Simon Cazal, representing SOMOSGAY and Cnel. Manuel Galeano on behalf of the Committee for Prevention and Control of HIV/AIDS, (COPRECOS), signed on Wednesday August 6th a cooperation agreement and joint work between SOMOSGAY and the Armed Forces of the Nation.
The aim of this agreement is to establish interagency linkages that allow the development of &nbsp;workshops to transfer knowledge in terms of sexual health education and mass testings for the prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment of syphilis and HIV in the Armed Forces of the Nation.
It also includes the provision of direct services needed through the Kuimba'e Clinic (located in Independencia Nacional and Manduvir&aacute; 1032). At the same time, the training for staff of the armed forces on Human Rights and Health, with the intention of generating a broader reach to communities.
SOMOSGAY will provide, for the implementation of these activities, the human, professionals and technical resources, as well as the logistics required for the implementation. COPRECOS in turn will, be responsible for the necessary arrangements to access the various locations and monitoring thereof.
The Kuimba'e Clinic, specialized in the health and welfare of man, has the support of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) and aims to make visible the importance of condom use to prevent HIV and STIs, also highlighting the importance for the country to promote the overall health of all people in a friendly environment free from discrimination.
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Signing of Agreement between SOMOSGAY and COPRECOS Paraguay to work with the Armed Forces

Signing-of-Agreement-between-SOMOSGAY-and-COPRECOS-Paraguay-to-work-with-the-Armed-Forces

Sim&oacute;n Cazal, representante de la Organizaci&oacute;n SOMOSGAY y el Cnel. DCEM Manuel Galeano en representaci&oacute;n del Comit&eacute; de Prevenci&oacute;n y Control del Vih/sida, (COPRECOS), firmaron el mi&eacute;rcoles 6 de agosto un convenio marco de cooperaci&oacute;n y trabajo conjunto entre SOMOSGAY y las Fuerzas Armadas de la Naci&oacute;n.
El objetivo de este convenio es establecer v&iacute;nculos interinstitucionales que permitan la realizaci&oacute;n de talleres para la transferencia de conocimientos en educaci&oacute;n en salud sexual y jornadas de testeos masivos para la prevenci&oacute;n, detecci&oacute;n temprana, diagn&oacute;stico y tratamiento de la S&iacute;filis y el VIH en las Fuerzas Armadas de la Naci&oacute;n. Tambi&eacute;n incluye la prestaci&oacute;n de servicios directos que sean necesarios en la Cl&iacute;nica Kuimba&rsquo;e (ubicada en Independencia Nacional 1032 casi Manduvir&aacute;). Al mismo, tiempo se realizar&aacute; la capacitaci&oacute;n para el personal de las FFAA, con la intenci&oacute;n de generar un mayor alcance a las comunidades.
SOMOSGAY aportar&aacute;, para la realizaci&oacute;n de las actividades, los Recursos Humanos voluntarios y profesionales, apoyo t&eacute;cnico, como tambi&eacute;n log&iacute;sticos necesarios para la ejecuci&oacute;n de las mismas, COPRECOS por su parte se encargar&aacute; de las gestiones pertinentes para el acceso a los distintos lugares y seguimiento de las mismas.
La Cl&iacute;nica Kuimba'e, especializada en el bienestar y la salud del hombre, cuenta con el apoyo de la AIDS Healthcare Foundation y tiene el objetivo de visibilizar la importancia del uso del cond&oacute;n para prevenir el VIH y las ITS, resalta la importancia que tiene para el pa&iacute;s promocionar la salud integral de todas las personas, en un ambiente amigable y libre de discriminaci&oacute;n

Se puede acceder al texto del convenio <a href="/uploads/Convenio_SOMOSGAY_COPRECOS_2014.pdf" target="_blank">aqui</a>.
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Firma de convenio entre SOMOSGAY y COPRECOS Paraguay para trabajos con las FFAA de la Nación

Firma-de-convenio-entre-SOMOSGAY-y-COPRECOS-Paraguay-para-trabajos-con-las-FFAA-de-la-Nacin

