From: skolander@bahnhof.se (Bjoern Skolander)

Submitted by:

AMIR HANUŠIC
NAD LIPOM 14
HR-10000 ZAGREB
CROATIA
TEL/FAX: 385 1 17 13 18 

Dear Friends,

I would like to inform you about the beginning of INFO AIDS' work here. 
INFO AIDS is an NGO (non-governmental organization) which registered itself
with the government in 1994.

In Croatia, the war has destroyed many lives and created a lot of social
problems. Among these, the war has created a large refugee population in
Croatia, Bosnia, and Hercegovina. In Croatia there is a high rate of
prostitution and IV drug use. The economic situation has made it difficult
for people to find jobs to support themselves. The war has also left many
people with psychological nihilism, including a sense of a bleak future at
best. Consequently, many people have turned to drug use to ease the pain
they are experiencing. In Croatia there are many gays and lesbians. They do
not have any cultural meeting place where they can be informed about
safe sex, community life, and their civil rights as gay people. In Croatia
it is not possible to find any public information about safe sex, except
some newspaper articles where certain minorities are blamed for the spread
of AIDS.

To date, we feel that The Ministry of Health has been slow to address this
problem. They say that they have published 200,000 pamphlets on AIDS
prevention, but you can not find these pamphlets unless you are in a
hospital or youth school. One of these pamphlets was addressed to female
prostitutes, this pamphlet contained a subsection on lesbians, implying a
derogatory connection between the two groups. offhand we do not believe
that the problem of AIDS can be solved by repression of marginal segments of
the population. We would like to assemble the necessary information to
suggest alternative strategies for the curbing of AIDS in Croatia. The
president of INFO AIDS is a member on the Commission for the Fight Against
AIDS of The Ministry of Health of Croatia. The Information we have is that
the Ministry of Health can not do a lot because they do not have
money, and they applauded the idea of forming an NGO for this issue.

INFO AIDS is the first NGO to be formed in Croatia specifically to address
thesocial issue of AIDS. We educate the public on the prevention of the
spread of AIDS, regardsless of their ethnicity, nationality, religion,
gender, sexual preferences, lifestyle, or current health. Initially, there
are five main strategies employed to accomplish this goal.

- First, we hold information/education workshops, open to the public at large. 

- Second, we are advertising a 24-hour switchboard telephone line which
people can call from anywhere to receive information on AIDS confidentially.

- Third, we publish a number of pamphlets on relevant topics - such as how
AIDS is transmitted and its effects, practicing safe sex for all lifestyles,
living with HIV positive status etc. - and publish a newsletter with world
updates on research on AIDS, new policies etc.

- Fourth, there will be a commission for the protection of persons' civil
rights, both for people who are HIV positive and for marginal or minority
groups such as prostitutes, refugees, gays, and drug users.

- Fifth, there will be a task force to review policies of the Ministry of
Health and to make private recommendations to them on matters of policy.

INFO AIDS is looking for finacial assistance to be realized concretely as a
project in Croatia. Please send us information on any available channels to
receive funding for such a project as well as the information needed to
make appropriate applications or send us information on other ways in which
you can help us.

INFO AIDS is asking you for membership and for Twinning group which we need
for our beginning on work.

Zagreb, January 30, 1997

Sincerely,
Amir Hanusic
Secretary INFO AIDS