“Higher IQs” “Allergy prevention” “The best nature has to offer” “Just the right amount” “Disease resistance” “Bone builders”

These are just some of the false health and nutritional claims made in adverts and labels for formula milk products by multinational baby food companies. To maintain their high profits, these companies persist in ignoring World Health Organization standards for infant feeding and the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes.The formula milk industry relies on aggressive and misleading marketing to persuade mothers that their products are as good as, if not better than, breastmilk. This has caused an alarming global decline in breastfeeding practice and promotion, and tainted or non-sterile products have resulted in illness and deaths among children across the world.We need key strategies to ensure ethical policy formulation around infant feeding choices. This Forum will present the factual and scientific evidence you need to join the call for active branding of breastfeeding as the best way to nourish our children, and for our government to enforce the International Code of Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes.

The presentation from this forum can be downloaded here

This forum came about as a result of the ground-breaking research and guidelines as espoused in the recent Lancet article. The Lancet article can be read here

The Centre for HIV/AIDS Networking (HIVAN) and the World Conference on Religion and Peace (WCRP), hosted a forum entitled Sexuality and Prejudice, on 26 May 2009.Odette Geldenhuys, the Director of Pro-Bono.org (HIV/AIDS Legal Clinic) presented on What’s Law Got to Do with HIV/AIDS?Odette’s presentation can be downloaded here

The Centre for HIV/AIDS Networking (HIVAN) and the World Conference on Religion and Peace (WCRP), hosted a forum entitled Sexuality and Prejudice, on 26 May 2009. The speakers at this forum were Glenn De Swardt, the Psychosocial Manager for Men4Health and Sue Frye, of Diabetes Action.Glenn’s Presentation can be downloaded hereSue’s Presentation can be downloaded here

HIVAN / WCRP Forums - The HIVAN / WCRP Forum has a new partner - the US Consulate. They have come on board to help sponsor more workshops, as well as enabling our members and colleagues to meet with some of their very interesting visitors. We had more than 14 Forums this year, including five Youth Peace Forums, and a special celebration for International Peace Day. Every forum has 60 to 90 people participating and the YPFs have over 1000 young people at theirs.
16 Days of Activism - WCRP and HIVAN joined with Diakonia and the KZN survivors of violence for a very successful 16 Days of Activism against Violence against Women. The E-campaign of “Ring the Bell! Stop the Violence!” also saw articles in the press, a march, a wonderful T Shirt campaign at the City Hall preceded by a beautiful service at Emmanuel Cathedral .

HIVAN has a networking team dedicated to facilitating contact, communication and collaboration within and across the higher education, public, private, faith-based, non-government, and community-based sectors. HIVAN’s website, database, newsletters, reviews, and fora are all intended to enable and encourage these interactions. These fora are attended by community workers, volunteers and representatives from NGOs, FBOs, CBOs and government. They create a context for people and organisations to network and build contacts outside of the usual networks, raise knowledge levels and expose people to relevant and timely issues surrounding HIV and AIDS and creates dialogue between groups that don’t normally come in contact with each other. HIVAN’s networking fora are:

• The MRC KZN AIDS Forum
• Faith-Based Leaders and HIV/AIDS Researchers Forum
• Youth Fora
• Capacity-building Workshops
• Home-Based Care Workshops
• Contentious Issues Panel Discussion
• The HIVAN North and South Coast Communities Fora
• SHAPE
• The Public Health HIV/AIDS Journal Club Forum
• Internal HIVAN Forum

HIVAN partners with the World Conference on Religions for Peace (WCRP)/Interfaith forum for this forum series, which is attended by about 40 participants.