Thank you to everyone who joined us this spring for Canada’s first national youth symposium. It was absolutely incredible to hear everyone’s stories and to have a group of participants who shared themselves and their truths so openly.
The weekend was truly transformational; beyond the enlightening presentations, the relationship building and connections that were created during the weekend will be a source of strength for years to come.
On behalf of the organizing committee, we’d like to especially acknowledge the presenters, the steering committee, the participants, our funders, our community partners and allies, and everyone who contributed to YUP 2016.
Highlights of the weekend included presentations and discussions on disclosure and HIV criminalization, explorations of spirituality in the context of HIV, and creating networks for national organizing. Participants were treated to complimentary massages and acupuncture and had lots of time to head down to the beach to relax. On Saturday evening we opened up the symposium to members of the community and welcomed a presentation of The Viral Monologues. One of the most important themes that emerged from the weekend was the power of storytelling.
On the last day, participants and organizers sat down for a sharing circle to reflect on the weekend. It was a powerful experience for everyone involved, and we are thrilled to announce that everyone who participated in YUP 2016 is eager to see it grow into something even more powerful next year.
With that, we’d like to invite you to support us in developing Youth Unleashing Power 2017. We are currently seeking HIV/HCV positive young adults (aged 18-32) to provide input and direction through our steering committee. We are also inviting community partnerships from organizations and businesses as we hope to significantly expand our budget to offer a longer symposium for a larger group of participants.
This project has been made possible through generous funding from the STOP/HIV AIDS Program of Island Health and is a project of the Vancouver Island Persons Living with HIV/AIDS Society (VPWAS).
