The International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific (ICAAP) brings together an average of 3,000 people who work for organizations or as individuals on HIV and AIDS in the Asia-Pacific region. This event, which happens every two years, involves five days of knowledge and information sharing, networking, and joint action among participants. NOTE: This is the first part in a series entitled ICAAP 11 Survival Guide to assist members of the community to navigate ICAAP - from registering to making the best of your attendance. Please keep posted for more installments. Contact information is available at the end. Part 1 - Registering Registering, scholarships and abstracts Who can attend ICAAP? ICAAP is open to all participants with a focus on people living in the Asia and Pacific region. People who are directly affected by HIV, such as members of certain communities including those living with HIV, and those who work or study in the field of HIV are highly encouraged to attend. This year the conference is emphasizing attendance by young people (below 25) and those who have never attended the conference before. So, you want to attend the ICAAP in Bangkok this year (2013)? First, don t get confused by the number. This is the 11 th time the ICAAP will be held, so it is called the ICAAP 11. (Has nothing to do with the year which it is held, which is this year, 2013.) This year the conference is being held in Bangkok, Thailand. You can access the website here http://icaap11.org/ p. 1 - Part 1: Registering ICAAP11 Survival Guide
This is my first conference. I don t know where to start. That is what this brief guide is for, to help you with the first steps. First, if you want to attend, there are a couple of ways to do so: If you want to attend the official conference and present or attend sessions in the program or access posters and exhibition areas, you must register as a delegate. If you only want to participate in the Asia-Pacific Village or the cultural program, where there are community activities and exchange, you do not need to register as a delegate. However, it means, you cannot access the sessions or plenaries in the official conference area. (We ll explain more about this later) When you consider attending the ICAAP 11 conference in Bangkok, you must consider all the expenses. Generally, here are the basic expenses: 1. as a delegate - for those who want to attend the formal sessions, plenaries and skills building sessions, there are a range of prices depending on the timing and your country and age. (see below for more details) 2. Airfare this is commonly the most expensive cost, and some countries may need a visa as well. 3. Accommodation - if you need a hotel, this will add expense, depending on the level of hotel or guesthouse and the location. Of course you can always find friends or groups who are hosting at no or low cost, or to share a room with. 4. Daily expenses consider meals and local transportation. This is probably the lowest cost, but should not be overlooked. If you or your organization doesn t have enough money, there are ways to request assistance, such as through a scholarship application. Scholarships can help to cover the above costs, but the number of scholarships is limited. (We will tell you about that soon) For those who want to enter the conference area and attend the sessions, there are two types of delegates with two different levels of registration fees: regular and youth. Regular Delegate is for anyone over the age of 25. There are different fees depending on the country you come from and work in (non-oecd countries pay less*), and the registration fee varies according to when you pay. (see below) Youth Delegate is for anyone under or at the age of 25 on 18 November 2013 (birthdate falls on or after 18 November 1988). As a youth delegate you get a special reduced registration fee. There are different fees depending on the country you come from and work in (non-oecd countries pay less).* Fees vary according to when you pay the registration fee. (see below) National Delegates are only those people who live and work in Thailand, primarily Thais. Accompanying person refers to a family member or related person not involved in the conference. p. 2 - Part 1: Registering ICAAP11 Survival Guide
Delegate Category Early Regular Late Onsite Regular Delegate International (OECD) USD 600 USD 650 USD 750 USD 750 International (non- OECD) USD 500 USD 550 USD 650 USD 650 National USD 200 USD 200 USD 200 USD 200 Youth Delegate International (OECD) USD 300 USD 325 USD 375 USD 375 International (non- OECD) USD 250 USD 275 USD 325 USD 325 National USD 100 USD 100 USD 100 USD 100 Accompanying Person (all countries) USD 150 USD 150 USD 150 USD 150 Media(all countries) free free free free *The following countries are considered OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK and USA Type of Date Early registration 5 February - 30 April 2013 Regular registration 1 May - 31 July 2013 Late registration 1 August - 15 October 2013 Onsite registration 18-22 November 2013 This information is found on the website at: http://icaap11.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=37&itemid=51 Oh my! is expensive! I can t afford that. What do I do? Don t think about the cost yet. Sign up, and then try to find sponsors, including possibly a scholarship. (see further down this section) First, you need to create a user profile. Do that here: http://www.icaap11.org/application/ When you first enter the system you need to click on the little box: Sign Up On this page you will need to fill in the forms in English. Make sure every box with * is filled in. p. 3 - Part 1: Registering ICAAP11 Survival Guide
