Dear Friends, Rising Voices (http://rising.globalvoicesonline.org) is pleased to announce the release of "Blogging Positively," a collection of case studies, interviews, and best practices about citizen media related to HIV/AIDS. Copies in PDF form can be downloaded here: http://rising.globalvoicesonline.org/guides In this e-guide, you will be introduced to some of the leaders and veterans of the HIV/AIDS-related blogging community, and also to citizen media projects which aim to spread more awareness about the pandemic. The guide contains tips for workshop facilitators and teachers, and points readers to helpful resources for new bloggers just getting started. The project began two years ago when Kenyan blogger, Serina Kalande, volunteered to lead a working group for Rising Voices--the outreach arm of Global Voices Online--to discuss how citizen media can best be implemented in the field of HIV/AIDS. Rising Voices is especially interested in how new media tools can be used most effectively to spread awareness and encourage discussion about HIV/AIDS-related topics. We also wanted to better understand some of the risks and obstacles facing bloggers who are HIV-positive, or who regularly write about HIV/AIDS-related topics. Four online chats brought together people from all over the world, and from a wide range of fields. In addition to this guide, the participants of the chats and others are collaborating on the creation of a map-based directory of people and groups who blog about HIV/AIDS. This is a link to the map: http://is.gd/545x4 If you are an HIV-positive blogger, someone who blogs about HIV/AIDS, or if you have suggestions for links to add to the directory, please contact Global Voices Public Health Editor, Juhie Bhatia (juhiebhatia@gmail.com), or the Blogging Positively Guide creator and co-editor, Janet Feldman (kaippg@earthlink.net). The importance and impact of this guide depends on our collective ability to get it into the hands of activists, and to encourage their contributions to the worldwide conversation that is taking place daily at the Global Voices website (http://globalvoicesonline.org). Please consider sharing this with your network of friends and blogging about it. If there are HIV/AIDS organizations and support groups in your region, please send them a copy of the guide. World AIDS Day "Blogging Positively" Chat: December 3, 2009 at 11am EST (USA) To join us, please visit: http://www.worknets.org/chat/base Select "English" and press "Next". We will create chat rooms for other languages if the opportunity arises. The chat will begin at 11am EST (Boston-New York). This is 2pm (Buenos Aires), 4pm (London), 6pm (Cape Town, Beirut), 7pm (Nairobi), 9:30pm (New Delhi) 12am (Dec 4) (Beijing, Manila), 1am (Tokyo), 3am (Dec 4) (Sydney). For other WAD coverage at Global Voices Online: http://globalvoicesonline.org Thanks and hope you will join us for one or all of these activities! Janet Feldman ActALIVE (www.actalive.org) KAIPPG International (www.kaippg.org) Creator and Co-Editor, Blogging Positively Guide (Rising Voices) kaippg@earthlink.net