World AIDS Day 2003

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Liesje

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What are all you PLEBANS doing for World AIDS Day?

If you weren't planning on doing anything, than please at least tell one other person about AIDS in Africa.


I just printed a shitload of unsigned letters for US Congress and Bush (except I'm having trouble finding a list of House reps, a complete list I can print, I've got the Senate and Pres/Vice). Tonight I've got to do a very short presentation of the AIDS problem and then people will sign, address, and stamp the letters. It's almost too easy, since we even bought the stamps FOR them!

Also, our Social Justice Committee has this entire week dominated by AIDS stuff and our local expert, Dr. Patterson will be speaking on Thursday. I think they're passing out AIDS ribbons at some point as well.

Here's the letter if y'all wanna print and send one (it's DATAs, but I added some stuff b/c theirs sounded really weak!):

http://www.calvin.edu/~lar3/letter.doc

One year ago today, I met Bono and someone with AIDS both for the first time...
 
The letter is a great idea :)


Well, I'm ashamed to say that I'm really not doing anything that will make a tremendous difference, but of course I am thinking today about all those people in the world who are infected w/ and or affected by HIV and AIDS, and praying for them.

I am so thankful to Bono and all others who are working so hard to make a difference.
 
Thanks MrsSpringsteen for putting that link up :up:

It was really easy. It's the least any of us can do to help.

Also don't forget Bono will be on Oprah talking about World AIDS day today
 
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yeah, sadly... not much is going on on my campus in honor of World AIDS Day. I distributed ribbons to all of my friends (though none of them are wearing them! *beats them*) and I've told many people about the concert broadcast this evening.

Lies, I applaud your activism and I pray that everything goes perfectly this evening! :hug:
 
Oh, and our floor is doing this cheesy thing where every room decorated their door with wrapping paper and puts on a bow and giant card....but Ellen and I are wrapping ours in AIDS facts, using a giant red AIDS ribbon instead of a bow, and last year's DATA postcard as the Christmas card :macdevil:

And I've hung my fact sheet in the bathroom, on the mirrors, on the news board, and on the microwave door so people BETTER READ IT DAMMIT!
 
Well, I am ashamed to say that here in Australia, we are one of only 2 wealthy countries (us and Sth Korea) who have not contributed to the Global Fund :( This is despte the fact that SE Asia and the Pacific Rim are almost as hard hit as Africa by the AIDS crisis. So....

I have written my own letter of protest to the Prime Minister and relevant politicians today. It truly does only take a minute with the magic of email, I urge everyone in whichever country to just take the few minutes to write the letter, even to just one person.

(There is a growing call for Australia to give money to the Global Fund, and Canada is being cited as a country to follow, but it still isn't a really high proflie topic at this point)
 
The story on the news last night was disturbing :| Like Bono once said, they've lost an entire generation over there who have died or are dying of AIDS. Even if they get their medicine, and I hope they do, most of them are so far gone their time is short:( The best thing we can do now is educate the youth about prevention so there will be no more new cases. It's so sad!
 
U2Kitten said:
Even if they get their medicine, and I hope they do, most of them are so far gone their time is short. The best thing we can do now is educate the youth about prevention so there will be no more new cases. It's so sad!

BUT there HAS to be druge available; prevention AND treatment. Because people do not give a shit about prevention if there will never be treatment. It makes sense, really, why would you want to be tested for AIDS if you knew there was no medication available? People naturally deny that anything is wrong and refuse to change their behavior, thus continue to infect others.

Also, they're not too far gone, not at all. The medicines we have now can have someone feeling almost like they did before within months and significantly prolong their life. There's absolutely NO reason to give up, especially on the millions of people already suffering from AIDS.

The United States and the religious communities especially should feel ashamed and responsible for all of this. We knew about AIDS before I was born, and certain countries were able to control it. Now the US has been shrugging this off for over 20 years and 25 million people are dead.

Religious leaders need to get their heads out of their own asses and get with it! AIDS is no longer taboo, a disease spread primarily through homosexuals and drug addicts. In Africa, it is transmitted through heterosexual, married couples or mother-to-child. The first thing everyone needs to do is stop being judegmental. None of us or anyone we know (I hope) has ever been forced into a situation where the only way to feed our dying child was to be a prostitute. I never understood why the religous community has the attitude that prostitues enjoy what they have to do and it's sinful. Maybe the sin is not the prostitute, but the fact that wealthy able-bodied people like ourselves let those women fall into the situations that they have (and I'm speaking for myself here too, not pointing fingers).

OK, I'll stop now. I just want to say some things NEED to change. The pres. of our college spoke with Bono personally on these issues, and he (the pres.) brought up a good point that even if Bono wins his campaign and Congress signs on for the 15 billion, there really are no adequate governments or organizations in Africa to sufficiently absorb that huge amount of funding. THAT I find is sick and wrong and I am ashamed for our nation.
 
