PLDI™ Australia is a new collaborative endeavour in the HIV community response in Australia. PLDITM Australia is a unique community service partnership that aims to build the resilience, mental health and leadership capacities of people living with HIV (PLHIV) in Australia.  The Institute is an international collaboration with a similar program operating in Canada and is based upon the principles of the greater involvement and meaningful engagement of people living with HIV.  The Institute is focused upon placing people living with HIV as central and vital in the role towards ending HIV.

What is PLDI? The mission of the Institute is to: Honour the leadership of the past; Value the leadership here today; and, Inspire leadership for our future. We believe that strong leaders create stronger communities.   We honor the leadership of the past; value the leadership of today; and inspire leadership for the future. The PLDITM program aims to create a network of informed and empowered people living with HIV (PLHIV) who will participate in and influence their local communities.

Why PLDI? Development Objectives Emotional Intelligence, Psychological Resilience, and  Transformational Leadership Skills Development. In a report on the effect and degree of HIV stigma in Australia, the Australian Stigma Audit (2012) by the National Association of People Living with HIV Australia (NAPWHA) identified six key recommendations to challenge HIV stigma. The first of these recommendations advocates the development of “an initiative that aims to build resilience among people with HIV”.  This recommendation states that this initiative should include cultivating specific skills for combating HIV stigma and a broader set of life-enhancing skills that improve wellbeing. Development Objectives   The basis for PLDI Australia's community education program work is to affect change (being knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviour) of people living with HIV in three key areas; Emotional Intelligence,  Psychological Resilience, and  Transformational Leadership Skills Development. All three of these areas work in tandem to challenge the stigma associated with living with HIV and enable PLHIV to be able to enact the notion of the greater and meaningful engagement of people living with HIV.   These capacities exist in all of us but are highly affected by changes in our emotional and social contexts. The key to fostering sustainable increases in personal wellbeing, more successful interpersonal skills and greater community engagement is to provide PLHIV with the knowledge and insights of how these development objectives enable and empower them as valued and active citizens in the response to HIV.

How PLDI works? “Who Am I As A Leader?” Residential Selective theory of leadership realise individual potential build a network of leaders realise the strengths of the network learn leadership skills inspire others encourage participants to mentor in their community Expand awareness of diversity “Who Am I As A Leader?” Residential Selective Intensive Contained Diverse WHO AM I AS A LEADER? Residential – the course is a residential workshop in that takes place over a weekend that includes time away from normal activities and places of residence. The intent of the course is to structure an intensive development opportunity that necessitates that participants work closely together throughout the course including breaks, meal times and in the evenings.   Selective – this course is for emerging leaders.  As the number of participants in one workshop is limited, it is important that participants understand that a commitment to the course is essential. This course is not for everyone – although it is understood that many people could benefit from its development potential. Due to high demand and limited availability in each PLDI workshop, not everyone that applies will be selected. Intensive – the workshop activities demand a level of emotional and physical capacity.  It is expected that all participants will actively participate in all activities. It is expected that the course will elicit strong reactions and emotions about personal growth and development and as such participants are carefully screened to ensure their emotional intelligence to deal which such reactions in themselves and others. Contained – this course is not open to people who are not PLHIV.  From the point of departure (as a single group) and travel to the facilitation site, to the travel back from the point of departure – the course has explicit and implicit intentions to bring out leadership qualities and potential.  Family and friends are not expected to attend or visit participants. Participants are encouraged to refrain from using communication devices outside of the activities and cannot use such devices during any of the activities. Diverse – this course is built upon the principles and the valuing of diversity. It is expected that all workshops will aim to have a diversity of participant backgrounds including gender, geography, sexuality and cultural background and will comply with the diversity statement of the program. Workshop groups are selected to ensure maximum participant diversity from thje field of applicants and are chosen by the facilitators based upon the details provided in an application and a nomination form The curriculum objectives for the Leadership Training are for participants to have the opportunity: To understand the 5 principles and 10 commitments of leadership To realise individual leadership potential To participate in building a network of leaders within the PLHIV community To realise the potential and strengths that each individual brings to the network To learn about and practice leadership skills in a safe environment To inspire others to become leaders To encourage participants to take on facilitator and mentoring roles within the community To expand participants awareness of the PLHIV community

PLDI Outcomes Partnerships Participation Professional Development Against objectives: Resilience Leadership Mental health Community participation Partnerships Introduced a stratified form of business partnerships (collaborating, cooperating, coordinating and networking) – which focuses upon valuing participation in all forms and does not assume all partners can contribute the same things. Currently there are 22 partners who contribute the operating costs $74,000 and value in kind in excess of over $150,000 in the forms of participant scholarships, professional advice/support, promotion/advertising, Participation To date there have been 47 graduates from the course – this time next year it is expected that there will be over 100. Professional Development Currently 8 alumni have gone on to become facilitators (and facilitators in waiting) for the course – they come from across Australia and represent a diversity of the PLHIV community. The facilitators run the Institute. The facilitation team takes responsibility for all course coordination and administration, choosing participants for each workshop, designing and editing the curriculum, performing all aspects of course evaluation and writing reports,. The training program consists of 3 stages – administration, facilitation and evaluation and all team members are required to perform all aspects.