Global Village & Youth Programme

The Global Village is a diverse and vibrant space where communities from all over the world gather to meet, share and learn from each other. It intersects the main conference programme, blending scientific sessions with cultural activities, live performances, networking zones, NGO booths, marketplace booths, and art exhibits. Here, communities can demonstrate the application of science and good leadership, and conference participants are invited to see how science translates into community action and intervention.

The Global Village is open to the general public and conference delegates, and admission is free. At AIDS 2018, the Global Village will be located in Hall 5 and the Amtrium of the RAI Amsterdam, covering more than 8,000 square metres.

Opening hours

Global Village Session Rooms 1 and 2 and the Global Village Film Screening Room will run until 20:30 Monday to Thursday.

Please visit the online programme for more details on what to expect from your visit to the Global Village.

The Global Village and Youth Programme is created from public applications from a diverse range of individuals, groups and organizations for a variety of activities. All proposals submitted for the Global Village and Youth Programme were reviewed by a team of nominated reviewers who score applications based on a blind scoring system. The Global Village and Youth Programme Working Group made the final selection of activities.

Global Village & Youth Programme objectives

1. Fit the conference theme: Breaking Barriers, Building Bridges.
2. Create a vibrant cultural experience for conference delegates and the public living locally and visiting Amsterdam.
3. Provide a platform from which adolescents and youth coordinate promotion and advocacy of their interests within AIDS 2018 and their widespread participation in conference events.
4. Celebrate the successes and discuss the challenges of the HIV response in EECA and globally.
5. Build a productive learning and networking environment where activities promote synergies with other health and development priorities, including sexually transmitted infections (STIs), sexual and reproductive health and education, TB and HIV co-infection, human rights, reducing gender and other inequalities, and social protection.
6. Provide a space that connects all areas of science, leadership and community to promote and reinforce inclusive multi-sectoral partnerships, integrated development solutions, community development, youth engagement, accessible funding mechanisms, long-term planning and sustainability.
7. Provide a space that enables leadership, active participation, visibility of key and vulnerable populations, and attention to human rights and gender equality.
8. Promote the value of intergenerational exchange that fosters shared learning and counsel between people involved in the global response to HIV.
9. Empower people living with HIV in their emancipation and struggle for achieving the best possible health and well-being.

Global Village & Youth Programme activities

• Global Village Sessions feature workshops, panel discussions, debates and presentations with opportunities for Q&A. Sessions will focus on current and emerging HIV-related topics, as well as priority populations.
• Networking Zones are spaces where local and international groups can meet and focus on thematic areas. In these zones, groups can conduct their own activities and engage delegates and the public visiting the Global Village.
• The Main Stage is a space for live performances of music, dance and theatre that address issues in the context of any of the following: HIV and other STIs; sexual and reproductive health; TB/HIV co-infection; stigma and discrimination; and human rights. As the heart of the Global Village, the main stage plays a significant role in showcasing innovative and dynamic visual expressions of HIV work at the grassroots community level.
• The Film Screening Room provides a space to screen films about HIV-related issues, including human rights.
• The Youth Pavilion is a space to host youth-led and youth-related meetings and forums, showcase achievements of young people, facilitate networking opportunities, and engage participants in dialogue.
• NGO and marketplace booths showcase the work of international HIV programmes. NGO booths allow AIDS service organizations and grassroots, community-based organizations to display materials and share their work, programming, resources and strategies. The Marketplace Booths provide HIV-related nongovernmental organizations and projects with an opportunity to sell their products to generate income for reinvestment into HIV programming.
• Art exhibits, including sculptures, installations, photography and paintings about HIV issues expressed by both professional and amateur artists are displayed throughout the Global Village.

Young people at AIDS 2018

Young people will play an active role in all aspects of AIDS 2018. Young people will not only be delegates; they will also be activity organizers, speakers, leaders and peers. The AIDS 2018 Global Village and Youth Programme will include a variety of activities designed for and by young people, including cultural and educational performances, presentations, workshops and panel discussions. Indeed, AIDS 2018 will feature our largest ever dedicated youth space for young people to network, collaborate and showcase achievements from around the world.

While the dedicated Youth Programme aims to provide a platform for young people to participate in youth-specific activities at the conference, another key objective is to promote the value of inter-generational exchange between older and younger people involved in the global response to HIV. In this way, we encourage all young participants to engage in all parts of the conference programme, as well as youth-specific activities.