Pact AIDS Corps Director Receives Human Rights Award

Phyllis Craun-Selka, Pact AIDS Corps Coordinator, was one of 26 honorees recognized for achievements in promoting and protecting "the inherent dignity and equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family" at the at the 2001 Human Rights Day awards luncheon on December 10. The luncheon, held in the Cannon Caucus Room of the U.S. House of Representatives, was sponsored by the United Nations Association of the National Capital Area, The Congressional Human Rights Caucus, and the UNA-USA Council of Organizations, Washington, DC.

Ms. Craun-Selka was an early proponent of building local community capacity to cope with AIDS, and connecting communities, organizations and governments with information and resources for coordinated HIV/AIDS prevention and care responses. She has been instrumental in developing networks of health practitioners, faith-based groups, community-based organizations, pharmaceutical companies, and donors in six countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and in the US. In addition she designed the first training manual intended to help communities understand the linkages between HIV/AIDS and democracy and governance issues.

"Phyllis has helped to dissolve the boundaries between the traditional health-sector players combating HIV/AIDS and the general development community," said Sarah Newhall, president and CEO of Pact. "When the AIDS Corps campaign began, only a few lone voices were saying that HIV/AIDS affects all aspects of people's lives and must be addressed cross-sectorally. Now this broad-based approach has become widespread."

Ms. Craun-Selka believes in the empowerment of people and all of her career has been directed toward grassroots communities. Prior to her work in AIDS she spent ten years designing and managing women's leadership development programs for Centre for Development and Population and Activities (CEDPA) and Winrock. At World Learning she helped launch a large self-sustaining European-US grassroots exchange program. In addition she has taught English in China and Central Africa and speaks fluent French.

Ms. Craun-Selka is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia and has a master's degree in international administration and training from the School for International Training, World Learning, Brattleboro, Vermont. She works with her husband, Dan, at Pact and has two children, Sophia and Maximilian.

Ms. Craun-Selka was nominated for the Human Rights Award by the United Nations Association of the National Capital Area.