RUSSIA FACES PRESS HEAT

The day began with the news of US intelligence stating that Russia was guilty of shooting down MH170 over Ukraine. The press of course questioned the delegate of Russia and this is the conversation that followed.

Press of Iran: Delegate of Russia are you aware that US intelligence has identified Russia as the country guilty of shooting down MH170 over Ukraine ?

Delegate of Russia: Yes.

Press of Iran: The plane was carrying dozens of HIV researchers heading to Aus for an AIDS conference. This is fact. Do you have anything to say?

After moments of silence and a brief respite granted by the Chair the delegate of Russia provided a bewildering response.

Russia: We believed that the plane was Ukrainian, so we shot it down.

*pause*

Russia: 298 citizens were killed, some of them were HIV researchers, I regret to say this would not be benefitting Russia.

The vagueness of this answer only shows how clueless Russia is about the actions of Russian based militants in Russia. The session then broke into unmoderated caucus to discuss solutions to the spreading pandemic of AIDS/HIV.

Press of Iran

Read More

CHINA SPEAKS ON HIV/AIDS PANDEMIC

Interview by the Press of Iran (Abanishwar Sen)

China’s stance on the HIV/AIDS Pandemic in relation to women-
The HIV/AIDS epidemic in China is at a critical juncture. Slowly this infection is spreading to a more generalised population with women, children and the homosexual population being at the greatest risk. As China is a country where trafficking is sadly rampant many young female migrants find employment in entertainment venues located in metropolitan cities, and sex work transactions frequently occur in these places with no heed given to basic contraceptive or hygiene measures. Also, the absence of real work opportunities and economic strains forces women into the prostitution ring. Stigma attached to the disease in turn prevents the affected people from getting necessary aid and this makes the epidemic difficult to mitigate.

Measure taken by China to counter this epidemic-
1) Implementation of the “Four Frees, One Cares” and “Five expands, Six strengthens approach” “Five Expands,” means to expand 
IEC activities, surveillance and testing, PMTCT, comprehensive interventions, and coverage of 
ART. “Six Strengthens” means to strengthen blood safety management, health insurance, care and support, rights protections, organizational leadership and strengthening of response teams.

2) In 2010, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao attended the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on HIV, demonstrating the strong resolve of the Chinese government to respond to the spread of HIV. The actions of top-level state leaders have set a positive example of active participation in the AIDS response for the whole of society.

3) Protecting rights of PLHIV
During the past two years, the Chinese government has stepped up efforts to protect the legal rights of PLHIV and eliminate discrimination.

4) Dissemination of information and providing awareness through modes of mass communication and through Sex ed programs at school

5) Preventing Mother to Child transmission
In 2010 and 2011, efforts to strengthen prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV were expanded continuously in China. Since the second half of 2010, efforts began to effectively integrate work to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis and hepatitis B.
6) Finally, has worked with Antiretroviral treatments, provided voluntary counselling and has started a pilot needle exchange program that works to counter the ill effect of injected drug use.

SOLUTIONS

Urges the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council in addressing HIV and AIDS, and the continuing need for coordinated efforts of all relevant United Nations entities, in line with their respective mandates, to assist in the global efforts against the epidemic,

Requests concerted efforts towards ending conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence, empowering women in an effort to reduce their risk of exposure to HIV and curbing vertical transmission of HIV from mother to child in conflict and post-conflict situations

Affirms that the disproportionate burden of HIV and AIDS on women is one of the persistent obstacles and challenges to gender equality and empowerment of women, and hence urges Member States, United Nations entities to provide sustainable assistance to women living with or affected by HIV.

By, 
Abanishwar Sen
Press of Iran.

Read More

Do Muslim women need saving or do developed countries just need to be super heroes?

A moral crusade to rescue oppressed Muslim women from their cultures and their religion has swept the public sphere, dissolving distinctions between conservatives and liberals, sexists and feminists. The crusade has justified all manner of intervention from the legal to the military, the humanitarian to the sartorial. But it has also reduced Muslim women to a stereotyped singularity, plastering a handy cultural icon over much more complicated historical and political dynamics.

Developed Counties under the pretext of supporting Islamic women who are so ‘under privileged’, so ‘unsupported by their community’ have overrun Islamic and African countries with organizations and soldiers. But the question is do they need saving? Do we need to judge everything about them from their education to their clothes?

Take the veil, for example. We were surprised when many women in Afghanistan didn’t take them off after being “liberated,” seeing as they had become such symbols of oppression in the West. But we were confusing veiling with a lack of agency. What most of us didn’t know is that 30 years ago the anthropologist Hanna Papanek described the burqa as “portable seclusion” and noted that many women saw it as a liberating invention because it enabled them to move out of segregated living spaces while still observing the requirements of separating and protecting women from unrelated men. People all over the globe, including Americans, wear the appropriate form of dress for their socially shared standards, religious beliefs and moral ideals. If we think that U.S. women live in a world of choice regarding clothing, we need to look no further than our own codes of dress and the often-constricting tyrannies of fashion.

Then we come to education. We talk about the serious lack in the education of girls caused by the religious intolerance of Muslims. Across the Muslim world girls have even been going to state schools for generations. In Pakistan, poverty and political instability undermine girls’ schooling, but also that of boys. Yet in urban areas, girls finish high school at rates close to those of young men, and they are only fractionally less likely to pursue higher education. In many Arab countries, and in Iran, more women are in university than men. In Egypt, women make up a bigger percentage of engineering and medical faculties than women do in the U.S.

