The Story of Stuff Project

YAHAnet is an innovative webtool that provides youth from around the world with the opportunity to actively and creatively participate in the fight against HIV & AIDS using an interdisciplinary approach which combines public health, education, art, and technology. 

History: 

The idea of creating a global webtool for youth that focused on HIV & AIDS and the arts was initiated by McGill University in Montréal and sponsored by UNESCO.  McGill University partnered with the University of Toronto and the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa to get this project started.  A comprehensive world-wide study of over 300 youth groups with an online presence revealed the importance of “getting the word out” about HIV & AIDS through creative approaches including photography, hip hop, graffiti, music, story telling, radio drama, theatre, and film.  The need for a web forum to promote and expand the artistic work of these youth groups was the driving force behind the development of YAHAnet.   

Hopes and Goals: 

By recognizing and facilitating the importance of artistic expression and the internet in the everyday lives of youth, YAHAnet aspires to empower youth to take action in the fight against HIV & AIDS. 

We at YAHAnet believe that each individual member of our site has a vital role to play in AIDS advocacy and education. We encourage each of you to add to our online showcase of artistic messages and to visit our forum and contribute to the open discussion of HIV & AIDS in the context of gender, sexuality, and ethics. 

An Overview of what YAHAnet has to offer: 

• Video, audio, and image galleries where each member, workgroup, or organization can display artistic creations
• a social networking component which puts individuals and groups/organisations in direct communication through shared workgroups, event calendars, and forums and also serves to extend their repertoire of arts-based approaches while deepening cultural understanding of HIV & AIDS issues  
• material on ethics related to HIV & AIDS including gender-based analysis and discussion of social stigma
• up-to-date information on health and behaviour relevant to HIV & AIDS and young people such as statistics, new findings about prevention, and current research
• how-to guides on program start-up, evaluation, and fundraising to help youth groups get started
• a searchable database of literature on how to use the arts for social change
• surveys, quizzes, and a featured project of the month to generate on-going interest in the webtool