AmCham Tea Meeting on ‘HIV/AIDS Awareness in the Corporate Sector’

The American Chamber of Commerce in Sri Lanka (AmCham) in partnership with Lanka Business Collation for HIV & AIDS (LBCH) organised an awareness program titled ‘HIV/AIDS Awareness in the Corporate Sector,’ which was sponsored by the International Labour Organization (ILO) on 19 June 2012 at the Hilton Colombo.

The day’s program comprised speeches and presentations by LBCH Chairman Kishu Gomes on ‘The Role of LBCH and the Private Sector Accountability,’ ILO HIV/AIDS work place Education Programme National Programme Co-ordinator Dr. Indira Hettiarachchi on ‘ILO Recommendation and the National Policy and how Companies can give effect to them’ and EFC Director General Ravi Peiris on ‘Policy Framework in Sri Lanka’ and NSACP Director Dr. Nimal Edirisinghe on ‘Country HIV/AIDS Workplace Education Program’.

A unique feature of the event was ‘passing the pillow’ from the LBCH Chairman to AmCham President Vijaya Ratnayake and EFC Director General Ravi Peiris to symbolise “passing on awareness and not HIV”. This was a concept initiated by Bates, the advertising partners of LBCH. The pillows were sponsored by ILO.

The event recognised the need for corporate intervention in preventing HIV/AIDS and also creating awareness in the work place and amongst the public.

The event attracted a large number of participants from AmCham member companies and leading chambers, mainly representing HR heads of the corporate sector.