On the Horizon
>> 10.24.2008
Another shameless advertisement for the World Vision Experience "Step Into Africa" October 31st through November 3rd at Colonial Church in Edina. It's a wonderful opportunity- please take a half an hour out of your weekend to see what it is like to live with HIV in a developing nation.
World AIDS Day is coming up soon- December 1st, 2008. I am hoping to put together a (small) community event to increase awareness leading toward a larger series of week long events in May for AIDS Action Week. So, I'm looking to you, the community, for some ideas. What do you know about HIV/AIDS? What do you need to learn? What do your kids need to know? What would be a good way to present it? How can I get people involved? But most importantly- what will make you care? That is a loaded question, I know, but I'd like to honestly know what would make you start to care about HIV/AIDS? I feel like there is a strong perception of HIV as "something that doesn't happen here" in the suburbs- it's a gay disease, an African disease, a women disease, a poor person's disease, a minority disease, a prostitute's disease, an urban disease... what ever it is, it is someone else's disease. There are every kind of people living in every situation who are HIV+, so how do we stop the "us" and "them"?
And- though it was two weeks ago- my trip to New York was awesome. It was a great time to start planning things for the rest of the year, see some of the other volunteers and get to see where most of the United Methodist programs are staffed and run from.
1 comments:
Your pictures are poetic, as is your passion for the cause. I can't think of a better person, save Bono, to help the world understand a very complex issue. You are right, the disease is perceived as "someone else's disease', mostly because it is so intimidating and misunderstood. I know I don't want it, and unconciously try not to think about it. People that have it are stigmatized, and don't discuss it.
Is education the answer? Yes. Just about the topic? No. Here's a question- if HIV was curable at an early stage, would it be better understood? If relief of poverty was tangible, would more people do something about it?
Tough topics. I'm very glad for everyone afflicted and consumed by these issues, and especially those not, that you are involved.
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