Young people told to LIVE UP ahead of the ICC World Twenty20

Three years ago at the opening of the ICC CWC 2007, an unprecedented coalition of more than 50 television and radio broadcasters across the Caribbean launched LIVE UP: Love. Protect. Respect. - the first pan-Caribbean effort to inspire and empower young people to help stem the spread of HIV/AIDS across the region.

The historic, multi-year campaign employs positive, inspirational messages to encourage audiences across the Caribbean, especially young people, to internalize HIV risk and take personal action in response to the epidemic. The campaign's messages of hope and positive action are now broadcast in 24 nations with 92 members of the Caribbean Broadcast Media Partnership on HIV/AIDS (CBMP).

LIVE UP is not a campaign of one broadcaster, one country, or even one year. As the first media-led AIDS education effort to span the entire Caribbean region, it involves major broadcasters on every island working together, across different media but with unified messages and a shared approach, to help turn back this disease and protect the health of our young people.

Against this backdrop, ICC's invitation to partner with their Think Wise initiative to leverage the power of the media and leading stars to encourage young people to 'LIVE UP' for the ICC World Twenty20 2010, was a perfect match. Partnerships are one of CBMP's four key activities,so we welcomed the creation of a Public Service Announcement with celebrities including Stafanie Taylor, who is a new Think Wise Ambassador, for the ICC's global HIV and AIDS partnership with UNAIDS, UNICEF and the Global Media AIDS Initiative, which has existed since 2003.

The evidence of AIDS fatigue requires us to develop creative messages using the right messengers and using these cultural influencers is one of the most effective ways of reaching diverse audiences. This partnership promotes
both the 'LIVE UP' initiative, and the Think Wise partnership.

The importance of HIV prevention will have strategic prominence every time the PSA is shown within the four venues for the ICC World T20, when cricketers visit community projects to raise awareness of HIV, and all teams in the semi-finals and final wear red ribbons on their shirts as a show of support for people living with HIV, they are all sending powerful messages to captive audiences. The opportunity to use cricketers and entertainment celebrities to encourage their peers to have the knowledge to make important life choices and protect themselves against HIV is really about LIVING UP.

This initiative represents a new and innovative model of collaboration by media companies - working together, and in partnership with local and international stakeholders, to help respond to HIV and improve lives. LIVE UP focuses on what we can do to help stop the spread of HIV and how the region can come together to create a more open, supportive environment for people already living with the disease.

HIV/AIDS is part of our daily lives, and we must talk about it on television, on the radio, and at national and regional events such as the ICC World T20. This is the kind of positive and collaborative effort that we hope will change behavior.