By Kacem Jlidi- National Coordinator dance4life Tunisia   

Of the 6,800 people infected with HIV each day, almost half are under the age of 25. As the single largest group infected and affected by the virus, a huge part of the potential solution lies with them.

Young people are our future and dance4life, through its programmes, involves them, strengthens their voice and empowers them to take action themselves to push back the spread of HIV and AIDS. We aim to create a global youth movement of 1 million agents of change by 2014.

To truly involve young people in a solution, we have to attract them first. A strong and iconic dance4life brand, which is appealing and gives them a sense of belonging to something fun and positive, is vital.

As one of the most respected and recognized youth charities in the world, we successfully bond with young people through our unique ‘4 step’ schools project that dance4life’s implementing partners offer to young people aged13-19 around the world. This concept is characterized by the following words: Inspiration. Education. Action. Celebration – a unique approach to stop HIV & AIDS globally.

dance4life also uses social media to increase social inclusion of young people and keep them informed and empowered to combat one of our today’s largest pandemics.

 “BEAT HIV, SPREAD THE POSITIVE VIRUS” is our last campaign active both online (using different social media channels) and offline with support of our ambassadors such as Tiësto, Wally Lopez, Maxi Jazz, Doutzen Kroes etc. considered to be youth icons and influencing thousands of young people world wide.

Spreading the positive virus

At www.facebook.dance4life.com people can join the positive virus and spread it to their friends. By the end of the campaign more people should be infected with the positive virus than people actually got infected with HIV during that same period.

Daily 7400 people still get infected, which means that until World Aids Day 592.000 people will get infected with HIV. By joining the positive virus and forwarding it to friends, the positive message is spread around the globe. Step by step the positive virus will take over the world and “beat HIV”.

Challenging stigma and taboos
By spreading this positive virus, dance4life spreads and shares knowledge about HIV and AIDS to young people, while at the same time challenging stigma and taboos. International celebrities such as Doutzen Kroes, Paul Oakenfold and DJ Chuckie support the campaign and actively spread the positive virus all over the world.

Eveline Aendekerk, managing director at dance4life international: “I’m very proud to announce this social media awareness raising campaign. When enough information is out there, when the positive virus is spread widely enough and when we all join in, we can beat HIV! We hope everybody will join us in our fight against HIV and AIDS.”

About dance4life 

dance4life is an international non-profit organisation founded in 2003 that unites young people through music and dance and empowers them to push back the spread of HIV and AIDS. Headquartered in Amsterdam with a team of 19, dance4life is active in over 25 countries around the world, where the concept is implemented by local implementing partners around their existing life-skills programmes. dance4life’s major partners include Durex, European Union, Dutch Postcode Lottery, Oxfam NOVIB, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, PSO and UNFPA. www.dance4life.com