Positive Speakers Bureau Annual Awards
PLWHA Victoria acknowledges the contribution made by individuals and organisations at the Annual General Meeting.
The Speakers Bureau award is presented to an organisation, sponsor or individual that has made an outstanding contribution to the further development of the Speakers Bureau.
The recipient will have strengthened the capacity of the Bureau to deliver its vitally important work of reducing HIV/AIDS stigma and discrimination in the wider community and raising awareness of the issues of living with HIV/AIDS.
Award Recipients
Peter Davis. 2010
Peter Davis has made an extraordinary contribution to the Positive Speakers Bureau and the HIV response since the mid eighties.
From being a Board member at the VAC/GMHC and PLWHA Victoria, a founding member of Straight Arrows to being convenor of the Positive Speakers Bureau in the mid nineties. He is a regular speaker about HIV and other blood borne viruses in Victorian secondary schools. Peter has worked as a documentary freelancer for ABC Radio National and was co-producer of Positively Primed / HIV Plus at 3CR. He is also a creative writer and poet having been published in The Age as well as various literary journals.
He recorded many PLHIV stories in the mid 1990’s and his latest contribution has been as the Volunteer Project worker for the Positive Speakers Bureau creative writing workshops and then Volunteer Editor for the book of PLHIV stories called "Closer."
Peter developed the Project description, sourced a creative writing workshop facilitator - the incredibly talented Angela Costi and worked collaboratively with all involved. He utilised his literary, documentary, editing and creative skills to build the book of creative writing by some of our PLHIV speakers. He strongly believes in the involvement of PLHIV at all levels in the HIV response.
His original in kind contribution for this project was 170 hours, however Peter spent double that time in creating "Closer." This project was the culmination of five years work from an idea to the final product with many hurdles along the way. As he and I realised how powerful the stories were, Angela and Peter supported the writers with the editing of their stories. Remarkably they were of such high quality that little rewriting was required - a testament to them and the writers. As the editing process proceeded Peter asked two talented artists to contribute their artistic talent to the book and Larissa MacFarlane and Jan Palethorpe donated all of their work to the book - another example of the voluntary commitment by so many to PLWHA Victoria.
The Creative writing workshops were funded by Oz ShowBiz who Cares - Equity Fights AIDS and they subsequently sponsored the printing of "Closer." We are indebted to their support in publishing a book of such quality.
"Closer" was launched alongside the DVD "Changing Voices" by the Chief Medical Officer In March 2010, to considerable acclaim. The book is testament to Peter’ extraordinary talent and voluntary commitment to PLWHA Victoria and we sincerely acknowledge his huge contribution to this project. PLWHA Victoria commends Peter’s involvement to the ongoing development of the Positive Speakers Bureau and this award recognises how exemplary his talent and support continues to be after 25 years.
2009. Eric Glare PhD
Eric Glare joined the Bureau in 2003 and describes his introduction to publicly speaking about living with HIV as jumping in the deep end and either sinking or swimming. He swam as a champion would and seized every training opportunity to develop his capacity as a speaker and he constantly strives to improve his presentations. He is determined to address stigma and discrimination and his personal story reflects this experience.
It is a privilege to have a PhD graduate who studied genetics and immunology become one of our speakers. He has supported the evolution of the Bureau’s professionalism and is now one of our key trainers.
Having had his share of wellness and illness, he has spoken many times about the Bureau giving the opportunity to see the big picture again and a way to reintegrate into the community. He has triumphed over mental ill health problems and become an outstanding HIV educator.
Eric was a key speaker at the inaugural launch of World AIDS Day at the Parliament of Victoria in 2005 and again in 2007. He spoke eloquently about the impact of HIV on his life and the loss of his career. He asked us to peel away stigma to talk about sexual health and HIV prevention, the need to support PLHIV and their families, to support young people and their parents - people like you and the next generation.
His preparedness to do print and radio media after completing our media training gave a voice to clearly articulating the realities of living with HIV and a mental health condition thereby making the interviews highly impactful. He has presented at conferences and for HIV drug company staff to provide personal perspectives on living with HIV to great acclaim.
He has demonstrated an extraordinary voluntary commitment to the Bureau. Working on numerous projects such as the HIV & STI School presentation and this year he has worked on a large project assessing the effectiveness of our evaluation methodologies and our Speaker request form in preparation for the rollout of the secondary school rural project. Utilising his research background and his lateral thinking, he has provided mentoring and constant support to speakers and the Bureau.
PLWHA Victoria commends Eric’s outstanding contribution to the development of the capacity of the Positive Speakers Bureau and this award recognises how vital his contribution and support has been in addressing HIV discrimination.
2008. Abbott Virology
Abbott Virology became a sponsor of talks by PLWHA Victoria HIV Positive speakers in 2001. They have renewed their sponsorship commitment yearly and are now in their eighth year of supporting the role of our speakers in educating the wider community and helping to reduce stigma and discrimination. Abbott’s sponsorship has allowed us to pay our speakers for their talks when schools and other agencies are financially disadvantaged thereby recognising the high levels of training that the speakers have undertaken to become HIV educators and the human face of HIV in the community. Given that many speakers are or have been on Disability support pensions being paid via Abbott’s sponsorship has contributed significantly to their financial survival.
