Lao PDR

UNDP News

“If you are a Leader inside, You can Lead” says Monk Maytryjit

Addressing HIV and AIDS by promoting leadership

Every morning Buddhist Monk Maytryjit gets up at 3:45 am, wears his saffron clothes and meditates for one hour before walking through the streets of Vientiane in the Lao PDR to collect his food alms.

Yesterday, he had just enough time to mediate before he caught a flight to Pakse to attend the third and final workshop on “Leadership for Results.” At this workshop, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) brought together more than 100 representatives from several provinces including Buddhist monks, such as Monk Maytryjit, government ministries and people living with HIV and AIDS – to address the underlying causes of the epidemic.

The “Leadership for Results” training develops the capacity of local leaders to address HIV/AIDS by promoting leadership at all levels to transform the response to HIV/AIDS. A series of workshops were held, the final one in Pakse where the leaders attending formed seven “break through” groups in charge of creating a transformed response to HIV and AIDS in the country. The “break through” initiatives focused on increasing HIV prevention among rural housewives, improving access to condoms within the Army and increasing access to information on HIV through radio.

Monk Maytryjit has lived in the monastery for 17 years yet three years ago he began working on HIV and AIDS. I asked him why?

He replied, “According to Buddhist philosophy one needs to follow the right path and an important part of our life-skills is to treat all creatures equally. It is important therefore to reduce stigma against HIV positive people in Laos and to help their families.” After attending the Leadership for Results workshop, he and his “break through” group will scale up their efforts and reach thousands of people through ten pilot projects at bus stations, markets and villages. Using radio programmes and loudspeakers, the monks will begin disseminating HIV and AIDS information in pilot projects as well as during religious ceremonies.

Ms. Setsuko Yamazaki, UNDP Resident Representative, a.i. said “The rationale behind the “Leadership for Results” programme is to encourage the formation of strong leadership on HIV and AIDS related issues within all sectors, beyond those traditionally involved in the HIV and AIDS response.” She continued, “this involves stimulating a deep-rooted shift within individuals, organizations and communities, to enable them to see HIV and AIDS from a new perspective, identify new possibilities and take action by creating ‘breakthrough res ults' in order to contain the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the Lao PDR.”

The biggest festival in the country is held in November at the Pha That Luang (The Great Stupa or Sacred Reliquary) and is one of the most significant Laotian religious ceremonies. Attended by hundreds of thousands of people from all around the country the event has also been selected by Monk Maytryjit to use as a platform to discuss the Buddhist Dharma, HIV and ending stigma.

I asked Monk Maytryjit what he learned from the Leadership for Results programme, he replied “to be a leader you do not need any official or government position, if you are a leader within, you can lead others.”

For more information: please contact Ms. Yasmin Padamsee Forbes or Ms. Soukphaphone Thongsavanh + (856 21) 213390-5 ext. 187 or 210, yasmin.forbes@undp.org , soukphaphone.thongsavanh@undp.org