C  H  A  M  P: Community HIV/AIDS Mobilization Project
80A 4TH AVE • BROOKLYN, NY 11217 • 212-437-0254 • FAX 718-802-9741
J u l i e  D a v i d s • E x e c u t i v e  D i r e c t o r • jdavids@critpath.org

CHAMP (Community HIV/AIDS Mobilization Project) was founded in 2003 by people with HIV, long-time community organizers, and policy advocates dedicated to building an effective movement bridging human rights, HIV/AIDS and struggles for social and economic justice in the United States.

We will not let the gains of the AIDS movement be lost in a time of conservative power. Instead, we insist on expanding these gains to address the needs of all of the communities of people affected by HIV/AIDS in the United States. We seek local and national partners to bring additional insight, passion and resources to this goal, seeking to launch this initiative in January, 2004.

CHAMP will provide an infrastructure for training, community organizing, and real linkages between local grassroots efforts and federal policy. We will enhance local HIV/AIDS advocacy, strengthen regional service and organizing networks, mentor and activate local grassroots leaders in national advocacy, and overcome historical barriers to collaboration between movements that impact the lives of people with HIV. In all of our work, we will fight HIV stigma, provide information and tools for HIV prevention, and re-energize community mobilization against HIV/AIDS.

CHAMP will unlock the power of low-income people, people of color, former and current drug users, and immigrants most impacted by HIV in a united fight against HIV/AIDS. Cross-trained and rooted in both HIV/AIDS and social/economic justice movements, our members will bring new energy and resources to community AIDS organizations. They will be part of the next generation of AIDS movement leaders reflecting the range of challenges of HIV/AIDS in the United States.

CHAMP Structure: The core components of CHAMP are local community organizing, regional training, and national policy efforts.

Local Community Organizing: CHAMP will place four skilled community organizers in New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington DC. They will bring new constituencies to social and economic justice campaigns that impact the lives of people with HIV 3 such as access to health care and housing, prison issues, drug treatment and immigration policies — and increase participation of people with HIV and grassroots activists in AIDS-specific campaigns. They will build trust and collaboration between HIV/AIDS organizations and social/economic justice groups in neighborhoods hard-hit by HIV. Serving as a resource for local organizations seeking "next steps" for their clients and members interested in advocacy, they will provide emerging leaders with individual mentorship, networking opportunities, and an invitation to the CHAMP Training Network. And they will link grassroots activists to effective national policy work focused on HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care.

Regional Training Network: The CHAMP Training Network has three components: intensive basic and advanced training for CHAMP members; advocacy training for AIDS organizations; and workshops for grassroots community organizations. All trainings will be provided in English and Spanish.

Basic CHAMP training — provided at the local level to people with HIV and allies in conjunction with local groups — offers a solid foundation in HIV/AIDS issues, leadership skills, and community organizing, and supports participants in building effectiveness as local advocates. Every four months, regional gatherings will unite CHAMP staff, members, and allies for a weekend of hands-on collaboration, advanced training, and trust-building. We prioritize interactive learning, where participants learn from one another, and emphasize critical thinking skills. The curricula includes a full range of HIV/AIDS advocacy issues, including prevention, health care financing, immigrant rights, incarceration, and housing. Members will build skills for top-line leadership, such as political and issue analysis, popular education tools, anti-oppression training, strategy development, and using the Internet.

CHAMP staff and training program graduates will develop and utilize popular education curricula in advocacy training for the clients, staff, and volunteers of AIDS service organizations (ASOs) that address the root causes of barriers to community mobilization in the service community. CHAMP will use a similar strategy in workshops for grassroots social/economic justice organizations located in areas of high HIV prevalence. We will open up discussion of HIV/AIDS in some cultures and communities; the impact of HIV/AIDS on the families and communities of members and staff; and share strategies for combating homophobia, AIDS stigma and competition for resources between urban groups.

National HIV/AIDS Policy and Internships: The CHAMP national/local liaison will be a key source of information and strategy on federal policies impacting the HIV community. Our liaison will work with CHAMP members, community organizers and allies to combat the Bush Administration's attacks on HIV prevention, and to track other key policy issues affecting our members. Our bilingual and bi-monthly policy briefing, distributed by Internet, fax, and mail, will address the critical need for understandable "news you can use" on national policy issues for people living with HIV and other grassroots activists. In addition, CHAMP will provide paid, 8 week internships for our leaders in national HIV/AIDS policy organizations, bringing key voices and perspectives to the Beltway while furthering the development of new leaders living with HIV as resources for local communities.