Dance4Life Glossary

• Act4Life - more info
  Act4Life is one of the four activities of Schools4Life, which as its name suggests is all about taking action. The young people doing Act4Life organise their own actions - anything from becoming a volunteer, fundraising or spreading awareness about HIV and AIDS. By becoming actively involved in making an impact on HIV the stigma and discrimination around them is broken down. All fundraising from Act4Life goes to HIV prevention projects, usually in the Global South.
  
  
• Agents of Change
  An Agent of Change is a young person (especially target group 13–19) who is
  - personally involved with the Dance4Life (having taken part in at least two of the first three of the Schools4Life activities)
  - and makes a positive active contribution on one or more levels: individual, family, school, community, national and/or international level.
  These active contributions lead to concrete results in prevention, awareness raising and breaking down of taboos, silence, and stigma/discrimination around HIV amongst AIDS, amongst (other) young people, wider society and political and religious leaders.
  

• AIDS - more info
  The word AIDS is used only when the immune system of someone living with HIV is so broken down that serious infections occur. AIDS is an abbreviation of ‘Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome’. The last three words, ‘Immuno Deficiency Syndrome’ indicate that AIDS is not one disease, but a ‘syndrome’, a ‘compound of diseases’ which are caused by ‘damage to the immune system’.
  
  
• Ambassador
  A Dance4Life Ambassador is a public figure (DJ, artist, actor, media personality etc.) who believes in and is willing to use their influence to further the Dance4Life concept nationally and/or internationally by involving media, and most importantly youth in the project.
  
  
• ARV – Anti retroviral Treatment
  This is the main type of treatment for HIV or AIDS. It is not a cure, but it can stop people from becoming ill for many years. The treatment consists of drugs that have to be taken every day for the rest of someone's life. Antiretroviral treatment for HIV infection consists of drugs which work against HIV infection itself by slowing down the replication of HIV in the body.
  
  
• Combination therapy
  Two or more antiretroviral drugs or treatments used together to achieve optimum results against HIV infection and/or AIDS. Combining drugs has proved to be more effective at reducing the amount of the HIV in the body than the use of single drugs by themselves.
  
  
  
• Drill - more info
  “The Drill”, a dance and vocal routine, will connect you and your dance partners all over the world. Tour Teams teach The Drill to all the participating youngsters. Together you will make a powerful statement of hope:
  
  HIV and AIDS we can beat it
  Take re-spon-si-bi-li-ty
  
  People have a right to a life of
  Love & health & harmony
  
  HIV and AIDS we can beat it
  Take re-spon-si-bi-li-ty
  
  To-gether we cre-ate a fu-ture
  World of pos-si-bil-ity
  
  HIV and AIDS we can beat it
  Take re-spon-si-bi-li-ty
  
  I can
  You can
  Together we can all
  BEAT IT!
  
  
• Global South
  Term for countries in Africa, Asia and South America. Generally thought of as the group of impoverished countries that are mostly in the Southern Hemisphere. A preferred term for “Third World” or “developing” countries.
  
  
• HIV - more info
  HIV is the virus that can cause AIDS. It is the abbreviation of ‘Human Immuno Deficiency Virus’. It breaks down your body’s resistance. The white blood cells, which we all have to defend ourselves against illnesses, are broken down by HIV. You cannot die from HIV itself, but if you have it then you can become critically ill from viruses and bacteria which wouldn’t normally have serious effects.
  
  
• Dance4Life International - more info
  Dance4Life International is a Foundation (charity) and the owner of the Dance4Life concept and we work with partner organisations around the world to implement Dance4Life. Our goal is to halt HIV by creating one million Agents of Change by 2014 who will have a global impact on HIV.
  
  
• MDGs (Millennium Development Goals) - more info
  In September 2000, world leaders agreed to an ambitious agenda for reducing poverty and improving lives. The eight Millennium Development Goals are the result of that meeting, each with their own targets to monitor social, economic and environmental progress. Goal number six addresses HIV and AIDS and other diseases. The world leaders made these promises, or goals, now it is up to us to make sure they keep them.
  
  
• NCO (National Concept Owner) - more info
  In every country there is an NCO, an organisation which organises and develops Dance4Life and Schools4Life in their country.
  
  
• NGO (Non-Goverment Organisation)
  An NGO is an organisation that is not directly part of the structure of government. Usually they design and implement development-orientated projects, like Dance4Life.
  
  
• Organisational Team (OT)
  The Dance4Life Organisational Team is a (small) group of people, assigned in each of the schools participating in Dance4Life, consisting of a number of people who are ‘attached’ to the school, such as teachers, students and peer educators . They are the information point about Dance4Life for the students, keep the Dance4Life spirit going (after the Tour Team have left) and help (and monitor) the students, where necessary, with their Act4Life actions.
  
  
• Peer educator
  A young person who has been specially trained to be able to educate their peers - in this case about HIV and AIDS and Dance4Life. They make up part of the Tour Team.
  
  
• Schools4Life - more info
  Schools4Life is the first dimension of the Dance4Life project. It consists of the following 4 activities taking place in and around schools, involving school youth:
  o Heart Connection Tour
  o Skills4Life
  o Act4Life
  o Dance4Life Event
  
  
• Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights
  This term includes all means, services, care and information that young people need to make free and responsible decisions about their sexuality.
  Young people have the right to get education on safe sex, so they know how to protect themselves against sexual transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancies. They should have access to contraceptives. Sexual and reproductive rights apply to everyone without discrimination or stigma based on whatever status or age.
  
  
• Skills4Life - more info
  This activity within Schools4Life activities is an in-depth life skills or sexuality education programme. It takes place in schools and youth centres for some of the young people who have already participated in the Heart Connection Tour.
  Skills4Life deals with what is called 'Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights'. It basically offers information about a range of topics, and teaches skills that young people can use in their daily lives. Some of the topics include: (physical and social) changes during puberty; sexuality; HIV and AIDS; choice based prevention (providing the options to make an informed choice about how to protect yourself); drug abuse and HIV; global awareness of HIV and AIDS.
  Some of the skills that are learnt include: negotiation; decision making; communication; entrepreneurial skills; and youth empowerment.
  
  
• Support Dance4Life - more info
  A very important part of Dance4Life! This is made up of all individuals, organisations, events organisers, companies and others who support Dance4Life outside of Schools4Life (so this is separate to Act4Life). The main ways in which they can support Dance4Life is by: fundraising; raising Dance4Life’s profile; and raising awareness around HIV and AIDS.
  
  
• Tour Team
  is made up of musicians, dancers (to teach the worldwide Dance4Life Drill!), young people trained to educate their peers and young people living with HIV, or affected by HIV. They tour schools as the first part of Schools4Life, the Heart Connection Tour, with dance, music, videos, and discussion about HIV and AIDS.