Description

This article analyses a decentralised transformative leadership pilot project launched by the UNDP to combat the growing HIV/AIDS crisis in Nepal. The project aims to strengthen district leadership and participatory multi-sector planning, clarify the district government response, and create regional, nationwide, and international networks to effectively respond to HIV/AIDS. The goal is to create leaders who envisage possibilities and see opportunities previously unimagined, and bring voice to those previously unheard. Tracking the reports and follow-up comments of project participants, the authors find that the project has provided them with valuable tools and skills to act on their commitment to stem the disease, and it has contributed to learning lessons from a global perspective on what has and has not worked in HIV/AIDS responses to date.