For the past 7 years, ICAD has implemented a twinning program which promotes the development of HIV/AIDS partnerships between Canadian and overseas organizations. Our involvement began with the publication of Beyond Our Borders, a step-by-step guide which introduces community-based HIV/AIDS organizations to the twinning model. The guide outlines the benefits of twinning, describes the characteristics of successful twinning programs, discusses some of the intercultural issues that can arise in international twinning projects, and explains how to make twinning happen.

A study carried out by ICAD in June 2003, The Benefits of International Twinning Projects for HIV/AIDS Programming in Canada and for Canadian Organization, reports the lessons learned by 20 ASOs who participated in twinning projects with organizations working in HIV/AIDS in developing countries. The report provides convincing arguments as to how ASO programming in Canada has been improved by exposure to international twinning opportunities.

From 2002 until 2008, ICAD and the Canadian Society for International Health (CSIH) jointly implemented two phases of a twinning program which encouraged cost-effective, innovative, inter-sectoral knowledge-based approaches to HIV/AIDS. The two phases were funded by the Canadian International Development Agency and involved 40 separate twinning partnerships between Canadian and overseas organizations. The funding/partnership varied from $75,000 to $100,000. Several twinning resources were developed during the program including a Sample Partnership Agreement and a Twinning Evaluation Framework.

Twinning is defined as a formal, substantive collaboration between two organizations.

The Twinning and partnership site is designed to encourage community-based organizations, AIDS service organizations and NGO's to collaborate and form partnerships with like-minded organizations in other countries or regions.

Beyond Our Borders: A Guide to Twinning for HIV/AIDS Organizations is a step-by-step guide that community-based HIV/AIDS organizations can use to undertake twinning with organizations in other countries.

The guide outlines the benefits of twinning, describes the characteristics of successful twinning, discusses some of the intercultural issues that can arise in international twinning projects, and explains how to make twinning happen.

Related Websites

HIV/AIDS Twinning Centre
International Twinning and Partnership for Development

Other Resources

Behaviour Change Through Mass Communication
A Quick Reference Guide for Putting Conversations to Work
CIDA's Framework for Assessing Gender Equality Results
CIDA's Guide to Gender-Sensitive-Indicators
How to Create an Effective Communication Project
How to Create an Effective Peer Education Project