Journey towards evolution of a sustainable Network "Community Network for Empowerment" - CoNE
Community Based Groups (CBOs) of People who use drugs in Manipur

By Rajesh Khongbantabam *

Unvelling a new dawn

"Drug use is a complex issue requiring intervention at various levels, involving people from different walks of life and organizations". While partnership is vital it is equally important that community takes the lead, "Others should not take decision for you", - I. Hemochandra, Speaker Manipur Legislative Assembly.

Background:

365x6 is a facilitation team of Consortium (Praxis, CFAR and REACH) supported by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) that is mandated to evolve state level networks of community-based organizations and different forms of collectives of female sex workers (FSW), men having sex with men (MSM), trans-gender and injecting drug users (IDU) across six states of Manipur, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Nagaland and Tamil Nadu. However, in the state of Manipur the formation of Network is focus on people who use drugs, as the issue and problems of this community is quite prevalent and needed immediate response.

The process

Building upon the work of State Lead Partners, State AIDS Control Societies and other groups on Community based Organisations (CBO)/ Community based Groups (CBG) formation, 365x6 aims to enable these communities at risk to demand and access services, generate resources and negotiate decisions for reducing risk and vulnerability to HIV and other issues of the community on a sustainable basis.

This will be a network that aims to ensure that the human rights and dignity of people who use drugs, are respected and where laws and policies facilitate the issues of drug use, HIV prevention efforts, as well as care, treatment, and support for affected people.

Lighting a New Way

Why a Network is needed?

Today, the communities of People who use drugs (PUD) are integral part of the drug use, HIV and other care and support programme. In a high prevalence state like Manipur many of the community based organisations (CBOs) representing these groups is demanding a comprehensive rights based approach to protect their health and human rights.

Community groups have begun to mobilize their collective voice to oversee programme and advocate with the government. While efforts are being taken to organize community ownership in individual projects at district and sub-district level in order to transfer programs to the community, the post-transition situation would require a pan network of community at the state level that has community membership across districts, to act as the vanguard of the interests of the community members vis-à-vis vulnerability reduction as well as HIV prevention.

Greater and meaningful involvement of the Community

The objective of the network is to be an institutional space for communities to mobilize skills, resources and support for sustaining community ownership of different projects across the state as well as to get its interests and rights realized through advocacy with state and larger society.

The national program NACP III envisions community ownership and sustained demand for services. It also aims at building and strengthening CBGs to finally manage and own services as well as processes and efforts "that reduce stigma and advance the rights of people living with HIV/AIDS and of vulnerability groups who are most likely to contract HIV/AIDS".

At this critical moment, when the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) has recognized the need for sustained and systemic change to reduce risk, it is crucial to integrate community leadership at all levels. Without harnessing the energies of vulnerable communities, a safer and sustainable world cannot be built.

See a Full Photo Gallery on this event here