The Pan Caribbean Partnership against HIV and AIDS (PANCAP) will host the Second Joint Regional Dialogue on the theme “Assessing Progress Toward Ending AIDS”.  The Dialogue will be held in Port-of-Spain, Republic of Trinidad and Tobago on 10 September 2019.

The objectives of the Dialogue are to:

• Provide an update on the implementation of recommendations that emanated from the first Regional Dialogue held in April 2018.
• Enable participants to explore personal values and attitudes that may contribute to reinforcing differences or fostering an environment that supports diversity.
• Discuss and propose options on the way forward for each stakeholder group including areas for collaboration other stakeholder groups beyond the current Global Fund grant.

The Dialogue will provide an opportunity for the PANCAP Coordinating Unit to update on the implementation of recommendations arising from the first Regional Dialogue in April 2018 among five stakeholder group – Parliamentarians, Faith Leaders, Civil Society Leaders, National AIDS Programme Managers and Youth Leaders.

Conscious that there remain challenges in relation to differences among some stakeholder groups, the Regional Dialogue will provide a space to allow participants to explore their personal values and divergent views, as well as the implicit biases that serve as barriers to communication with and acceptance of “the other” or different groups. Through an interpersonal and intra activities in plenary, it is hoped that participants will clarify their values, identify the challenges and responses required to overcome the gaps in trust, diversity and social identity that currently exist among stakeholders. In this regard, the Dialogue should consider what is required to develop positive attitudes to diverse social identities, such as men who have sex with men, transgender persons, sex workers, persons who use drugs, migrants and persons with disabilities.

As the current Global Fund Grant comes to an end on 30^th September 2019, participants will discuss and agree on the way forward including areas for collaboration and identify the support they require from the PANCAP Coordinating Unit and regional and national partners to work towards achieving the end of AIDS.

Expected Outputs

• Strategies for fostering stakeholders’ collaboration for ending AIDS at the national level.
• Areas for collaboration among stakeholders at the national level.
• List of support needs for advancing stakeholders’ work at the national level.

Target audience

Participants will be drawn from among those who participated in the first joint dialogue and will include Parliamentarians representing Government and Opposition, Members of the Regional Faith Leaders Steering Committee and other selected Faith Leaders, selected Regional Civil Society Leaders who work with Key Populations, members of the PANCAP Youth Advocacy Steering Committee on Youth Advocacy and National AIDS Programme Managers.