But I don t have an organization. I am going as an individual. Can I still register? Yes, you can register as an individual. In the box that says organization, fill in Not Applicable. Once you have submitted the form successfully, you should receive a confirmation e-mail with your password. Save this information, in case you forget your password later. To sign in again any time and complete your registration, go to the drop down menu on the left hand side and click on Types. Once that window opens, look on the right hand side and click on this icon: If you are already signed up, simply enter your e-mail, password and the verify image. You should be at your personal information page again, which allows you to submit abstracts, scholarships, skills-building, networking zones, booths or cultural events. On some pages, in order to continue, you may have to check the box at the bottom of the page that reads: I have read and agree to the above policies. You don t have to pay yet! When you do pay, please note that there is only a 50% refund if you need to cancel. So, don t pay until you are certain of your funding source. Read more under Policy on the page on the website. Applying for a Scholarship Once you have created a profile through the steps above, you can apply for a scholarship. If possible, fill in the scholarship application on-line. Be sure to submit your scholarship before the deadline of 31 May, 2013. If you are submitting the offline registration form, abstract submission form, cultural programme application form, and applying for scholarship - you should submit all four forms together. To prepare yourself to fill in the scholarship application, you can download the off-line version by clicking offline application form in the paragraph that says HOW TO APPLY. You can use this form to prepare your answers, as it is always a good idea to prepare written answers in a word document and then cut and paste it in the online form, in case you have an unstable internet connection. If you cannot complete the scholarship application on-line, then you can send your application form by e-mail to: scholarship@icaap11.org, icaapcpc@gmail.com You should send a copy of your application to icaapcpc@gmail.com, which is the Community Program Committee (CPC), even if you submit online. This is because the CPC wants to keep track of who is applying for scholarships to make sure that various community groups are properly represented. p. 4 - Part 1: Registering ICAAP11 Survival Guide
Filling in the Scholarship Application form Section 1: Types of Scholarship asks you to identify what kind of scholarship you want / need. There are two options: a) Full Scholarship that covers all expenses, or b) Partial Scholarship that covers certain expenses you choose, but not all expenses. To provide as many scholarships as possible, the organizers will not give many full scholarships. They will be more generous with partial scholarships, especially registration fees. The organizers will also provide partial scholarships to some of those who request a full scholarship. Considering this and for your planning, you should be strategic and decide if you have a good chance of getting a full scholarship or not. If not, you should request partial scholarship for the most expensive costs for you (such as the registration fee or airline fee) and discuss with possible funders and partners to raise funds or find ways to save on the other costs. Section 2: Scholarship Categories asks in what capacity you will attend the conference. Choose one of these: Are you part of the Community? This means, you work for a community-based organization or group, or you are a member of the key affected populations (see the list on the form), or you are going to participate in the cultural programme. Or are you a young person? To be considered youth, you must be 25 years of age or less as of 18 November 2013 (your birthdate falls on or after 18 November 1988). Your chances may be helped if you are currently enrolled full time in an educational institution, work or volunteer with a community-based organization, or are considering working in the future to fight the HIV epidemic. Section 2: Applicant Information - fill in the information as requested. If you are not yet registered, write in not registered in the ID No. box. If you are an individual and do not work for an organization, write Not Applicable where it asks for organization name. The questions from here are pretty straight-forward, and hopefully you won t have any problems answering them until you get to the written answer in question 12. The answers to each section of question 12 should not be more than 100 words for each answer. (You can check the number of words by writing in a word document first. In word you can select the section you are counting and click on Word Count on the Review tab. This will tell you the number of words.) If you are submitting an abstract and have a mentor, you can ask that person to help with these answers as well. Again, if you are not part of an organization, in part a) of question 12, explain that you are not affiliated with an organization, and perhaps explain your interest and reason why you want to attend. As part of your application you will need to submit a recommendation letter from either your employer or a support group, with a contact name, email and telephone number of that person. The recommendation letter should be sealed, signed and posted to the Secretariat at the following address (make sure it is post-marked by the deadline date): ICAAP11 Local Organizing Committee Secretariat Population and Community Development Association (PDA) 6th Floor, 6 Sukhumvit 12, Klongtoey Bangkok 10110, Thailand p. 5 - Part 1: Registering ICAAP11 Survival Guide
Important! Scholarship applications are not considered complete without the letter of recommendation! Youth scholarships also need to include a photocopy of your passport There are two ways to register when you are applying for a scholarship. You can: a) Pay the registration fees in advance and then get reimbursement of the registration fee after (and if) you are selected for the scholarship. (This strategy is a little risky, but will work if you are set on attending and have that sort of money available. Since there is no guarantee you will get the scholarship, it is a risky strategy if you don t get the scholarship, especially because you only get 50% of the fee refunded if you do not go.) b) Apply for scholarship without paying registration fees in advance. This is the option to choose if you can only go if you receive a scholarship. When you register, you need to select "Bank Transfer" as payment method in the online application form and click "Submit" to register for the Congress. If the scholarship is not