In 1988 I visited and witnessed an incredible sight at the Eclipse in front of the White House, Washington DC. In front of me and thousands of others were 8,288 individual 3x6 feet panels forming a quilt with the names and memorabilia of people who died of AIDS in the United States. Celebrities, politicians, families, lovers and friends read aloud the names of the people represented by the Quilt panels. I heard the names of people I knew being read. I walked among the panels for several hours. I saw the sadness, the memories, the loss, the courage, the love, the outrage, the disbelief of those left behind who prepared each square of the mammoth quilt. Tears fogged my vision often that day. I cannot believe that was twenty-one years ago. World AIDS Day is December 1, 2009. For me this is personal. The theme for World AIDS Day December 1, 2009 is 'Universal Access and Human Rights'. World AIDS Day is important in reminding us that HIV has not gone away, and that there are many things still to be done. According to UNAIDS estimates, there are now 33.2 million people living with HIV, including 2.5 million children. During 2007 some 2.5 million people became newly infected with the virus. Around half of all people who become infected with HIV do so before they are 25 and are killed by AIDS before they are 35. A vast majority of people with HIV and AIDS live in lower- and middle-income countries. But HIV today is a threat to men, women and children on all continents around the world Some 84 countries have reported that they have laws and policies that act as obstacles to effective HIV prevention, treatment, care and support for vulnerable populations. Some 59 countries still have laws that restrict the entry, stay and residence of people living with HIV based on their positive HIV status only, discriminating against them in their freedom of movement and right to work. At the same time, laws and regulations protecting people with HIV from discrimination and women from gender inequality and sexual violence are not fully implemented or enforced.
Most of us don't need a World AIDS Day to remind us how important HIV awareness is. You already know that a breathtakingly large number of people become infected with HIV every hour of every day. And you're fully aware of just how critical it is that we continue to battle not just HIV, but stigma, the lack of HIV treatment access, poor political leadership and the sexism, racism and homophobia that keep this pandemic alive after more than 25 years.
But it's the responsibility of each of us -- as the people who know HIV better than nearly everyone else on the planet -- to be educators and activists. So browse these pages for inspiration as you decide how you can best observe this year's World AIDS Day on December 1. For you it is personal.
http://www.avert.org/world-aids-day.htmWhat Can You Do, See, Hear and Know on World AIDS Day December 1, 2009?
• Learn
• Teach
• Advocate
• Give
• Volunteer
• Thank those working with people infected and affected by HIV/AIDS
• Protect you and your partner
I have pulled together links to web sites covering activities planned for World AIDS Day from around the world and select countries. I have included links to tools and publicity that can be used in blogs or offices to awaken awareness about AIDS on December 1, 2009.
More than twenty-five years into the AIDS pandemic, ignorance about HIV/AIDS is still rampant. Use these links on World AIDS Day to learn more about HIV/AIDS
HIV/AIDS BasicsHIV/AIDS Risk & Testing
Statistics on the HIV/AIDS Pandemic
On the Personal Side
TheBody.com's World AIDS Day Center is divided into these sections:• Things to Do: Events, Posters, E-Cards and More
• Things to Hear: First-Person Stories and Interviews
• Things to Know: Learn About HIV, World AIDS Day and the Latest Statistics
• Things to See: Videos, Artwork and More
What Are You Doing This World AIDS Day?
TheBody.com asked some HIV/AIDS advocates: "What are your doing this World AIDS Day?" Watch what they had to say, and let us know what you're doing this World AIDS Day!
Powerful First-Person Stories From People Living With HIV
Justin B. Smith may be one of the most public African Americans living with HIV: He has his own blog and Web site, and he's even on YouTube. And who can blame him? Only 29, he already has an incredible story to tell. Former pop star Sherri Lewis took the time to share with us her story of surviving -- and thriving -- with HIV. TheBody.com recently interviewed both of them (and others!) to hear their stories and talk about life with HIV. Read or listen in!
