Coming Together, Caring Together: A Report on the Communities Responding to the HIV/AIDS Epidemic (CORE) Initiative, January 2001-June 2002

This report reviews some of the major activities completed and lessons learned during the first 18 months of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)'s CORE Initiative. This AIDS programme provides technical and financial assistance to community- and faith-based organisations working to increase advocacy, reduce stigma and discrimination, and improve care and support programmes in developing countries. Support is provided through conferences, demonstration projects, empowerment grants, and an online resource centre.

More specifically, chapters focus on the motivation for the initiative and on the means of reaching communities, raising awareness within communities, and connecting communities. Five appendices provide more detailed information on the programme.

- from the Introduction
"Communities are coming together to respond to the epidemic. They are the hardest hit, yet it is within communities that we increasingly find the strategies and strength to address HIV/AIDS and mitigate the impacts of the disease. Communities embrace values - care for one's neighbor, hope for a healthy future, and respect for life - that are of inestimable worth in confronting HIV/AIDS. And it is through community- and faith-based organisations, situated in the local context, that we see the values of communities in action. These organisations are on the frontlines, providing a range of prevention, care, and support services. Community- and faith-based organisations have the ability to influence the attitudes and behaviors of their neighbors and to develop and implement programs to meet local needs..."

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• I. Mobilising Communities: The Motivation for the CORE Initiative
• II. Reaching Communities: The Empowerment Grants Program
• III. Raising Awareness and Setting Priorities: Conferences, Workshops, and Networking
• IV. Scaling Up: Demonstration Projects
• V. Connecting Communities: The Online Resource Center
• VI. Looking Ahead: Lessons Learned and Future Directions
• Appendix A: Empowerment Grant Details
• Appendix B: Conferences and Workshops
• Appendix C: Planning Manual
• Appendix D: The POLICY Project
• Appendix E: References