Seminar: “Building Community through Art and Stories: Community-Building for participants identifying as HIV+ and LGBT+”

JEF Estonia and the Estonian Network of People Living with HIV organized a joint seminar titled “Building Community through Art and Stories: Community-Building for participants identifying as HIV+ and LGBT+.” The seminar aimed to expand the opportunities for participants from the HIV+ and LGBT+ communities. During the seminar, participants shared their experiences, personal stories, challenges, and their vision for the future of the HIV+ and LGBT+ communities.

As part of the seminar, a lecture on HIV infection was presented, covering basic and vital aspects, the importance of prevention and treatment, as well as where and how to undergo HIV testing in Estonia. The entire event was conducted interactively, allowing each participant to ask questions or share their personal stories at any time.

Participants actively engaged in the “Identity Collage” activity, where they expressed what defines them as individuals through creativity: their origins, hobbies, worldviews, problems, and more. Observing the participants’ reactions to the identity collages was fascinating, as it clearly showed the delicate thread that we are all different yet simultaneously the same.

The next activity, the “Human Library,” allowed seminar participants to hear three stories related to joys and challenges within the HIV+ and LGBT+ communities. The speakers freely shared their life journeys and how they overcame obstacles. The speakers’ stories shed light on many issues that exist in today’s HIV+ and LGBT+ communities, including stigma, discrimination, and violations of basic human rights.

The “Art Therapy Seminar: Embracing Our Stories” had a special impact on the participants as it contributed to the maintenance and improvement of mental well-being. The essence of the seminar was that each participant could learn meditation and various art therapy techniques to find inner balance and harmony within themselves, without relying on external assistance in the future.

The concluding stage was a panel discussion with Lachin Aliyev, the founder of the Estonian Network of People Living with HIV. Participants had the opportunity to freely ask questions regarding the history of HIV infection in Estonia and worldwide, the problems that need to be addressed, and what needs to be done first and foremost: respecting others and accepting people as they are.