Nelson Mandela Foundation

On World AIDS Day: starting where communities are

December 1, 2009 – As part of its ongoing work with communities throughout South Africa about the awareness and prevention of HIV/AIDS, the Nelson Mandela Foundation convened 120 dialogues this year – 12 conversations in 10 communities in all nine provinces.

Community conversations

Dec 1, 2008 – The Nelson Mandela Foundation has published a booklet describing the series of 10 community conversations on HIV/AIDS around South Africa in 2008.

In his foreword to the booklet, Foundation CEO Achmat Dangor writes: “The 2008 dialogues held in 10 community settings have created a body of knowledge that policy makers, scientists and activists will certainly find useful. Most importantly, these dialogues have helped the local participants to confront that “unspeakable” presence in their midst: HIV prevalence and AIDS mortality. They now have the potential to be empowered and to act decisively.”

Lerome community conversation

June 9, 2008 - The NMF Centre of Memory and Dialogue community conversations are a continuation of work started in late 2007 focusing on HIV prevention. The conversations are preceded by social mobilisation events and culminate in dialogue which provides the opportunity for the community to create concrete plans to tackle the epidemic.

In 2008, as part of the Nelson Mandela Foundation’s celebration of the 90th birthday of Nelson Mandela, the Centre of Memory and Dialogue plans to hold 14 community conversations across South Africa. These are run in partnership with members from the local community.