Faith leaders call for decisive action on HIV-AIDS

-01/05/06

Renewing commitment toward


Faith leaders call for decisive action on HIV-AIDS

-01/05/06

Renewing commitment toward overcoming the global HIV/AIDS pandemic, people of faith joined in prayer at New York’s St Bartholomew’s on 30 May, 2006 – the eve of the United Nations High-Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS, during which all UN member states will review progress of the 2001 Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS.

They heard calls from faith leaders, including the Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town, South Africa, decisive action on HIV-AIDS. The archbishop outlined a three-pronged practical strategy.

The summit is currently trying to draw up a final statement, with some delegates from developing countries trying to resist any inclusion of the words ëhomosexualí, ëprostituteí or ëdrug userí. Campaigners argue that this is ìa culture of denialî.

Supported by more than 70 organizations, the interfaith prayer service, ëStanding Together: Love Keeps the Promise,í brought together several hundred people from Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, and other faith traditions, all uniting in a common mission ñ to create an AIDS-free world.

An earlier press conference featured key faith leaders active in the UN review, including Anglican Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane of Cape Town, and the Rev Canon Gideon Byamugisha, a Ugandan Anglican priest and founder of the African Network of Religious Leaders Living with or Personally Affected by HIV/AIDS.

Byamugisha, who will address the UN General Assembly tomorrow (2 June 2006), was the first practicing priest in Africa to declare his HIV status. He has since dedicated his life to eradicating stigma associated with HIV/AIDS and mobilizing people at all levels to take action against the pandemic.

“World leaders now have an opportunity to vindicate the harsh pain of history,” he said, speaking of the UN review. “We have an opportunity to take what we have done right and do it better, and acknowledge what we have done wrong and correct it.”

Ndungane described the HIV/AIDS pandemic as a “global emergency” that requires urgent action but insisted that there is “no time for wrangling over the wording of a political declaration when every minute of every day a child dies of AIDS and a child becomes infected with AIDS.” “Words, words, words won’t help us in our fight against the pandemic,” he added. “Now is the time for action.”

Ndungane outlined three priorities toward achieving a world free from AIDS: First, a comprehensive, holistic and integrated approach by all stakeholders in dealing with the pandemic; second, constructive and creative partnerships between governments, the private sector and the broad church of civil society organizations including faith communities; and third, a huge resource mobilization in order to curtail the spread of the pandemic.

Pressure will now continue on the Vatican to change the Roman Catholic Churchís stance on the use of condoms by people facing the threat of AIDS, with some leading figures and theologians within the Catholic community saying that the current ban is practically and theologically wrong.

The UN meeting has involved all sectors of the international community, governments, civil society and the private sector. The opportunities provided for civil society organizations to take part in the meeting is unprecedented.

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, in a message delivered at the interfaith service by deputy executive director of UNAIDS Deborah Landey, said that in the past 25 years AIDS has killed more than 25 million people, orphaned millions of children and deepened poverty and hunger.

“After a tragically late and slow start, the world’s response has gathered strength — in leadership, in resources, in bringing lifesaving treatment to people the world over,” Annan declared. “Now, we need to move the response to AIDS to yet another level.”

Kofi Annan explained that that is why the UN review is so important and why the service at St. Bartholomew’s is so encouraging.

“After 25 long and hard years, we have learned that we can win against AIDS only if we forge a truly collective front,” he said. “We need the engagement of civil society, of faith-based groups, of the entire global community. You provide strength and support for our struggle. You reinforce our sense of common purpose.”

“Our ultimate objective is a generation without AIDS,” Archbishop Ndungane said. “We believe that this is a real achievable possibility. We can do this through developing appropriate programs that target young people, women and children and help create sustainable livelihoods among communities, especially the poor.”

With thanks to Matthew Davies, international correspondent for Episcopal News Service for contributing to this report.

[Also on Ekklesia: Prayer service to encourage UN to act on HIV-AIDS 27/05/06; Fulfil global HIV agreement, says Christian Aid 26/05/06; Combat HIV/AIDS ñ church agency says it with flowers; Vatican stance on contraception may be modified; Cardinal calls for reduction in price of AIDS medicines; Priests resist condom use in HIV-hit Tanzania; Unprecedented NHS debt threatens Christian hospital; Churches sign AIDS code; Cameroon Catholic cardinal backs condom use; Churches face up to world AIDS pandemic; The Body of Christ has AIDS, say Methodists]


Faith leaders call for decisive action on HIV-AIDS

-01/05/06

Renewing commitment toward overcoming the global HIV/AIDS pandemic, people of faith joined in prayer at New York’s St Bartholomew’s on 30 May, 2006 – the eve of the United Nations High-Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS, during which all UN member states will review progress of the 2001 Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS.