Facts are facts. Beliefs and rumors aren’t. If tomorrow the world changes and women being dressed normally and honorably like the Muslims are accepted won’t the scanty, revealing dressing methods and fashions of Western countries be the socially unacceptable dressing sense? Will Muslim countries send organizations to America attempting to teach them honorable dressing? I seriously do not think so. Of course this won’t happen because when U.S does it its called civil assistance but if Muslims tried it, it would be Muslim maniacs attempting to convert Americans.

There is no doubt that Western notions of human rights can be credited for the hope for a better world for all women. But I suspect that the deep moral conviction people feel about the rightness of saving the women of that timeless homogeneous mythical place called Islamland is fed by something else that cannot be separated from our current geopolitical relations. Maybe the world would really be a better place if we minded our own business and left people who want to be left alone, alone. These will however always be if’s and maybes unless we truly attempt to provide the respect that we would want. Maybe and most definitely to make the world a better place we should be the change we want to see.

Press- Iran

Read More

An interview with the UK: The HIV/AIDS Pandemic

United Kingdom speaks on HIV/AIDS pandemic.

Questions replied to:

1.What is UK’s stance on HIV/AIDs pandemic spread?

2.What is UK doing to prevent such an outbreak?

3.What solution does UK hope to reach?

The HIV/AIDS pandemic has proved to be one of the greatest threats to humanity. Currently, 35.3 million people around the world are combating the virus of which 50% are women. The vulnerability of women to the disease is due to a multitude of factors - economic vulnerability, lack of awareness and education, violence against women, social stigma, societal gender norms, etc. The socially constructed gender norms have made it harder to fight the virus. The distinct roles and behaviours of men and women in a given culture, dictated by that culture's gender norms and values, give rise to gender differences, most of which are gender discriminatory, proving detrimental to one group.

In the United Kingdom (UK), the HIV/AIDS epidemic was first introduced in 1981, and since then, technological, economical and medical advances have made a tremendous impact in the fight against AIDS. Since its discovery, the UK has made several efforts to combat the epidemic and the social stigma associated with it. Although the majority of AIDS patients are male, steps have been taken to break the gender norms that obstruct the battle against HIV/AIDS.

Unlike other countries, society in the UK doesn’t follow such rigid norms, and most women are able to come to terms with their illness and seek treatment publicly. The Terence Higgins Trust, established in 1982, was the first AIDS organization in UK that brought the HIV/AIDS pandemic to public attention. The death of acclaimed singer, Freddie Mercury in 1991, also raised public awareness of AIDS. Since then, the fight against AIDS has come a long way. The Government announced in 1999, that all pregnant women would now be offered an HIV test as part of their routine care, and that they would be advised to take it whatever the circumstances surrounding the pregnancy This initiative saw an 80% decrease in the number of children born with HIV and lowered the risk of mother-to-child transmission of HIV to below 1%. In 2012, HIV treatment was made universally available, regardless of citizenship or immigration status, so as to protect the public and prevent infection. In 2013, UK met its target of spending 0.7% of GDP on international development for the year, establishing the country as a world leader in the HIV response. In August, Ministers announced plans to change the law in order to allow HIV self-testing kits. This would enable people to perform a simple saliva test at home, which would quickly give the user a “negative”, or a “positive” result. It was hoped that making the tests more readily available would help reduce HIV prevalence. Since 1981, HIV treatment in the UK has come a long way.  Most HIV victims are living longer lives and the number of AIDS related deaths has seen a dramatic decrease. 

The fight against HIV/AIDS, with a gender perspective, has a long way to go. Gender discrimination has deterred the fight against AIDS as a whole and will leave the world vulnerable. Social stigma hold back progress and it is upon this that the Government of UK has targeted, introducing HIV/AIDS causes, symptoms and treatment into the curriculum. Similarly, the media is being called upon to increase awareness regarding HIV/AIDS and to break social stigma. Officials have also established that NHS administers free treatment. The Equality Act 2010 was incorporated to prohibit discrimination of HIV patients in workplaces. Currently, the main aim is to educate and raise awareness amongst the public regarding HIV/AIDS and the social stigma present.

Press-Iran

Read More

Under Secretary General of INMUN makes Delegate of Italy wish he Pasta-way. Is Italy good for only Pizza?

The Under Secretary General of INMUN visited the CSW committee to question a few countries and the most memorable of those were his questions that continuously baffled the Delegate of Italy into a submissive silence.

The session began with a moderated caucus on how prostitution was one of the factors that leads to increase of HIV cases in the world. Italy then claimed in its speech that it was completely against prostitution and that the Italian government was doing everything it could to stop sex trade. The Under Sec-Gen then with a quizzical look on his face questioned the delegate of Italy asking him why, if this was so, did the Italian government plan on including Prostitution and Drugs in their GDP. The delegate of Italy now clearly flustered said that these facts weren’t true or hadn’t been put into effect yet to which the Under Sec-Gen replied saying he would get back to him.

A few speakers later the Under Sec-Gen pointed to the screen where there was a CNN article on how drugs and prostitution are being included in the Italian GDP was being projected. The Italian delegate having nothing to say retorted with a half hearted the allegations are false and media lies story. He proceeded to ask the Under Sec-Gen to provide Italian media proof of this but when the Under Sec-Gen asked him for the name of any Italian media the delegate could not provide any information.

Italy then tried to placate the Under Sec-Gen by saying that drugs aren’t a part of the HIV prevention topic. The delegate of UK then piled on to the misery of the Italian delegate by saying that drugs when injected by infected or reused syringes does in fact lead to AIDS and spread HIV. The Italian delegate was then given time to compose himself and prepare an appropriate answer which we hope to receive tomorrow when we discuss the solutions and prevention methods to the spread of the HIV pandemic in the CSW committee. More on this topic tomorrow.

Press-Iran

Read More