Marseille 2007
| Abstract #351 - Civil society and the fight against HIV/aids in China: from social mobilisation to grassroots democratic experiences | ||||
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Session: 10.4: Civil society and social ramifications (Parallel) on Monday @ 11.00-12.30 in CP Chaired by Liviana Calzavara, Ted Myers Authors: Presenting Author: Ms yuvany gnep - CReCSS/IRD, France |
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| Additional Authors: | ||||
| Aim: This study seeks to analyse the consequences of the recent modification of Chinese public health authorities' attitude towards HIV/aids. The attention will focus on the currently changing nature of relationships between governmental and non governmental organisations (NGO). The paper will examine how NGO perform strategies of action and visibility within this political environment, and towards international expectations. This ethnographic enquiry is part of a French-Chinese collaboration research programme held by IRD (UMR 145, Montpellier, France) and PUMC/CAMS (Beijing, China). | ||||
| Method / Issue: In order to collect qualitative data on micro social aspects of social mobilisation, NGO have been approached with socio-anthropological methodology by interviewing development actors and PLHA, observing different activities, participating to meetings and collecting printed matters. Seven months field work has been conducted from December to June 2007 in Beijing, where the main international agencies (both with operational or funding programmes) have open offices, as well as numerous local NGO. | ||||
| Results / Comments: I will argue that although different stakeholders share similar values and vision about the need to put grassroots democracy into practices, strategies of action may vary considerably from one to another. Indeed, within the humanitarian ideological framework, democracy is considered to be an undeniable sign of modernity. Through a few case studies, I will present the difficulties encountered at the level of concrete application of such principles. I will argue that the notion of community has a certain background in Chinese history, which makes the analysis of the social response towards HIV/aids even more necessary, both considering potential bias and potential of mobilisation. Describing concrete experiences of social mobilisation will allow us to understand precise aspects of the nature of the fight against HIV/aids contribution's to the general process of internationalisation currently going on in China. | ||||
| Discussion: Because of the past attitude of the government denial towards the epidemic and needs of PLHA, Chinese history of fight against HIV/aids has already develop a certain "tradition" of activism and advocacy for their rights, excluding any form of collaboration with governmental structures. This kind of activism consists in raising the voice directly against the government, with support from international community. Even if independence is logically valued by most NGO, a growing number of them choose however to work along with public health structures. In fact, they are expecting more from a slow social change, starting with a kind of "moral renewal". Both expectations are leading to a certain localisation of the internationalisation process, by combining Chinese values with the global imperative of grassroots participation. | ||||
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