This partnership has seen a seen a consistent yearly increase in how many extra speaking engagement we have been able to provide – mostly into Secondary Schools and non government organisations. To date they have provided sponsorship of over $20000. This equates to more than 240 extra talks. Additionally we have been able to offer a male and female perspective because of Abbott’s sponsorship instead of single speaker presentations.
Abbott has sponsored all talks at the Victoria AIDS Council peer education workshops since 2003. Many of the workshop participants state that it is the first time that they have met an HIV Positive person allowing our speakers to break down the barriers between HIV Positive and negative gay men.
Interstate Positive Speakers Bureau’s now seek sponsorship such as Abbott’s for their Bureaux recognising the importance of public/private partnerships.
PLWHA Victoria commends Abbott’s outstanding contribution to the development of the capacity of the Positive Speakers Bureau and this award recognises how vital their support has been to addressing HIV discrimination.
2007. Stephanie
Stephanie attended the 2005 NAPWA Conference and spoke about her life as a teenager who was born HIV Positive. Stephanie spoke passionately about Camp Goodtime where HIV positive teenagers meet once a year to support each other and to laugh and cry about living with HIV. Stephanie made an enormous impact on the mostly female audience.
On the Speakers Bureau Coordinator’s invitation, Stephanie joined the Speakers Bureau as a trainee speaker in 2006. The DHS HIV Community Grants made it possible for the Bureau to deliver Media training workshops to speakers and Stephanie jumped at the opportunity to participate. Stephanie seemed to soak up everything she learnt during the workshop and her DVD interviews were amazing to watch. Of particular note was the discrimination that Stephanie had experienced at school and her story is particularly poignant because of her resilience in overcoming this. Stephanie often quotes a statement made by one of the Camp Goodtime teenagers that she heard when she was 10 years old and it has become her mantra. “Those that matter don’t mind and those who mind don’t matter”. Stephanie is determined to inspire other HIV Positive teenagers with those words.
Inspiring speakers such as Stephanie will be the HIV ambassadors of the future and this award recognises the huge potential Stephanie has as an advocate of change in people perceptions about PLWHIV and the international work she has already done to break down stigma and discrimination. Her tenacity and willingness to talk about living with HIV as a teenager engenders immense admiration amongst those of us who have had the privilege of hearing her speak. We hope that she will inspire other young PLWHIV to become members of the Speakers Bureau.
Stephanie strongly believes that she will become an HIV activist and hopes to wipe out HIV stigma and discrimination. We sincerely hope that she does and this Award encourages her future development as a speaker to realise her dream.
Stephanie we salute you.
2006. Megan Warner
Megan Warner joined the Speakers Bureau in 2004 and quickly engaged in training opportunities especially the media training workshops delivered in April and October 2005 for personal and professional development.
Meg identified immediately with the aims of the Speakers Bureau in educating the wider community.
Meg didn’t really fit any of the usual stereotypes of HIV+ people. She worked in the University sector as a Resident Tutor in Theology. Her previous work background was as a lecturer in Law and a practising solicitor.
She joined the Speaker’s Bureau because she wanted to do what she could to help destroy the stigma around HIV and HIV+ people. She was inspired by the preparedness of some political and religious leaders in South Africa to speak out, at considerable personal cost, about the ways in which HIV has touched them and their families. By speaking publicly about her status she wanted to encourage other HIV Positive people to do the same.
On World AIDS day, December 1, 2005, Meg was one of two speakers who spoke at the Victorian Parliament in conjunction with the Jacinta Allan (Minister for Youth Affairs) who launched World AIDS day. Meg decided to go public about her status and her ability to communicate clearly and calmly was of great inspiration to all who were present.
This award congratulates Meg for her tenacity and willingness to openly talk about what it is like to live with HIV in today’s environment. She has significantly contributed to a greater understanding about HIV in her work with the Bureau.
In her new full time position interstate, we wish her every success in her career and look forward to working with her in whatever way we can.
2005. Merck Sharp & Dohme
Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD) for their enduring support of the organisation, the Speakers Bureau and the ongoing promotion of the importance of HIV Positive speakers being in front of audiences providing education and prevention messages to the wider community. Merck’s mentoring of the Speakers Bureau and ideas resulted in significant benefits to the speakers and their audiences.
Merck sponsored the Speakers Bureau training and education of speakers for 2005.
Merck is also commended for assisting TasCAHRD and PLWHA Victoria with sponsorship that allowed participation of our speakers in the launch of Tasmania’s World AIDS Awareness Week (WAAW) 2003. The project was an outstanding success with overwhelming media and political interest.
2004. Marie Frodsham
Marie Frodsham, (HIV/AIDS Coordinator at the Tasmanian Council on AIDS, Hepatitis and Related Diseases - TasCAHRD) for her role in developing Tasmania’s World AIDS Awareness week and the involvement of PLWHA Victoria’s Speakers Bureau in the provision of 2 speakers in 2003 to speak publicly about the issues of living with HIV/AIDS.
Marie’s commitment to the importance of HIV Positive people speaking publicly and her support of HIV Positive people in Tasmania created a role model for many who work in the HIV/AIDS sector.
The benefits to the Speakers Bureau were the development of inter state links and enhancement of the speakers’ capacity to inform the wider community about the issues of living with HIV/AIDS.