They heard calls from faith leaders, including the Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town, South Africa, decisive action on HIV-AIDS. The archbishop outlined a three-pronged practical strategy.

The summit is currently trying to draw up a final statement, with some delegates from developing countries trying to resist any inclusion of the words ëhomosexualí, ëprostituteí or ëdrug userí. Campaigners argue that this is ìa culture of denialî.

Supported by more than 70 organizations, the interfaith prayer service, ëStanding Together: Love Keeps the Promise,í brought together several hundred people from Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, and other faith traditions, all uniting in a common mission ñ to create an AIDS-free world.

An earlier press conference featured key faith leaders active in the UN review, including Anglican Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane of Cape Town, and the Rev Canon Gideon Byamugisha, a Ugandan Anglican priest and founder of the African Network of Religious Leaders Living with or Personally Affected by HIV/AIDS.

Byamugisha, who will address the UN General Assembly tomorrow (2 June 2006), was the first practicing priest in Africa to declare his HIV status. He has since dedicated his life to eradicating stigma associated with HIV/AIDS and mobilizing people at all levels to take action against the pandemic.

“World leaders now have an opportunity to vindicate the harsh pain of history,” he said, speaking of the UN review. “We have an opportunity to take what we have done right and do it better, and acknowledge what we have done wrong and correct it.”

Ndungane described the HIV/AIDS pandemic as a “global emergency” that requires urgent action but insisted that there is “no time for wrangling over the wording of a political declaration when every minute of every day a child dies of AIDS and a child becomes infected with AIDS.” “Words, words, words won’t help us in our fight against the pandemic,” he added. “Now is the time for action.”

Ndungane outlined three priorities toward achieving a world free from AIDS: First, a comprehensive, holistic and integrated approach by all stakeholders in dealing with the pandemic; second, constructive and creative partnerships between governments, the private sector and the broad church of civil society organizations including faith communities; and third, a huge resource mobilization in order to curtail the spread of the pandemic.

Pressure will now continue on the Vatican to change the Roman Catholic Churchís stance on the use of condoms by people facing the threat of AIDS, with some leading figures and theologians within the Catholic community saying that the current ban is practically and theologically wrong.

The UN meeting has involved all sectors of the international community, governments, civil society and the private sector. The opportunities provided for civil society organizations to take part in the meeting is unprecedented.

UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, in a message delivered at the interfaith service by deputy executive director of UNAIDS Deborah Landey, said that in the past 25 years AIDS has killed more than 25 million people, orphaned millions of children and deepened poverty and hunger.

“After a tragically late and slow start, the world’s response has gathered strength — in leadership, in resources, in bringing lifesaving treatment to people the world over,” Annan declared. “Now, we need to move the response to AIDS to yet another level.”

Kofi Annan explained that that is why the UN review is so important and why the service at St. Bartholomew’s is so encouraging.

“After 25 long and hard years, we have learned that we can win against AIDS only if we forge a truly collective front,” he said. “We need the engagement of civil society, of faith-based groups, of the entire global community. You provide strength and support for our struggle. You reinforce our sense of common purpose.”

“Our ultimate objective is a generation without AIDS,” Archbishop Ndungane said. “We believe that this is a real achievable possibility. We can do this through developing appropriate programs that target young people, women and children and help create sustainable livelihoods among communities, especially the poor.”

With thanks to Matthew Davies, international correspondent for Episcopal News Service for contributing to this report.

[Also on Ekklesia: Prayer service to encourage UN to act on HIV-AIDS 27/05/06; Fulfil global HIV agreement, says Christian Aid 26/05/06; Combat HIV/AIDS ñ church agency says it with flowers; Vatican stance on contraception may be modified; Cardinal calls for reduction in price of AIDS medicines; Priests resist condom use in HIV-hit Tanzania; Unprecedented NHS debt threatens Christian hospital; Churches sign AIDS code; Cameroon Catholic cardinal backs condom use; Churches face up to world AIDS pandemic; The Body of Christ has AIDS, say Methodists]