6. Mobilising Brazil As ‘Significant Other’ In The Fight For HIV/AIDS Treatment In South Africa: The Treatment Action Campaign (TAC) And Its Global Allies

Abstract

This chapter focuses on emergent actor in Africa: Brazil. By focusing on the first decade of the 21st century and the fight against HIV/AIDS in South Africa, the role of Brazil is examined. This is done through the lens of the Treatment Action Campaign (TAC)-the most prominent HIV/AIDS organisation in South Africa and also a global actor-which vigorously battled the South African government that refused to establish a universal HIV/AIDS treatment programme. The chapter examines theoretically whether the concepts of 'global civil society' and 'transnational activist network' help us understand what we witness in the case of the global HIV/AIDS movement, or whether different interpretations of these concepts may in fact cloud our understanding of such phenomena and the powers at play. Keywords: Brazil; global civil society'; HIV/AIDS treatment; South Africa; transnational activist network; Treatment Action Campaign (TAC)