The New Zealand AIDS Foundation's activities should not be limited to New Zealand, it's members decided at yesterday's AGM. At yesterday's Annual General Meeting, The majority of voters believed that the NZAF should use its resources to support our near neighbours outside New Zealand when needed. NZAF board chair Jeremy Lambert says our Pacific neighbours have frequently invited them in to assist in the fight against the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Viewing HIV as only a domestic problem is short-sighted: “We have close interrelationships through travel, and through family living in New Zealand, and that requires us to be a little bit more outward looking,” he says. Until now, the NZAF has had to be strict on limiting its activities to New Zealand. “The board is suggesting going forward that we should have some involvement with the pacific,” Lambert explains. “But that comes with certain conditions. It's not to detract resources away from other programmes which we are required to deliver, should as our prevention programmes for men who have sex with men. “There's also a financial threshold limit, so we can't spend more than five percent of our resources in areas outside New Zealand. Otherwise, we would have problems with our charitable status.” Lambert believes other HIV/AIDS charities have attempted to institute programmes in neighbouring countries to the detriment of core business in their home nation – he makes it clear that on a practical level, the NZAF will assist other countries when invited to help. “We do quite often get invited to assist our Pacific Island brothers and sisters. They say they're just starting out, and they just need help for example with establishing our governance, or core organisation processes, or delivering programmes to fa'afafine. “Now, we are able, within reason, to take up some of those offers.” Ref: GayNZ.com (m)
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Sunday, 26th November 2006 - 12:00pm