Glossary

If you are unsure of any terms used on this website, here is a list of the most important:

• act4life

This is the initiative to raise money for dance4life, which is open to any individual or company that wants to participate in the programme.
The proceeds will be devoted to the dance4life countries in the southern hemisphere (Africa, Asia and South America) and Russia.

• agent4change

An agent4change is a young person (the target audience is aged 13-19) who participates in the dance4life project.
Through the process of education (on HIV/AIDS, reproductive health and life skills) and empowerment, they can contribute positively in one or more of the following ways:
- Individuals: safe and healthy attitude to sex, counselling and voluntary testing
- Schools/community: peer education, volunteer activities, implement prevention projects, raise funds for prevention and successful projects, etc...
- Country: advocacy with policy makers/government and religious leaders.

This positive contribution can bring concrete results in the prevention, awareness, breakdown of prejudice and discrimination against people with HIV. It can also help on a broader social and political level.

• AIDS

AIDS is the term used to indicate when the immune system of an individual with HIV has been reduced to the level of serious infectious disease development. AIDS is an acronym which means “Acquired ImmunoDeficiency Syndrome.”

• Ambassador

An Ambassador of dance4life is a celebrity (a DJ, artist, actor etc…) who is ready to use their influence to strongly push the idea of dance programs for life, and/or internationally by pulling the media, and more importantly the youth participating in the project.

• ARV – Antiretroviral

This is the main treatment for people with HIV and AIDS. The treatment doesn’t cure or contain the side effects completely, but it allows people living with HIV and AIDS to remain as healthy as possible for longer. The treatment consists of daily medication for a lifetime. Treatment to inhibit reproduction of HIV is effective against HIV infection that occurs through the slow process of viral replication in the body.

• Combination therapy

Two or three drugs or treatments, called anti-retrovirals, are used simultaneously to achieve optimum results in the prevention of HIV infection and/or AIDS.
Using drugs in combination showed better effect in reducing the replication of the HIV virus than using just one type.

• Southern Hemisphere

The term refers to countries in Africa, Asia and South America. It is often assumed that poor countries are mostly located in the southern hemisphere. Other terms used are “third world” or “developing” countries.

• HIV

HIV is a virus that can cause AIDS. This is an acronym for “human immunodeficiency virus”. It destroys the body’s immune system. The white blood cells, which act to protect the body from disease, destroy the HIV virus. You cannot die from HIV, but if you are infected your health can become impaired because of viruses and bacteria that would otherwise not be harmful if you didn’t have HIV.

• dance4life International

dance4life is a foundation of international coordination and organizations based in the Netherlands, which supports the development of dance4life projects around the world and enlists new parties into the program.

• skills4life

This program is a component of the dance4life project in schools, to introduce a range of topics such as: change (social and biological) in the period of puberty, sex, and issues of rights and reproductive health and sexuality (including HIV / AIDS), prevention based on free choice (selected full information), human rights (sexual), alcohol abuse / drug abuse, HIV and raising awareness around the globe.
Besides content, the program also teaches life skills such as negotiation skills, decision making, communication and leadership.
Ideally, skills4life training programmes have parts discussing the participation of youth in HIV prevention, encouraging and giving specific responsibilities to implement prevention activities or awareness raising.

• MDGs - Millennium Development Goals

In September 2000, leaders of 192 United Nations member states and at least 23 international organisations agreed to eight international development goals, that they should accomplish by 2015. The ambitious aims include reducing extreme poverty, fighting diseases such as AIDS, reducing child mortality rates and developing a global partnership for development.
The Millennium Development Goals were developed out of the eight chapters of the United Nations Declaration, signed in September 2000. There are eight goals with 21 targets, and a series of measurable indicators for each target.
The leaders made the promises and it’s time we asked them to keep those commitments.

• NCO – National Concept Owner

Each country has a national concept owner of the dance4life, which is an organisation that will build and develop dance4life programmes and school projects in their country of origin.

• NGO – Non-Governmental Organisation

Non-governmental organisations operate independently from any government. NGOs vary in their purposes. Some act primarily as lobbyists, while others principally build and implement development projects.

• Organising Committee

The organisers of dance4life are a small team that was established to support the schools participating in dance4life, including people who are very close to school like teachers, students and peer educators.
This committee provide information about dance4life programmes, keep the spirit of dance4life programmes alive (after the team has left) and help to monitor students involved in act4life activities.

• Peer education

This is youth-specific training that works by students educating their friends - in this case about HIV and AIDS programmes and dance4life. Through this, the youth really get involved in school projects.

• The rights and reproductive health and sexuality

This term includes all facilities, services, care and information that young people need to be able to make decisions freely and responsibly. It includes an individuals ability to make respected decisions about sex, number of children and the amount of time between births.
Youth have the right to be educated about safe sex, so they know how to protect themselves from sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies. Most importantly they need access to, and information about, contraceptive methods.
Everyone has the right to reproductive health and shouldn’t be subjected to sexual discrimination or prejudice against age or health.

• dance4life Team

The team includes musicians, dancers (to teach the dance4life dance globally), young people with HIV and most importantly you, the peer educators.
The dance4life team go to schools to conduct the first array of school project activities using music, videos and discussions on HIV and AIDS prevention.

• dance4life dance

The dance4life dance is a combination of music and dance moves that connect you with other dance4life members around the world.
The dance4life team teach the dance and rap to all youth that participate in the programme. Together you will create a strong message of hope.

Lyrics for the rap:

HIV and AIDS we can beat it
Take re-spon-si-bi-li-ty

People have a right to a life of Love & health & harmony
HIV and AIDS we can beat it Take re-spon-si-bi-li-ty
To-gether we cre-ate a fu-ture World of pos-si-bil-ity

HIV and AIDS we can beat it
Take re-spon-si-bi-li-ty

I can
You can
Together we can
BEAT IT!