Pleser yw cyhoeddi bod Opera Cenedlaethol Cymru wedi llwyddo i ennill Nod Siarter Ymwybyddiaeth o HIV gan Positive Allies, sy’n cydnabod bod y Cwmni yn amgylchedd cyfeillgar a chynhwysol i bobl sy’n byw gyda HIV ac AIDS.
Yn 2021, fe wnaethom ymuno â siwrnai Caerdydd tuag at roi diwedd ar drosglwyddo HIV erbyn 2030 ar ôl dechrau prosiect cydweithredol gyda Fast Track Caerdydd, a ysbrydolwyd gan yr AIDS Quilt Songbook a grëwyd ym 1992 gan William Parker, y bariton o America. Fel Cwmni sy’n rhoi’r gymuned wrth ei galon a’i graidd, nod y prosiect yw creu cyfres o ganeuon lle eir ati i archwilio hanesion unigolion sy’n byw gyda HIV yng Nghaerdydd a Bro Morgannwg heddiw. Dechreuodd y prosiect gyda gweithdy creadigol ar gyfer 160 o fyfyrwyr Blwyddyn 10 o Ysgol Uwchradd Gymunedol Gorllewin Caerdydd, a oedd yn cynnwys sesiynau gyda’r awdur a’r ymgyrchydd Mercy Shibemba, y dramodydd a’r actor Nathaniel J Hall a chynrychiolwyr o Fast Track Caerdydd. Defnyddiwyd ymatebion y myfyrwyr i’r sesiynau hyn i greu geiriau ar gyfer cân gyntaf y llyfr caneuon, sef We learn, we know, we understand. Yn 2022, parhawyd â’r prosiect a bu Mercy yn cydweithio gyda’r canwr a’r cyfansoddwr Eädyth Crawford ac Intern Lleisiol WNO Aliyah Wiggins i greu’r ail gân, sef All These Dreams, sy’n sôn am ddod o hyd i’ch llais a’ch darganfod eich hun.
Internally, work was being carried out by WNO’s Inclusion and Diversity Taskforce. By February 2022 HIV and AIDS Awareness training by Positive Allies had been offered to staff and by the end of the year 20 individuals had participated and completed the training. Following the inspiring training, we introduced HIV Champions to ensure that the Company has a HIV inclusive environment for staff while continuing to raise awareness of HIV and AIDS. We now have a HIV and AIDS Staff Policy in place and our Dignity at Work policy has been updated to include zero tolerance of victimisation, harassment, bullying or discrimination of any kind towards anyone living with HIV or AIDS. Literature is readily available around the Company and an internal programme of events has been curated to raise HIV and AIDS awareness and reduce stigma.
We are pleased that our work has been recognised by the Positive Allies HIV Awareness Chartermark and invite other organisations to join the journey towards achieving zero HIV transmissions by 2030.