These headlines are just a small sample of the many interviews, articles, podcasts, videos and resources at your fingertips within TheBody.com's 2009 World AIDS Day Center. Stop in now and learn more!
http://www.thebody.com/content/worldaidsday/art54225.html?ic=700100http://www.thebody.com/content/worldaidsday/art54299.htmlAIDS.orgThe mission of AIDS.ORG is to help prevent HIV infections and to improve the lives of those affected by HIV and AIDS by providing education and facilitating the free and open exchange of knowledge at an easy-to-find centralized website.
http://www.aids.org/National Institutes of Health AIDSinfo Guidelines for the treatment of HIV/AIDS, reviewed and updated by experts in the fieldTreatment / Prevention
About the HIV Treatment Guidelines
Download / Order
PDA Tools
http://www.aidsinfo.nih.gov/TOOLSWithin this section you will find tools you can use for campaigning including newsletters, reports, case studies and manuals.
LibraryThis library contains information on a diverse range of topics relating to AIDS.
UA Campaigner's Update
Universal Access (UA) Campaigner's Update is a quarterly campaigner's newsletter on AIDS campaigning around the world.
Position PapersDeciding what to advocate for can be a challenge for some smaller civil society organisations that do not feel they have the knowledge experience in specific areas or indeed the time to do the work. The World AIDS Campaign (WAC) aims to be a catalyst for providing information on some key positions either where the WAC has formulated them themselves or have been developed by other groups with specialist interest or experience.
Campaign toolsIn this section you will find tool kits, action guides and other resources to help in campaigning.
http://www.worldaidscampaign.org/en/ToolsThis page is for all teachers (especially head teachers), school governors and anyone who has responsibility for staff or pupils in schools.
The U.K. 2005 Disability Discrimination Act (DDA 2005) made it illegal to discriminate against people living with HIV from the point of diagnosis. This means that schools cannot discriminate against HIV-positive pupils or staff.
http://www.nat.org.uk/Information-and-Resources/Schools.aspxUnited NationsAhead of this year’s World AIDS Day, the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the World AIDS Campaign and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) have come together to announce the theme of ‘Universal Access and Human Rights’.
The theme has been chosen to address the critical need to protect human rights and attain access for all to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. It also acts as a call to countries to remove laws that discriminate against people living with HIV, women and marginalized groups. Countries are also urged to realise the many commitments they made to protect human rights in the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS (2001) and the Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS (2006).
Speaking ahead of the announcement at the United Nations in New York, Michel Sidibé Executive Director of UNAIDS said, "Achieving universal access to prevention, treatment, care and support is a human rights imperative. It is essential that the global response to the AIDS epidemic is grounded in human rights and that discrimination and punitive laws against those most affected by HIV are removed.”
Many countries still have laws and policies that impede access to HIV services and criminalize those most vulnerable to HIV. These include laws that criminalize men who have sex with men, trangendered people and lesbians; laws that criminalize sex workers; and laws criminalizing people who use drugs and the harm reduction measures and substitution therapy they need.
http://www.msmasia.org/news_article/items/2009_world_aids_day_theme_announced.htmlhttp://www.caleidoscop.org/Members/janina/news/2009-world-aids-day-theme-launched-universal-access-and-human-rightsUN Fact SheetsInvestment Facts
• At the end of 2008, an estimated US$ 13.7 billion was made available for the global AIDS response – a 21% increase above the $11.3 billion for AIDS in 2007.
• Nearly 52% of the resources available came from domestic sources.
• The per capita domestic expenditure in sub-Saharan Africa was six times more than other parts of the world after adjusting by income level
• Direct bilateral agreements provided 31%, multilateral institutions 12%, and the philanthropic sector 5%.
• Out of pocket expenditures incurred by individuals and families amounted for nearly US$ 1 billion.
[Source: What countries need – investments needed for 2010 targets, UNAIDS February 2009]
http://www.unaids.org/en/KnowledgeCentre/Resources/PressCentre/FactSheets/Activity Around the World (Samples)Australiahttp://blaze.e-p.net.au/feature/be-aware-3319.htmlNigeriaU.S., Nigeria Partner On Fight Against HIV/AIDs
http://leadershipnigeria.com/index.php/news/headlines/8589-us-nigeria-partner-on-fight-against-hivaidsThe World AIDS Campaign supports campaigners around the world. Within this section you can read about campaigns happening at a national and regional level from around the world. The information is organised by region.
We are always looking for more information – please send your campaigning news to
info@worldaidscampaign.orgPink Armenia Bloghttp://pinkarmenia.blogspot.com/2009/07/2009-world-aids-day-theme.htmlGhana The 2009 World AIDS Day has been launched by His Excellency, Vice President John Dramani Mahama in Accra.
