Alberta Positive Voice Conference – Hope Discovered

The following was submitted by Mark Randall, Chair of the Alberta Positive Voices Advisory Committee.

It has now been almost two weeks since the 2009 Alberta Positive Voice Conference was held. This was a conference planned, presented and developed by Persons Living with HIV/AIDS for Persons Living with HIV/AIDS and their non positive partners. I have been involved with this conference since the first one organized in Edmonton in the late 1990’s and have watched it develop over the years into something bigger and better each time.

This year’s conference proved to be a greater success than I could have ever imagined based on the positive evaluation comments from conference attendees. Many of the presenters were people living with HIV, and representatives from a number of major National AIDS Service agencies such as the Canadian Treatment Action Council, the Canadian AIDS Society and the Canadian AIDS Treatment and Information Exchange presented workshops, a first for this conference. Workshops topics included how to get involved, how to talk with your doctor, aromatherapy, current and new treatment medications, disclosure of HIV status, healthy sexual lives, human rights and building a Catastrophic Drug Plan for Canadians.

Yes, this sounds like a lot of brain work but we also managed to incorporate massage therapy sessions, movie and games nights, time alone to just relax in a beautiful country environment and the chance to talk with other people living with the same issues and illness in a safe place. Peer power at its best!

Overall I think the weekend created an atmosphere of hope for many who attended. Hope that there is a future in living with HIV, hope there are current medications and newer ones in development, hope that there are others we can connect to and support with our needs and fears in living with HIV.

I must admit that I am most pleased with this conference above the others I have been involved with as it managed to bring about all the best things we as persons living with HIV have to offer each other and the greater community and I hope that there will be an even better and bigger event in 2011.

I would like to express my deepest thanks to the donors and sponsors who supported this project without hesitation and with open hearts. If you could see the impact it has had on the lives of those who attended, you would know it was all well worth your support.

Finally I have to thank the organizing committee, our host organization AIDS Calgary, the Alberta Community Council on HIV, our event coordinator and last but not least the individuals living with HIV and their partners who attended for having the courage to come and be part of something bigger for us all to share, grow and learn from.

I am forever proud and deeply humbled by you all.