AIDS Legal Network (ALN)

CONTACT PERSON: Dr Johanna Kehler PHYSICAL ADDRESS: Suite 6F, Waverley Business Park Dane Street Mowbray Cape Town South Africa, 7700 POSTAL ADDRESS: PO BOX 13834 Mowbray Cape Town South Africa, 7705 TELEPHONE: + 27 21 447 8435 FAX: +27 21 447 9946 E-MAIL:jkaln@mweb.co.za / jkehler@icon.co.zaWEB-SITE:ALN websiteThe AIDS Legal Network (ALN) is a human rights organisation committed to the promotion, protection and realisation of fundamental rights and freedoms of people living with, and affected by, HIV and AIDS.

Founded in 1994, our focus has been to respond to both the legal and ethical challenges presented by HIV and AIDS. We do this by providing human rights education and legal literacy training, by responding to rights violations and abuses through our Legal Advice Desk, and by advocating for law reform both nationally and internationally.

We strive to address discriminatory practices and attitudes, to promote behavioural change, and to facilitate a rights-based response to HIV and AIDS through a number of activities, including education and training, lobbying, networking, research, capacity building and advocacy work.

As a human rights organisation, we focus primarily on the promotion and advancement of the principles of equality, non-discrimination, human dignity, and the equal enjoyment of all rights and freedoms, irrespective of a person’s sex, gender, sexual orientation and/or HIV status.

Human rights education and legal literacy training is a key objective. To this end, we offer a range of training material aimed at broadening the awareness and understanding of HIV and AIDS as a human rights issue. ALN produced resource and training materials include HIV/AIDS & Human Rights and Gender Violence & HIV and AIDS. We have also produced a series of advocacy booklets pertaining to the HIV & AID and STI National Strategic Plan (NSP) 2007 – 2011. Additionally, ALN facilitates workshop sessions (one, two or three-days) on a variety of topics, including:

• Human Rights & HIV and AIDS
• Gender, Gender Violence & HIV and AIDS
• HIV-Related Stigma, Discrimination and other Violation of Rights
• Human Rights in the Context of HIV Testing & Disclosure
• HIV and AIDS & the Law

The ALN further engages in advocacy activities at a national, regional and global level calling for human rights to be at the centre of the AIDS response. We facilitate semi0annual provincial networking meetings aimed at raising awareness, enhancing capacity, and identifying collective advocacy strategies pertaining to various ethical and human rights challenges based on, and in the context of, HIV and AIDS.

We produce a variety of publications and resources advocating for a rights-based response to HIV and AIDS. Our advocacy material, including pamphlets, posters and other information material, aspire to inform, challenge and ultimately increase and deepen the understanding about HIV and AIDS realities and challenges.