In just a few days, I will be heading to Chandigarh, India, to take part in the 18th Global Youth Peace Fest (GYPF 2025). The Fest gathers young leaders, educators, policymakers, and peacebuilders from around the world, and this year I have been entrusted with a particularly significant role: moderating a session on intensified HIV and AIDS awareness.
Why is this important? Because despite decades of progress, HIV remains both a health and a societal challenge. Medical science has moved forward in extraordinary ways: treatments are more effective, people live longer, and prevention tools are more accessible than ever. Yet stigma, fear and misinformation cling to the subject like a stubborn shadow.
I once had a conversation with a teenager who said to me, “I am not afraid of HIV. I am afraid of people knowing.” That sentence has stayed with me for years. It highlights a brutal reality: the weight of stigma can sometimes crush people harder than the virus itself. People still avoid getting tested, young people still hesitate to ask questions, and entire communities still whisper rather than speak openly.
This is where youth must step in.
Youth as the Game-Changers
The fight against HIV/AIDS is no longer just about medical interventions. It is about conversations, behaviours and leadership. And youth are uniquely positioned to drive change. Why? Because young people have the creativity to turn awareness into something memorable.
In Mauritius, I have seen youth leaders stage plays in the streets where the villain wasn’t the virus, but stigma itself. In South Africa, students turned an HIV awareness message into a rap song that had more impact than a dozen pamphlets. In Indian colleges, Red Ribbon Clubs have used everything from cricket tournaments to fashion shows to make awareness campaigns relevant to their peers.
These examples are more than gimmicks. They prove that awareness is most effective when it is human, relatable and fun. People do not remember statistics from a dull lecture. They remember a catchy chorus, a witty street performance, or a friend who spoke openly without judgement.
Why Silence is Dangerous
Let me be blunt: silence kills. It kills because young people, embarrassed to ask questions, make choices in ignorance. It kills because communities, worried about appearances, discourage conversations about safe practices. And it kills because stigma drives people into hiding when what they need is compassion and access to care.
The sad irony is that the very people who could help stop the epidemic—young men and women with the power to influence their peers—are often kept away from the conversation. I often ask myself: why is it easier to discuss cricket scores than to talk about sexual health in a school setting? Why can we plaster walls with adverts about soft drinks, but hesitate to run an honest campaign about HIV testing? What does that say about our priorities as a society?
What I Intend to Do in Chandigarh
As moderator of the HIV/AIDS session at GYPF 2025, I will not be delivering another medical lecture. My role is to spark a dialogue that is brave, witty and useful. I want the young participants to speak, to share, to question, and to commit. My job is to ensure no voice is silenced and no perspective is dismissed.
At the end of the session, we will adopt an Outcome Declaration. This is not meant to be a piece of paper tucked away in a folder. It will be a living pledge, a reminder that each participant is carrying a responsibility back home. One initiative, one campaign, one new conversation before World AIDS Day this December—that is the challenge I will put forward.
A Story of Choices
I recall meeting a young man who avoided sharing meals with his classmate because of rumours that HIV could spread through food. When he finally learnt the truth, his guilt was overwhelming. He told me, “I lost a friend because of ignorance.” That is what misinformation does—it isolates people, it erodes trust, it breaks bonds. And all it takes to undo that damage is one honest conversation.
So when I go to Chandigarh, I will not be speaking as an expert with all the answers. I will be speaking as someone who believes that youth-led conversations can prevent such losses, that awareness campaigns can protect friendships, and that open dialogue can literally save lives.
The Bigger Picture
This is bigger than HIV alone. The epidemic forces us to confront uncomfortable truths about society. How much do we really value honesty over image? Are we willing to talk about gender, sexuality and health without shame? Or do we continue to sweep these realities under the carpet, pretending they do not exist?
Ending AIDS by 2030 is not just a United Nations goal; it is a test of our humanity. It is about whether we can move from silence to speech, from fear to empathy, from stigma to solidarity.
Closing Reflections
As I prepare for my intervention in Chandigarh, I carry with me not only the stories from Mauritius but the voices of countless young people I have met in different corners of the world. Their hopes, frustrations and ideas will shape the way I lead this session.
My message is simple: let us not be the generation that looked away. Let us be the generation that laughed, created, and spoke so loudly that stigma had no place left to hide.
In Chandigarh, I hope to play my small part in making that vision real. And I invite you, wherever you are reading this, to ask yourself: what role will you play?