Adolfo Ruiz, representative and coordinator of the Youth Area at SOMOSGAY participated in the Public Hearing on Human Rights in Paraguay on the Communards Hall of the House of Representatives at the Congress on Wednesday, July 9th.
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This hearing was convened by the Mercosur Parliament (Parlasur) for parliamentarians and members of the Paraguayan civil society in the preparation of the "Annual Report on the Situation of Human Rights in the States Parties" which in 2014 corresponds to Paraguay.
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Several reports were presented &nbsp;distributed in blocks composed of indigenous sectors, farmers, children and adolescents and the LGBT community and others, where they could participate in the many allegations of violations and abuses of human rights towards these sectors of Paraguayan society.
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The main allegations made by the representative of SOMOSGAY were focused on the latest developments related to the Assembly of the OAS; the initial refusal of the national foreign ministry of agreeing on the HR, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression Resolution, misogynistic and homophobic statements by Senators of the Nation in a session, the brutal repression of LGBT activists of SOMOSGAY, LESVOS and journalists by the police as part of a peaceful demonstration outside the Conmebol, the mobilization of the church, pro-life and pro-family members and declarations of Eladio Loizaga and President Horacio Cartes, claiming that homophobia does not exist in Paraguay.
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During the presentation of the report, Adolfo Ruiz also added: "When we speak of the Mercosur, we refer to a block of cooperative market, also of social cooperation, but above all a prevailing economic determinism, if we refer to human rights we must start with a approach of popular struggle of social movements and the sideline of the neoliberal approach. The existence of Parlasur and Human Rights Commission is a step forward, but that should not mean waving the flag of rights as a political sham of mere pose, protocol and diplomacy, but it is an entity that truly ensures compliance with HR in the member countries. Human Rights are for everyone, and they are not traded goods but must be warranted."
SOMOSGAY is committed to continue the struggle for the conquest of human rights, with activities such as Human Paraguay campaign and community mobilization programs to build a more equal and just country, defending human rights, the rights of everyone.

SOMOSGAY participated in the Public Hearing on Human Rights convened by the Parlasur

SOMOSGAY-participated-in-the-Public-Hearing-on-Human-Rights-convened-by-the-Parlasur

On the evening of Saturday, July 19th, the participants of the third group of Community Agents received their certificates, during the culmination ceremony of this innovative course aimed at young activists. With the words of Sergio Lopez, Secretary General of SOMOSGAY and Adolfo Ruiz, the Youth Program Coordinator, the event took place with an entertaining toast.
The members of this third class of Community Agents on Human Rights and Health are: Alberto Toshio Akita, Antonio Ben&iacute;tez Rivas, Cristina Soledad Pe&ntilde;a, Daniel Bueno Villafa&ntilde;e, Dely Gissella Araujo, Diego Jes&uacute;s Tam&aacute;s, Diego Sim&oacute;n Ram&iacute;rez, Erenia Romero, Eugenio Ram&oacute;n Allende, Francisca Elizabeth Arzamendia, Freddy Esquivel, Luis Fernando Uliambre, Mar&iacute;a Eugenia Gaona, Mauricio V&aacute;squez Franco, Natalia Medina Ar&eacute;valo, Richar Gabriel Alvarez, Roc&iacute;o Elizabeth Fern&aacute;ndez, Romina Rol&oacute;n Araujo, Romina Marycruz Verna, Sheila Renata Rodas, Sara Raquel Orrego and Vladimir Fernando Guerin.
The themes developed in these series of workshops and discussions included the Use of Recreational Drugs, by Ariel Gonz&aacute;lez, Gender and Behavioral Expressions of Sexuality by the Psychologist Patricia Aguilar, LGBT Civil Rights by the Lawyer Mar&iacute;a In&eacute;s L&oacute;pez, Heteronormativity by Dominica Vera, HIV Behavioral and Epidemiological Data in Gay Men by Dr. Mar&iacute;a Vera, Training on Voluntary Counseling and Testing for Peers, by the counselors of the Kuimba'e Clinic Paloma Vera and Carlos S&aacute;nchez, LGBT History developed by the historian Francisco Alcaraz, Public Policy for Youth in Paraguay by Community Psychologist student Mirtha Estigarribia, among other skills building sessions and dynamics on the mentioned themes.
Community Agents is an innovative program developed by SOMOSGAY in Paraguay with European Union (EU), Fundaci&oacute;n Tri&aacute;ngulo and the Valladolid City Hall (Spain), to train new youth leaders, so that they are upright propagators of new and innovative health and human rights paradigms. The Community Agents are people trained in order to look into their lives, families and neighborhoods from a different perspective, recognising the problems and how to deal with them, raising awareness of sexual health and human rights in Paraguay.
The Community Agents team is aimed at all those who wish to participate in actions in favor of human rights in their communities, and the next module of courses will be held in the month of August. For further information about this program and its content, contacts are available at SOMOSGAY by calling +595 21 495 802 or via www.somosgay.org/contact

