human  rights  lawyers in CEE and FSU to submit
    letters of intentions describing ideas of projects that will provide:

·     Legal assistance: by offering free legal advice Harm Reduction
projects staff, PLWA (people living with AIDS) and to drug consumers as
well as by offering information on issues concerning data protection;
·     Legal advocacy: by initiating legislation and/or changes in the
application of the laws related with drug use, HIV national policies with
regard of IDUs and access to HIV/AIDS treatment; by drawing the attention
of the legislator, in the course of the preparation of new laws, to the
requirements of the human rights; by evaluating the impact of current
legislation on the HIV prevention efforts among IDUs.
·     Public education: by informing the public on the significant legal
cases in their  practice with IDUs and PLWA (while securing anonymity to
its clients); by preparing informational brochures in matters of legal
policy; by making available the data on the Internet; by organizing
discussion forums on issues of  IDU's and PLWA rights, and drug policy;
Organizations   skilled   in   building   alliances   with  Harm  Reduction
organizations  in  their countries and other human rights groups whether in
their  country  or  abroad will have an advantage in this competition. Only
letters of intention submitted in English will be reviewed.

In three pages, please share with us the following information:
·     organizational information: name of applicant organization,  name of
individual submitting application, relationship of individual to proposed
project (job title), organization contact information, organizational
history, operations and finances;
·     project information: project goals and objectives, background
information, and implementation.

Letters of intention should be submitted to International Harm Reduction
Development Program Open Society Institute Budapest H 1051 Budapest, Nador
u. 11, Hungary, by email: [email protected] or by fax to 361.3273864  by
August 16, 2001.

There will be an opportunity for selected organization  to take part in a
training seminar focusing on issues of non-discrimination, human rights,
and Harm Reduction. Following the training the selected organization will
be invited to submit full proposals.

Selected organizations will be notified by August 30, 2002