CAAN Communities, Alliances & Networks

06/22/2026

🎤 Join us at for two special sessions exploring some of the most pressing issues shaping the global HIV response.

🚨 "After the emergency: Rebuilding sustainable access to HIV treatment and prevention" (29 July, 13:30–14:30 BRT)

How can we rebuild equitable, sustainable access to HIV services amid donor withdrawal, funding pressures and persistent structural barriers?

Learn more: programme.aids2026.org/Programme/Session/39

🗣️ "Racism as a driver of HIV: From lived experience to structural change" (30 July, 13:30–14:30 BRT)

How can we address racism as a structural driver of HIV and advance accountability across health systems, research and funding?

Learn more: programme.aids2026.org/Programme/Session/38

🔗 Explore these sessions and more than 150 others: programme.aids2026.org

06/21/2026

Aujourd’hui, alors que nous rendons hommage à la résilience et célébrons les cultures des peuples autochtones qui vivent sur ces terres depuis des temps immémoriaux, nous vous invitons à prendre le temps d’écouter notre entretien avec Margaret Kisikaw Piyesis dans un épisode récent de notre podcast « Not A Crime » :

https://www.hivlegalnetwork.ca/site/not-a-crime-indigenous-perspectives-on-hiv-criminalization-margaret-kisikaw-piyesis/?lang=en

Margaret est l’Okimâw (directrice générale) de l’ACA (l’Association canadienne pour les Autochtones), une organisation canadienne à but non lucratif qui se consacre à la prévention du VIH et du sida ainsi qu’au soutien aux communautés autochtones. S’appuyant sur son héritage cri, Margaret intègre les savoirs traditionnels autochtones aux pratiques de santé modernes, garantissant ainsi des approches culturellement adaptées dans toutes les initiatives de CAAN. Margaret nous a beaucoup appris sur l’impact du colonialisme et du racisme persistant sur la santé des peuples autochtones, ainsi que sur les raisons pour lesquelles les savoirs traditionnels sont essentiels à la réconciliation au Canada.

Vous pouvez également consulter certaines de nos ressources conçues avec et pour les communautés autochtones :

https://www.hivlegalnetwork.ca/site/our-work/indigenous-communities/?lang=fr

06/19/2026

***National Indigenous History Month***
For National Indigenous History Month, CAAN continues to highlight traditional medicines used by the First Peoples of this Land.
Bear Root holds deep cultural and medicinal importance for many Indigenous groups across Turtle Island. It is often called “Bear Medicine” because bears have been observed digging and using it. The root is traditionally prepared as a tea and is great respiratory health. It supports colds, coughs, sore throats, bronchitis, and other lung issues. Bear Root is also used for immune system support, fevers, digestive complaints, and as a general purifying and strengthening medicine.
Several health institutions and researchers are studying Bear Root and related plants for their potential contributions to Western medicine, particularly for antiviral, antimicrobial, and respiratory support.
Moving forward is not forgetting.

06/19/2026

06/19/2026

This Pride Month, CAAN honours the life and legacy of Donald Turner, a respected advocate, healer, educator, and proud 2-Spirited member of the Blackfeet Nation with Black Canadian heritage. Donald, who lived with HIV for over 30 years, dedicated his work to disability rights, housing equity, aging with HIV, and culturally grounded care.
We are grateful to share this recent Canoe Community of Practice Call, hosted by CAAN in partnership with the Dr. Peter Centre. In the session “Navigating Grief and Loss in Relation to Substance Use,” Donald offers powerful insights drawn from lived experience and Indigenous teachings.
Watch to hear his wisdom and carry forward his commitment to balance, healing, and community support.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_J_GOVbwYw&t=335s
Donald’s contributions continue to guide our path. We send heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and all whose lives he touched.

06/18/2026

Affiliated Independent Events submissions are now open Apply now for Affiliated Independent Event status to amplify your reach through promotion to the global IAS network and AIDS 2026 delegates. Submit an event

06/18/2026

Webinar: Defining Gender-Based Violence with
2S/LGBTQIA+ Communities

Wednesday, June 24, 2026
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM PST / 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM EST
Join us for a webinar sharing initial findings from RISE (Reach Into Self-Expression): Participatory Arts-Based Research to Understand Experiences and Needs of 2S/LGBTQIA+ Gender-Based Violence Survivors, a two-year community-based project exploring how 2S/LGBTQIA+ communities in the Fraser Health Region of British Columbia define and experience gender-based violence (GBV). This webinar will highlight emerging findings related to defining and understanding GBV, raise awareness about CBRC's ongoing work in this area, and provide service providers with insights into the experiences and needs of 2S/LGBTQIA+ survivors.

Grounded in intersectional, anti-oppressive, and trauma-informed frameworks, the webinar will explore how systems of cisheteropatriarchy, colonialism, racism, and ableism shape experiences of violence, invisibility, and barriers to support. Drawing on insights from 21 2S/LGBTQIA+ survivors and 7 service providers, we will discuss gaps in affirming services, community-defined understandings of GBV, and the role of arts-based approaches in fostering healing, connection, hope, and queer and trans joy.
The project also revealed important differences in how community members and service providers understood and defined GBV. Definitions ranged from interpersonal and intimate partner violence to broader experiences of systemic harm, discrimination, erasure, and exclusion. These findings highlight the importance of language in shaping how GBV is recognized, discussed, and addressed. By expanding how we talk about GBV, service providers and organizations can better understand diverse lived experiences and improve access to affirming, responsive, and culturally safer support for 2S/LGBTQIA+ communities.
REGISTER HERE: https://gbv.cbrc.events/access/start/