The launch signifies the beginning of a month long programme of activities that will culminate in regional and district durbars on the 1st of December.
The objectives for this year’s World AIDS Day are to enhance and advocate for leadership and accountability in addressing the HIV epidemic in Ghana at all levels by engaging all stakeholders in decision making at the national, regional, district, community, family and individual levels and also to help reduce stigmatisation and discrimination by tackling human rights issues and to help increase and update testing devices.
http://www.ghana.gov.gh/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=237:2009-world-aids-day-launched&catid=28:general-news&Itemid=162UK web sites and data• Estimates show that more than 80,000 people are now living with HIV in the UK
• 7,740 people have so far been reported as newly diagnosed with HIV during 2007 - the final figure may be higher.
• There are around 25,000 people in the UK who are unaware of their infection.
• In 2007, over 1,700 black Caribbeans were living with HIV in the UK.
• In 2006, an estimated 24,500 black Africans were living with HIV in the UK.
• In 2006, an estimated 30,100 gay & bisexual men were living with HIV in the UK
http://www.nat.org.uk/HIV-Facts.aspxhttp://www.worldaidsday.org/Information by regions around the world CaribbeanIn this section you will find information about campaigns and campaigning events happening in the Caribbean.
http://www.worldaidscampaign.org/en/In-country-campaigns/CaribbeanLatin AmericaIn this section you will find information about campaigns and campaigning events happening in Latin America.
http://www.worldaidscampaign.org/en/In-country-campaigns/Latin-AmericaEuropeEurope has a wide and diverse range of HIV service providers ranging in size and scope. It also has special interest groups such as the AIDS and Mobility project; and the European AIDS Treatment Group plus acting as the base for some international groups such as GNP+ and ICW.
http://www.worldaidscampaign.org/en/In-country-campaigns/EuropeNorth AmericaIn this section you will find information about campaigns and campaigning events happening in North America.
http://www.worldaidscampaign.org/en/In-country-campaigns/North-AmericaEastern Europe and Central AsiaIn this section you will find information about campaigns and campaigning events happening in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
http://www.worldaidscampaign.org/en/In-country-campaigns/EECAAsiaIn this section you will find information about campaigns and campaigning events happening in Asia.
http://www.worldaidscampaign.org/en/In-country-campaigns/AsiaSub-Saharan AfricaIn this section you will find information about campaigns and campaigning events happening in sub-Saharan Africa. Please click on the links to read more about campaigning in Zambia, Nigeria and Kenya.
http://www.worldaidscampaign.org/en/In-country-campaigns/Sub-Saharan-AfricaN. Africa / Middle EastIn this section you will find information about campaigns and campaigning events happening in North Africa/Middle East.
http://www.worldaidscampaign.org/en/In-country-campaigns/N.-Africa-Middle-EastWestern PacificIn this section you find will information about campaigns and campaigning events happening in the Western Pacific region of the world.
http://www.worldaidscampaign.org/en/In-country-campaigns/Western-Pacifichttp://www.worldaidscampaign.org/en/In-country-campaignsHistory of the QuiltIn June of 1987, a small group of strangers gathered in a San Francisco storefront to document the lives they feared history would neglect. Their goal was to create a memorial for those who had died of AIDS, and to thereby help people understand the devastating impact of the disease. This meeting of devoted friends and lovers served as the foundation of the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt.
Today the Quilt is a powerful visual reminder of the AIDS pandemic. More than 44,000 individual 3-by-6-foot memorial panels -- most commemorating the life of someone who has died of AIDS -- have been sewn together by friends, lovers and family members
On October 11, 1987, the Quilt was displayed for the first time on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., during the National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. It covered a space larger than a football field and included 1,920 panels. Half a million people visited the Quilt that weekend.
The Quilt returned to Washington, D.C. in October of 1988, when 8,288 panels were displayed on the Ellipse in front of the White House. Celebrities, politicians, families, lovers and friends read aloud the names of the people represented by the Quilt panels.
http://www.aidsquilt.org/history.htmAIDS and Nonprofits – A New Resource Tracking Tool; Where’s the Money for AIDS?
http://dongriesmannsnonprofitblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/aids-and-nonprofits-new-resource.html
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