Proyecto Payaso (Stephane Gue, Anthony Savdie)

For almost ten years, a clown troupe based in Guatemala has been performing shows about HIV and AIDS to indigenous communities throughout Central America. Proyecto Payaso, or The Clown Project, is a non-profit organization comprised of performers - both indigenous and non-indigenous - who see clowning as a powerful way to address the issue.

"The clown is poetic, naive, innocent and can speak about anything without shame," explained Project co-founder Stephane Gue, a clown of 15 years. "Through clowning you can open a door, you can start a debate about sexuality in all its complexity. You can talk about condoms, what is safe sex, what is important in your relationship."

In full red nose persona, Proyecto's head clown Anthony Savdié addressed a crowd at the XVI International AIDS Conference in Toronto. "Clowning gives you a kind of diplomatic immunity to talk about things that are quite embarrassing to talk about in public," he said. "Even if your religion doesn't allow you to use condoms, it's not a question of religion, it's a question of public health. Your body belongs to you, not to the state and not to the church."

"UNAIDS estimates that 61,000 people are living with HIV in Guatemala and 2,700 deaths have occurred due to AIDS. Proyecto Payaso collaborates with health educators to target areas in Central and Latin America in which HIV/AIDS information is lacking. USAID research found that rural and indigenous communities in Guatemala were some of the most vulnerable areas to the pandemic due to language barriers, geographical isolation and lack of educational opportunities. It also was reported that few governmental resources were dedicated to the prevention of the spread of HIV/AIDS in these areas.

Proyecto Payaso travels to these areas and uses indigenous language in their performances and in their follow-up workshops. "We start with a show, then do a workshop, then distribute education materials and condoms," Gue said. "The purpose of the workshop is to break down boundaries. We realized that in Guatemala there is no access for this kind of information for indigenous communities. We want to democratize access for information."

The Project also offers clowning workshops for indigenous youth to hone their performance skills and develop shows that address social issues. "We feel we are making an impact with the young indigenous population we are working with," Gue said. "The process they go through is a social transformation... to be in front of their own community, parents and friends. They have to deal with religion and with the culture. They have to fight their social condition. There was a time that the indigenous population didn't want to recognize the problem of HIV."

Proyecto Payaso conducts a tour almost every week to rural health clinics, schools and community centers, Gue said. "A lot of people ask us, 'Why don't you work on a different issue?' I always say HIV is about everything. It's about poverty, it's about migration, it's about discrimination. By addressing AIDS you can address all issues. That's why for me, AIDS is a human rights issue."

Proyecto Payaso also partners with Action-Clowns in France, Association of Clowns in Spain, Healthlink Worldwide and the Irish charity Trocaire.