twinning against AIDS Survey Response - 5. 1 to 6.2

5.1 Selected suggestions for other means of developing twinning relationships between organisations at a distance from each other:

Workshops for capacity building on specific issues

Exchanging information via regular updates

Using ICTs such as teleconferencing and Internet

Develop and distribute course modules for multi-sectoral AIDS control

Exchange programmes for staff between organisations

Ability to participate and interact in conferences and symposiums

Being able to share materials

Using Internet discussion forums

Making better use of Internet solutions for direct staff communication

Promoting twinning between local organisations in the same area

Creation of apprentice positions

Jointly developing and implementing projects

Sharing successful models, programmes and evaluations

Organising study tours

Contributing to a common web site to exchange best practise

Developing collaborative research projects

6. Commitment to, and methods for, exchanging information, skills and experience as an important component in the fight against AIDS.

6.1 The importance placed on improving the ability of groups involved in the fight against AIDS to exchange information, skills, and experience on a scale of 1 to 5 with 1 being lowest and selected comments:

Selected comments:

This is the best way to achieve success in fighting the epidemic

This is most needed for global commitment

We believe that together we have more strengths than weaknesses

Information access is absolutely essential

Strong organisations can strengthen the capacities of the economically disadvantaged

This is fundamentally important because most aids organizations lack resources and permanent staff

HIV/AIDS involvement can be depressing and taxing on the mind of persons working with it. The possibility for burnout is very high and sharing information helps the involved to realise that they are alone.

Without this sharing ISHIMA would not be where it is today

In our developing countries we miss simple information to increase the quality of our services

AIDS necessitates a collective and international fight. Experiences from one part of the world need to be offered to others for the greater benefit of human kind

6.2 The importance placed on twinning partnerships with other organisations to respond to the HIV/AIDS crisis on a scale of 1 to 5 with 1 being lowest and selected comments:

Selected comments:

We would like to learn how other groups develop and finance their activities

Important to know what works/doesn't work in other interventions; more important to adapt lessons learned to local cultures and practices

I believe that this is a good way to start to address the problem from multiple perspectives

Provided that twinning is balanced and not the blind leading the blind

Pooling knowledge and resources will make the response to aids more effective

Twinning may be most helpful in-country between high-functioning and less high functioning districts or NGOs

Only at a certain stage of development

Concerned about 'time wasting'

Aids is an international problem. the solution needs to be international in order to include everybody. twinning is a tool to increase relationship between different regions and nations who need to work together to eliminate aids

Twinning partnerships are important as they provide a means to scale up the support rather than working in isolation