granted, but you get funding from somewhere else, you can pay the registration fee later. Notification You will be informed by email of whether or not you received a full/partial scholarship in August 2013, and your registration will be confirmed once you are awarded with the scholarship. Selection Scholarships are given to people who, without the support of a scholarship, would not be able to attend ICAAP. Priority will be given to people who: have submitted an abstract (see next section) are currently active in their communities and have the ability to take the benefit of attending ICAAP11 back to their communities are in professions that are traditionally not highly paid (like NGO or health worker) are attending ICAAP for the first time Abstracts What is an abstract? An abstract is a short description of the work or experience you intend to present at the ICAAP. There are two types of presentations oral and poster. If you submit for the oral presentation, you may be selected to present in a session with others under a similar track and sub-topic. If you select poster, you will be expected to develop and print a poster which you will be given a specific time and space to present in the poster gallery. Some people who apply for oral may be selected as a poster, but usually not the other way around. All presentations and posters are expected to be in English. Abstracts must be written in English. An abstract that has been previously published or submitted to a conference will not be accepted. Another person can submit with you if they helped with the study. Those who help mentor in writing the abstract submission for this part of the application cannot apply. Deadline for submitting the abstract is 31 May, 2013. p. 6 - Part 1: Registering ICAAP11 Survival Guide
Writing the abstract It is always good to first write your abstract either by hand or on a computer (as a word document). If English is not your first language (or even your second or third), write your ideas down in your own language first. The main point is to keep it short. Follow these instructions: Title - The abstract should have a short, clear title of no more than 100 characters. (That means 100 letters not counting spaces. You can use the Word Count function in the Review toolbar of Word to count the number of characters by selecting the title and clicking word count.) There are two types of abstracts. For Community people, you should select the Experience-based Studies category, unless you have conducted a methodical study. The body of the abstract should not exceed 350 words. (Again, use the Word Count function in Word!) This means that in the body of the abstract you must include the following information using no more than 350 words in total: issue - explain the background or the situation. Keep it short, such as, transgender people are not recognized by national laws, making them increasingly vulnerable to, or, the lack of sexual health services for MSM has resulted in more men reportedly suffering from project or activities - explain what is being done to make a change by you. Don t give too many details but enough to understand what you are doing. Like this, the SWAT project is working with communities of sex workers to provide HIV prevention activities and capacity building to negotiate with or, the Model Youth Club is providing youth at risk the opportunity to express themselves without fear of stigma through activities held at result - explain what happened, such as, the number of injecting drug users receiving VCCT doubled since the services were moved to or the drop-out rate among migrants starting ART was lower than the general public lessons learned (learnt) - explain why what you did worked or didn t work so that others can learn from your experience, such as, by bringing services directly to the community, transportation costs and fear of arrest were overcome or, trust was built over time by developing leaders from within the community whereas outsiders could not Wait, there s more. When you submit your abstract you need to identify a Track from the UNAIDS Three Zeros and an issue code within each track. Click here to find which track is appropriate: Track Overview And then, once you choose the best Zero for your abstract, click on one of these to find the issue code: Track A: Zero New Infections Track B: Zero AIDS Related Deaths Track C: Zero Discrimination The abstract must be submitted online by 31 May. Go to this page to find the link. http://www.icaap11.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=34&itemid=39 And send a copy by e-mail to: icaapcpc@gmail.com (Again, this is to track who is applying to make sure there is proper representation from the various communities.) p. 7 - Part 1: Registering ICAAP11 Survival Guide
This abstract thing is too difficult for me! I need HELP! Oh my! I can t do that by myself! All in English? Are you joking? Now I ll never be able to go. Wait! Don t despair! We have contact people who can help find mentors for you (that is a person who can help you write your abstract in English, in your country). They are not going to write it for you, but they will help you to write it. This way you gain skills for the future. Depending on the community you belong to, here are some contact people who can help find someone in your country / language group to help with writing and submitting your abstract: Community Contact Person Email/Website Youth Thaw Zin Aye thaw@youth-lead.org Jeffry Acaba jpacaba@gmail.com Sex Workers Tracey Tully ttully62@gmail.com TransGender Khartini Slamah khartinislamahapnswkl@gmail.com People who Use Drugs Ruth Birgin rlbirgin@yahoo.com.au Migrants Brahm Press brahm.press@gmail.com MSM Midnight Poonkasetwattana icaap11@apcom.org People living with HIV Your national PLHIV network Women and Girls RD Marte cai@apcaso.org Frika Salrein frika.chia@gmail.com For general inquiries, you may also contact the following: ICAAP Community Programme Committee: icaapcpc@gmail.com Coalition of Asia-Pacific Regional Networks on HIV and AIDS (7Sisters): malu_7sisters@yahoo.com Or like our Facebook Page: ICAAP11Community (This is where we will have the next installment of the Survival Guide) p. 8 - Part 1: Registering ICAAP11 Survival Guide