Reducing HIV risk in children and youth in impoverished urban settings is a challenge in the U.S. and abroad. This month's Hartford HIV Forum will address this issue by showcasing an innovative intervention program in Mumbai (Bombay), India that incorporates popular dance to engage affected and infected children while addressing HIV risk and social discrimination. Amrita Bhende, MSW, Program Manager of Committed Communities Development Trust and Dancing Feat, will speak on Tuesday, November 8 at noon at the Living Center, 1841 Broad Street. The event is free; lunch will be provided and advanced registration is required.

Dancing Feat, funded by the United States Agency for International Development through Family Health International, is one of the largest partnership programs in Asia. Now entering its fifth year, the program integrates three complementary components - popular dance, counseling, and life skills education - into an intervention program for children and youth ages 6 to 18 who are HIV positive or at risk for HIV infection. Ms. Bhende provides overall supervision and guidance to the program. "We work with the poorest of the poor," states Bhende, "and deal with complex issues such as drug use, HIV infection and risk, sexual behavior, nutrition, gender relations, and the stigma and discrimination related to prostitution."

By attending this month's Forum, the audience will learn about methods and challenges of engaging youth in a non-traditional HIV intervention program. The forum will also address the scope of the HIV epidemic in India and the impact of HIV/AIDS on vulnerable children living in marginalized communities. The presentation includes a short film about Dancing Feat with highlights of children's dance performances. A question and answer period will follow. "Using the medium of popular dance we are able to draw the children into the intervention, which also keeps them committed," says Bhende. "We are building the skills of 700 children so that they can respond effectively to situations that place them at risk for HIV/AIDS."

This is the third lecture in the Fall, 2005 series of forums organized by The Institute for Community Research and the Connecticut AIDS Education and Training Center with support from Gilead Sciences and GlaxoSmith Kline. The Hartford HIV Forum meets from 12:00 noon to 1:30 p.m., on the second Tuesday of each month from September through June. The goal of the forums is to give the local community the most up-to-date information on current topics in AIDS prevention, treatment, research and care. To register for the forum, call the Institute for Community Research at 860-278-2044. For more information about the series, contact Kim Radda at The Institute for Community Research at 860-278-2044 X285.

The Institute for Community Research is an independent, nonprofit organization that conducts applied research and community enhancement programs to promote equal access to health, education, and cultural resources. The Connecticut AIDS Education and Training Center trains providers with the goal of improving HIV clinical care through a grant from the Health Resources & Services Administration (Federal Grant No. 1H4A HA 00050-AO).