AIDS
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Conference Circuit: A Key Event in the Fight Against AIDS

Experts, activists, and those infected with HIV will soon join forces during the 20th International AIDS Conference. Plus: An open forum for open source.

Update: Since this story was posted Thursday afternoon, it came to light that a number of the attendees of the 2014 International AIDS Conference were on Malaysian Airlines flight MH 17, which crashed in Ukrainian airspace on Thursday. Former International AIDS Society President Joep Lange is listed among the 298 crash victims. Conference officials say they plan to continue the conference [PDF]. “In recognition of our colleagues’ dedication to the fight against HIV/AIDS, the conference will go ahead as planned and will include opportunities to reflect and remember those we have lost,” the organizers said in a statement. Our condolences go out to all those those affected by the crash.

A huge gathering of those invested in the battle against AIDS and HIV begins Sunday, in Melbourne, Australia: the International AIDS Conference, hosted by the International AIDS Society.

And though the organization will celebrate recent gains made in the search for a cure and the wider reach of antiretroviral treatment, the heart of the conference remains focused on redoubling efforts to eliminate AIDS.

“Progress has not been universal with many regions struggling to address their HIV epidemic among a backdrop of ever increasing infections and difficulties in funding, implementation and political challenges,” the conference objectives state.

With that in mind, attendees will focus on six objectives, which include raising awareness about the differing speeds at which progress against the virus has been obtained, bringing attention to global hotspots, and making sure that HIV and AIDS remain on the international radar amid countless other pressing social and medical concerns.

Since Australia is a long trip for many potential attendees, the event will be supported by webinars, a YouTube channel, and a suite of social media offerings to keep everyone in the loop.

The Week Ahead

July 20-24: Everything you’d ever need to know about open source, or all of the available industry luminaries you’d want to talk to, will be descending upon Portland, Oregon, for OSCON, O’Reilly Media’s Open Source Convention.

July 22: Tradeshows are a dime a dozen, popping up in ever-increasing numbers across the world. But reverse tradeshows? That’s different! The San Diego County Apartment Association will be hosting its own show in the next week. The big difference between reverse and standard tradeshows? In the reversed format, suppliers spend time visiting possible customers instead of competing with hundreds of vendors spread across countless booths.

July 23-26: The Autism Society, one of the most eminent organizations devoted to education and assistance related to autism, will hold its national conference and exposition in Indianapolis. A particular focus of this year’s event will be to provide attendees with “practical strategies you can implement right away,” both through workshops and networking events.

Down the Line

July 29-31: The National Alliance to End Homelessness will hold its annual meeting in Washington, DC. The conference is built around eight workshop tracks, which allow attendees to learn the latest best practices and developments in their own specialties, including rapid rehousing, assisting veterans, youth aid, advocating for the homeless, and beyond. Registration is closed due to an expected record number of attendees.

(dvarg/ThinkStock)

Morgan Little

By Morgan Little

Morgan Little is a contributor to Associations Now. MORE

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