UN launches video with testimonies about stigma and prejudice in Brazil

New video complements the "Same as You" campaign, an initiative that gives voice and visibility to the human rights of students, gays, lesbians, people living with HIV, the black population, sex workers, refugees, transsexuals and transvestites and drug users

18 June 2010 - Equal rights and a call to Brazilian society to fight the discrimination that men, women and children live daily in Brazil. These are the goals of the "Same as You" campaign, released by the UN in 2009 and which now gets a special video.

The video "Fragments", to be released today, features a compilation of testimonies collected during production of the "Same as You" Campaign. The testimonials highlight the situations of discrimination and prejudice experienced by special representatives of the people portrayed in "Same as You" (students, gays, lesbians, people living with HIV, the black population, sex workers, refugees, transsexuals and transvestites and drug users).

Rather than portraying the challenges, the video "Fragments" brings messages of hope and commitment to human rights expressed in the voices of participants of the "Same as You" campaign.

The launch will take place at the UN stand at the VIII Brazilian Congress of Prevention of STD and AIDS, held Brasilia Convention Centre. After the presentation, participants of the video "Fragments" and UN representatives will participate in a dialogue with the audience.

Visibility to human rights

"Same as You" is an initiative to combat stigma and prejudice and to give voice and visibility to the human rights of populations targeted by the campaign. Produced by the agency [X] Brazil - Communication in Public Causes and recorded in studio with original soundtrack of Philip Radicetti, the campaign includes films and radio spots to show messages by leaders of each of the discriminated groups, taking into account the diversity of age, race, color and ethnicity. The video "Fragments" presents a collection of testimonies collected during production of the campaign and reinforce the message of struggle against prejudice and for human rights.

The campaign is an opportunity to raise awareness of Brazilian society to respect the differences that characterize each of the social groups included in the campaign, stressing the equality of rights.

Campaign signature

The prejudice is manifested through attitudes and discriminatory practices such as humiliation, violence and unjust charges by the mere fact that people are part of a particular social group. It is against the stigma and prejudice that agencies UNAIDS (The United Nations Joint Programme on HIV/AIDS), UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), UNIFEM (United Nations Development Fund for Women) UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime), with support from UNIC Rio (Information Centre of the United Nations in Brazil) join, once again, the efforts of civil society for equal rights: ABGLT (Brazilian Association of Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals and Transgender) AMNB (Brazilian Association of Brazilian Black Women), ANTRA (National Articulation of Transvestites, Transsexuals and Transgender), the Brazilian Movement of People Living with HIV/AIDS and the Brazilian Network of Prostitutes.

Watch the campaign videos: www.youtube.com/user/UNAIDSBr

Information for press

UNHCR
Luiz Fernando Godinho
(61) 3044.5744 / 8187 0978

UNESCO in Brazil
Rebeca Otero
(61) 2106 3567

UNIFEM Brazil and the Southern Cone
Isabel Clavelin
(61) 3038.9287 / 8175.6315

UNAIDS
Naiara Garcia and Jacqueline Cortes
(61) 9196 9232 e 9304 2654

UNODC Brazil and the Southern Cone
Marcos Ricardo dos Santos
(61) 3204.7206 / 9149.0973

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