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Transitions
Volume 14, No. 3,
April 2002
This Transitions is
also available in [PDF] format.
A True Peer Advocate*
By Chris Griffey
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Respect
One
cannot expect positive results from an educational
or political action program which fails to respect
the particular view of the world held by the people.
Such a program constitutes cultural invasion, good
intentions notwithstanding.
Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed |
I have been involved
in community planning for three years. I started out on the Missouri
Community Planning Group (CPG) in 1998. That was the first place
where I could truly be myself and be respected and valued because
of who I am. I represented queer youth and, at 18 years old, I was
the youngest one of the group. I was appointed cochair of the at-large
group. In this group, we did not represent an agency but instead
our identities and our communities. I learned how to be a leader
in this group. I was on the Missouri CPG for over a year before I
moved to Arlington, Virginia, and joined the Virginia Community Planning
Committee.
My current expertise has been developed through four years of HIV outreach
experience. I represent white, noninjecting drug users (past), youth, queer,
and female-to-male transgender communities. When I was a teenager, I engaged
in activities that put me at high risk for HIV infection. Now, I am at low
risk because I am no longer a substance user and I am aware of how to protect
myself.
I have learned how important it is to have my voice heard. It is self-fulfilling
to know that I can help change how prevention programs are shaped and run by
community-based organizations, AIDS service organizations, and youth service
organizations.
While being on the CPGs, I have been able to recognize the barriers to and
the successes of youth's participation. Some of the barriers are ageism, transportation
issues, and consistency. The successes include gaining knowledge, being heard,
affecting change, and taking on leadership roles. I believe that, in order
to provide quality services to a target population such as youth, a program
needs to come from the grassroots level. If people from the community are not
involved, HIV prevention programs will fall short of their goals.
* Adapted and
reprinted with permission from the NASTAD HIV
Prevention Bulletin, December 2001.
Transitions (ISSN 1097-1254) © 2002, is a quarterly publication of Advocates for Youth—Helping young people make safe and responsible decisions about sex. For permission to reprint, contact Transitions' editor at 202.419.3420.
Editor: Sue Alford
Click here to view the Publications Catalog and/or
to order this publication.
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