Local community members met at the AIDS Memorial in Robertson Park on December 1 to mark this year’s World AIDS Day. Graeme Dixon was awarded the HIV Positive Person award; the Group or Association Award went to Mirrabooka Migrant Resource Centre and Sharon Clews won the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Award.

The Youth Award went to the Youth Educating Peers (YEP) Project from YACWA; the Goldfields Population Health Unit led by Dr Charles Douglas received the Rural and Remote Award and Scoop Magazine won the Media award.

GP on Beaufort won the Health Services award and the Individual Award went to former AFAO Executive Director Don Baxter. ‘HIV is still here’ was Australia’s theme for this year while the Western Australian AIDS Council advocated its current 1 Community campaign, challenging HIV/AIDS stigma and discrimination.

The 1 Community campaign is an online photographic campaign that organisers hope will target the fear, ignorance and misconceptions of people living with HIV that leads to discrimination. Last month, WAAC Executive Director Trish Langdon said many people living with HIV still continued to report instances of discrimination in their everyday lives.

The campaign is inviting people to visit the website, www.1community.org.au, and take a stand against discrimination by making a public statement of support.

Benn Dorrington

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