Participants of the 3rd group of Community Agents received their Certificates in Paraguay

Participants-of-the-3rd-group-of-Community-Agents-received-their-Certificates-in-Paraguay

Simon Cazal, representing SOMOSGAY participates in the 20th International AIDS Conference, held in Melbourne, Australia, from 20 to 25 July, which this time brings together more than 12,000 participants from around the world. On Sunday July 20, to open the event a tribute consisting of a minute of silence for the victims of the tragic incident on July 17 in which more than 100 activists and researchers on HIV / AIDS were killed. They passed away as they were heading to the Conference on airline tickets from Malaysia (Malaysia Airlines) which crashed in the Ukrainian region of Donetsk because of an attack. 
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During the Conference, under the theme "Accelerating steps" progress is made in the global response to HIV / AIDS by scientists, doctors, researchers, activists and people living with HIV as it is being discussed, as well as the barriers hindering HIV control. 
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Moderated by Benjamin Clapham, representative of amfAR The Foundation for AIDS Research: On the first day of the Conference Panel "Creating evidence-based gay men, men who have sex with men and transgender programs Evidence in Action" was held. For the panel, the representative of SOMOSGAY presented findings obtained through a survey on sexual health and HIV in gay men in Paraguay. The qualitative survey was applied only to gay men, primarily in nightclubs to measure the amount and level of information on the VCT (Voluntary Counseling and Testing), HIV, sexual health and human rights in general. The survey focused on 4 main areas: voluntary counseling and testing; health care; antiretroviral therapy; discrimination and stigma. 
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During the opening presentation of the "Melbourne Declaration" launched at the AIDS 2014, which reaffirms the importance of non-discrimination and enables an effective response to HIV and public health programs are also conducted. It is affirmed that all women, men, transgender and intersex people, adults and children are entitled to equal opportunities and access to prevention, care and information and the treatment and care services. 
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On July 21, hundreds of people attended the candlelight vigil in Melbourne to commemorate the victims who died in the crash of Flight MH17, and also persons who have died from HIV. It is tradition in all editions of the International AIDS Conference conducting this vigil, which takes place every two years, and whose objective is to highlight and remember more than 35 million people who have lost their lives to HIV and also to celebrate the scientific and medical advances in the fight against HIV / AIDS. 
The end of the epidemic is only possible if we overcome the barriers of criminalization, stigma and discrimination that remain as key factors. 
 From SOMOSGAY we reaffirm our unwavering commitment to equality, universal access to health care and treatment services to support the inherent dignity and rights of all human beings. All persons are entitled to the protections afforded by international human rights frameworks, many of them made and ratified by the Paraguayan State towards the advancement of human rights in our country.

Noticias

Signing of Agreement between SOMOSGAY and COPRECOS Paraguay to work with the Armed Forces

13 ago 2014

Firma de convenio entre SOMOSGAY y COPRECOS Paraguay para trabajos con las FFAA de la Nación

06 ago 2014

SOMOSGAY participated in the Public Hearing on Human Rights convened by the Parlasur

23 jul 2014

Participants of the 3rd group of Community Agents received their Certificates in Paraguay

23 jul 2014

SOMOSGAY represents Paraguay at the World AIDS Conference, Australia 2014

23 jul 2014