A workshop to form the APACHA eastern regional committee was held at Dharan, Sunsari district on August 5, 2008. 43 representatives of different organisations from Sunsari, Dhankuta, Siraha, Morang and Jhapa participated in the programme. The programme started with welcome note by Hasta Gurung of Adibasi Janajati Adhikar Manch, a network of indigenous people, which was one of the local coordinators of the programme. Naresh Lal Shrestha of Dharan Positive Group highlighted the objectives to organize the programme in Dharan. He said that it is an exercise to build a multi setoral alliance to work against HIV and AIDS in the eastern region.

Activist Arjun Thapaliya shared his view on why social movements are essential to bring change in the society. He shared his experiences of Dalit movement in eastern Tarai and said that a similar movement is need of the hour to fight against HIV in Nepal. He said "social movements can not move ahead in isolation." "There is a need of joint social movement in every sector so as to bring fundamental changes", he added.

Gokarn Bhat of Conscious Media Forum briefed the participants on why joint movement is needed in the fight against HIV and AIDS. He highlighted the structural causes of HIV and socio-economic aspects. "The issue of HIV is not only the issue related to health. Hence, a joint movement is essential", he said. He also talked about the need and strength of alliances like APACHA in the joint fight against HIV.

Hiranya Joshi of APACHA, Nepal briefed about how APACHA movement was started and how it is functioning in Nepal. He also mentioned the past successful works of APACHA Nepal and said that such success could not be achieved without a joint social movement.

Then after, the participants worked in four groups and identified the issues in eastern region, highlighted what APACHA should do in future, the structural problems in eastern region and how a joint movement can move ahead. Each group made presentation of their findings and the participants had great discussion on them.

In the last session of the programme, a steering committee to manage the works of APACHA Nepal in eastern region was formed. The participants unanimously decided that all the participating organisations will be members of APACHA Nepal eastern regional working committee but there will be one secretariat to coordinate the activities and that the secretariat will have convener and co-convener. After brief discussion, a nine member's secretariat was formed.

1.  Hasta Gurung Adibasi Janajati Adhikar Manch Convener 2.  Kalpana Thapaliya Justice and Equity Campaign Forum Co-convener 3.  Sanjaya Sharma Human Welfare Society Co-convener 4.  Mahendra Prasad Mehata Tarai Development Council Member 5.  Nareshlal Shrestha Dharan Positive Group Member 6.  Rita Kumari Mahato WOREC-Nepal, Sunsari Member 7.  Krishna Dahal Nepal Environmental Lawyers Association, Inaruwa Member 8.  Chhatra Prasad Bajgain DDC Morang, AIDS Unit Member 9.  Preeti Subba Prayas Mahila Samuha Member

At the end of the programme the convener of "APACHA Nepal- Eastern Alliance" expressed his gratitude for the success of the programme and committed to work in coordination with all the members at regional and national level. The secretariat decided to hold its first meeting on third week of August, for which the date would be fixed soon.