Africa Help!!!!

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Dreadsox

ONE love, blood, life
Joined
Aug 24, 2002
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Hello FYM friends.

I am at church this morning and the priest quoted extensively someone we all apparently love dearly, Bono.

She happened to be looking for someone to educate the church about AIDS in Africa and what we as a church can do to help.

My wife, turns to me and I to her and we decided to do this together. Its not like raising two kids, working as an officer in the lions club, and entering into a four year lay minister course is enough on the plate.

What I am asking from you, since I am willing to bet my pinky that there are many more of you more knowledgeable on this topic, where should I go for information. What books, jounals, magzines, and websites should my wife and I use to begin our research.

Peace,

Matt
 
Maybe one of many good sites which has some valuable information is www.unaids.org

Up there, you will find a keyword search field, you can search by region. Decide for Sub-Saharan Africa. Then click on the little arrow below to start the search.
 
A good friend of mine works for an AIDS centre. He told me that nowadays it is possible to live for a very long time when you got AIDS, but that the drugs for therapy cost around 25,000 $ per year.

It is clear that no African can afford that. Now, in Europe, we got (state) health care systems, they pay for those drugs, so you can be sure to get the best medical treatment.

One problem in Africa is, that many countries are just too poor or undeveloped to offer any health care system, so the state does not pay for drugs.

Also, many meds could be created cheaper than for 25 grand per year/ person in other countries, but many U.S. pharma companies do not allow anyone to reproduce their drugs (because they got the patent, want to make the big money themselves).

So, some campaigning for the free reproduction (by any pharma company) of existing meds against AIDS would be useful.
 
Yeah, DATA is really helpful especially for youth like middle schoolers and high schoolers without strong political and economic knowledge.

I took a class freshmen year called Politics of AIDS in Africa. If I can find the binder, there might be some good sources listed in there...
 
Dreadsox, we did a whole thread about Africa and its development challenges plus news sources and organizations to go to on the Internet for more info. :wink:

Check out the PLEBAns section and look for the thread Merc started on Africa - it will begin to lead you into the right directions.

Plus, when you go to DATA's site, click on the "POLICY" icon and then click on the "Policy Library" icon and you will be led to some of the BEST and MOST RELIABLE info on Africa you can find on the web. :yes:

I would suggest you get a copy of "The aWAKE Project: Uniting against the African AIDS Crisis" if you don't already have one. It is like the primer for faith-based organizations to get their feet wet on the AIDS crisis in Africa.

It has articles in it by Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu, Jimmy Carter, Kofi Annan, Danny Glover, Dikembe Mutombo and others well known for their advocacy and first-hand experience in Africa. :up:

Of course, we all know that Bono has a section in the book too as well as having one of the pics he took years ago in Ethiopia (1985) on the front cover!

Go to http://www.wpublishinggroup.com for more info on that book.

And, as Boston Anne has said, DATA has a WONDERFUL section on Faith based activism for Africa at its website. Click on the Why Me? icon on the front page and then click on the Your Faith icons to get their EXCELLENT info on the AIDS pandemic and the importance of Faith-based responses to it. :hug:

Best wishes for success with your awareness raising, both for your church and yourselves. You will find once you get into the very sad realities of AIDS and extreme poverty in Africa, you will not be the same again!

God will move your heart to speak out and to act, even if it is to get your church involved in supporting The ONE Campaign's fight for Africa's Future (http://www.theonecampaign.org) and maybe table a sign up booth in your church or community for them just like I did today. (which is why I'm so late in reading your post) :angel:

Let us know, Dreadsox, of your progress. And if you ever need a cheerleader for your endeavors, I am always here.

I think the B-man would thank you. :bono: :heart: :heart: ;)
 
The aWAKE project would be an excellent source as well as www.data.org , www.faith4life.com, www.stopglobalaids.com

Also I think it would be really important to try to become familiar with Africa's poli/social history. So you can better comprehend why Africa is where it's at today.

I volunteer in my spare time here in the states with AIDs clients and am planning a trip to Africa this summer...if you need anymore help or advice you can email me!

Bono would be grateful and God can see your faith in action :heart: James 1:27 :heart: I pray that your ministry will be successful.
 
Thanks to everyone from the heart.

Sherry, good to be back, in a limited capacity (no comments from the galery please).

Busy does not quite describe what I am right now.

Peace
 
Klaus, I am supposed to be doing a presentation at my church here in Massachusetts.

Anne, thanks for the post.

Research is started. I am still waiting to find out what the Diocese wants.
 
How's it going Dread? If I weren’t mortified to speak publicly, I would love to do a presentation at my Church too. I keep hoping I'll get over my fear enough to talk about doing it with my congregation - but it just isn't my thing at all.

I do talk about it one on one when possible and my Pastors know about DATA. I forward them action e-mails when they come in. I just know I should be doing more.
 
Dread,

You may want to also look into the more strictly scientific side of the AIDS in Africa and what the stats are and where the research is going.

The best place is PubMed at The National Center for Biotechnology Information. You can do a search of all scientific articles from all journals, using whatever keyword you wish. You won't have access to the articles unless you pay, but you can read the abstract and if anything strikes you, let me know, as I have access to all of the articles for free.
 
I wonder if there was some universal to talk about AIDS this morning? Where I went today, the guy compared the astigmatism of AIDS to that of leprosy back in the old days, and how religions should not beat each other over the head about truth. It was one of the best homilies I've heard in my life. And I'm not a big fan of religion, or homilies.

Unfortunately, my friend went somewhere else where that priest made some horribly discriminatory comments involving AIDS and homosexuals. I was shocked.:(
 
Thanks everyone....

Things are starting to roll. I am bringing an already established ministry from the Anglican Church into my church. I will know more when I attend a diocese meeting.

Matt
 
pianorocker said:

Unfortunately, my friend went somewhere else where that priest made some horribly discriminatory comments involving AIDS and homosexuals. I was shocked.:(

My priest is a lesbian, so we never here sermons like this.
 
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