Positive Partnerships: A Toolkit for the Greater Involvement of People Living with or Affected by HIV and AIDS in the Caribbean Education Sector

Designed for the Caribbean's education sector, this toolkit provides step-by-step lesson plans, handouts, and facilitator resources to assist staff, educators, networks of people living with HIV, and others to apply the principles of the greater involvement of people living with or affected by HIV (GIPA).

The toolkit includes 10 activities, each requiring from 1-3 hours, that introduce the basics of HIV and AIDS, the concept of GIPA, and ways its principles can be incorporated into a comprehensive approach for the education sector's HIV and AIDS initiatives, as well as specific capacity-building activities focused on advocacy skills. The issues surrounding stigma and discrimination, as well as confidentiality and disclosure, are addressed through case studies and role plays. Suggestions for monitoring and evaluation with corresponding sample quizzes are offered at the conclusion of each activity and at the end of the toolkit. The document closes with several appendices, including a glossary, guidelines for facilitators, and detailed descriptions of earlier models for a comprehensive approach in the education sector's response to HIV and AIDS.

According to the publishers - the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Kingston Cluster Office for the Caribbean and the Education Development Center (EDC)'s Health and Human Development Division - undertaking the development of this toolkit was itself an application of the GIPA principle. People living with HIV shared the decision-making and implementation of activities, served as co-writers of the toolkit, and participated with the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health staff in the Bahamas and Jamaica, serving as facilitators and providing feedback. "These 'positive partnerships' affirmed collaboration and mutual support among these stakeholders and sectors."