African Women Leaders & Visionaries in Action celebrating International Women's Month will this week feature a live, interactive discussion with Agnes Nyamayarwo and the women of the Mulago Positive Women's Network from 5:00pm East African Time on Saturday 26^th February 2011. It will last for two hours and feature a live interactive discussion with Agnes Nyamayarwo and several members of the MPWN for the first hour, including a demonstration by the women of how they make several of their highly acclaimed African craft items, especially their “paper bead” jewellery.

The second hour of the presentation will feature Ashie Hirji as she interviews several Youth Leaders from around the African Continent at the forefront of fighting HIV/AIDS amongst young people in their countries, including representatives from a soccer youth camp in Kenya spreading the HIV/AIDS prevention message. The forum will show the united front in Africa today – bringing the generations together in common purpose to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS in their countries.

This forum is the next in a continuing series of online, interactive forums with the women of the Mulago Positive Women's Network and other women / youth leaders in Africa striving to make a better future for the People of their Continent and in support of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG's) for gender equality and the empowerment of women.

To join in this AMAZING OPPORTUNITY to hear directly from women at the grassroots of social change in Africa, please click on the following link on Saturday, 26 February, several minutes before the start of the forum at 5:00pm. To optimize your participation in this forum, please make sure that you have a headset and webcam to ensure your full participation:

http://www.asitainformatica.com/events/agemofanidea/login-mpwn.htm
To join the discussion, first click "Enter Multicast" , then on the next page click "Enter as a guest" to login

BACKGROUND:

The Mulago Positive Women's Network began in January 2004 specifically to address the special needs of HIV+ women in Uganda. Based in Kampala Uganda, the MPWN functions as a support network to assist its members in "living positively" with HIV/AIDS. The MPWN is affiliated with TASO Uganda (The AIDS Support Organization of Uganda) - one of the longest established and most prestigious African-initiated AIDS organizations in the continent.

Agnes Nyamayarwo is the founder and main facilitator of the Mulago Positive Women's Network. She has often been referred to by Bono (U2) as one of the "heroes" of the AIDS pandemic in Africa. In 2002, during a trip to Africa, Bono visited with several members of TASO Uganda, including Agnes, and was inspired by her personal dignity and courage in her struggle with HIV/AIDS.

Bono invited Agnes to become a main speaker on the "Heart of America" tour in December 2002 which launched DATA (Debt, AIDS, Trade, Africa). She would campaign side by side with Bono over the next five years on issues affecting Africa's Future and became a main spokesperson for Bono's new African advocacy organization ONE, the Campaign to Make Poverty History in May 2004. Bono continues his activities for Africa through ONE as well as through (RED) and EDUN.

The website “A Gem of An Idea” describes itself as “a new media lounge. Thought provoking ideas, dialogues, & curriculums take place in a real-time, platform-neutral, safe & secure environment over social networking utilities. GEM sessions and new media events unite & connect ethical, global, professional leaders who are working towards solving social and environmental challenges with a sustainable & social entrepreneurial approach.

Born and raised in Africa, Ashie Hirji has seen first-hand the difficulties that women of colour, especially African women have had and still face when attempting to obtain decent educational and employment opportunities in their countries. It is her hope that this collaboration between herself and the Mulago Positive Women's Network will offer a platform for the empowerment for extremely poor women around the world using digital technology as a means by which the Millennium Development Goals (MDG's) can be advanced and fulfilled, especially Millennium Development Goal #3 which is;

“PROMOTE GENDER EQUALITY AND EMPOWER WOMEN”.