Meheret Melles is a 20 year old Ethiopian-American student at the University of Maryland. She is on the International Youth Leadership Council at Advocates for Youth and a member of the Student Global AIDS Campaign.

When 250 youth from around the world meet to continue the fight against HIV/AIDS, how can you not be excited?

The first day of the Toronto YouthForce Pre-Conference couldn't have started with a more invigorating opening session. Grandma Heather Sole, an elder, and Brenda McIntyre, a Medicine Song Woman, blessed us with their presence in a self-healing ceremony. From then on, the aura of the Pre-Conference was filled with the positive energy and strong desire of youth to utilize their minds in order to strategically strengthen their presence at the Main Conference. The sessions covered a multitude of issues, from Trade Justice to Media & Communications. I even overheard some youth participants bewildered because they simply wanted to attend all the sessions!

Joseph Mdamo, a member of the National Youth Council of Malawi, said he was motivated to learn more about access to medicines and how we, as youth, can advocate for drug companies to commit to universal registration of antiretroviral (ARV) drugs. When I asked Joseph what he was looking forward to at the Conference, he said "Alicia Keys…It makes me feel like we're not alone in this." In agreement, I felt empowered to hear the many stories of what youth are doing in their home countries, varying from peer education, to testing and counseling, and advocacy campaigns.

Joseph's passionate words motivated me to use the opportunity we have together to coordinate future work on a global scale. He said, "With all the energy everyone has here, something big will happen after this conference."

Even after just the first day, I look forward to participating in meaningful discussions at the Main Conference. As an American young person and activist, I can't wait to work with international youth to coordinate effective HIV prevention work back home.