I talked to people about the AIDS crisis and did a donation to 46664. This stuff scares the :censored: out of me. I know this is not FYM, but you think we've got security problems now? Whew. Just think about the impact of losing an *entire generation* in an entire continent.
 
...and not to mention the impact this has had and will continue to have on economies internationally. I read in a medical journal last night that it still appears that many business have yet to see AIDS as a threat to their business. Many huge firms in South Africa employ a work force mae up of 1/3 HIV+ workers. And now AIDS is becoming a HUGE threat to Central and East Asia, especially India and China. Lord knows what will happen in the next decade.....think of how intensely populated these areas are already....it could be even worse than Africa is today. THAT is scary.
 
:up: After watching the Oprah Show and hearing Nelson Mandela saying that a minute of our time could save lives by just donating a dollar...I called as soon as I got home and pledged. It's amazing if you think about it. If everybody in the world donated just a dollar :ohmy:

But like they said in the 46664 concert. It's not about the money that much but just getting the word out more about AIDS Awareness
 
I wrote a letter to the senators for my state yesterday, and I sent one to the president, too.

And I've also had the DATA link in my sig on another board I go to for a while now, that way anyone who's curious about this issue can click on it. I'm considering doing that with the other boards I visit, too, but maybe with links of other sites that deal with this issue. Spread the word even more.

Also, LivLuv, :applaud: to your entire post. It ticks me off when the politicians and religious leaders don't follow through with their promises to help this cause, or when they used to shrug it off. It lets down those who've been fighting to help these people, and I hate seeing them let down.

Like I said, it embarrassed me, when hearing Bono's speech in Canada a while back, to hear that Canada's ahead of America in giving of money for aid and things like that. Granted, it wasn't by much...but still...geez, America, come on! For a country that loves to see itself as being ahead in so many things...you'd think we'd want to try and show that in issues like this, you know?

I also wish people would listen when they hear the whole thing about how this war on poverty and AIDS and stuff is bound up in the war on terror, because that's absolutely true. If we want to stop the power-hungry terrorists from gaining control of the people of other countries, we need to help those people. Then they can laugh the would-be terrorists right out of their country. Problem solved right there.

tiny dancer said:
My cousin died from Aids 10 years ago, and I. miss him dearly :sad:

:( :hug:.

I'm sorry to hear that.

Angela
 
LivLuv, I am not stupid, and I don't need a preachy lecture. I am aware of the situation and have been involved in it since probably before you (at least since March 2001) I know all of that, and I'm not saying anyone shouldn't get medicine. I said in my post I hope they do! I share Bono's frustration and anger that red tape and money involved with these drugs gets in the way of saving people. But it is a sad fact, no matter how many billions of dollars are poured into these drugs, most of the people are already so far gone they will not live more than a few years. :( Some of them who haven't been tested, even if they start now, how much time will they have? A 30 year old who has active, if not full blown AIDS, most likely won't see 40 regardless of treatment:( This person could have lived another 50 years or more, but won't.

Though these drugs are by no means a cure, of course all suffering should be alleviated in the meantime and every effort has to be made to prolong life, but in the end it will not be enough. I still believe the biggest key to stopping the pandemic is getting to the young, and the ones not yet infected, and teaching them about the spread of AIDS so they can protect themselves! This has to be the key. Also, all who have it and don't know it HAVE to know, and get tested, so they can protect their partners! I remember how the fear of AIDS was in the 80's, most people got to where the assumed a stranger had it even if they didn't, and I find it hard to believe as rampant as this disease is over there that more aren't playing on the side of caution. But since they aren't, that's a way the world can help. Education and advice. Go to the smallest village, and spread the word!

Bono has said that some of the countries have such strict Islamic rules, sex cannot be discussed in schools at all, and that is really hurting the young people who need to know to protect themselves. He also said, everywhere he went he saw a missing generation- there were old folks, and young people, but the middle generation is all gone or going. We HAVE to save the children! It's so great some of the new drugs can stop it from passing to the baby from the mother. The only real hope of ending this thing, the real hope of the future is in prevention. Hopefully, a stronger, healthier next generation will carry Africa into the future! One day, may AIDS be only a painful memory of the past.


P.S.- I do know about the progression of the disease, and chances of survival of AIDS patients, (even with the best of medicines,) because my husband had a close relative who died from it:|
 
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Hey, I'm not picking a fight here. I didn't direct any comments specifically at you. If I had, I would say your name. Please don't say you're more involved than I. That's something neither of us have the right to decide. I have devoted my heart and soul to this cause. I've switched majors in order to have a better understanding of the politics and economics behind this issue. I'm putting my financial security on hold in order to organize a trip to an AIDS clinic in Uganda next winter. This is NOT something I do on the side. I often put off work and school in order to work on projects or attend events at which I can learn more about this issue. Ever since I first heard Agnes' story and shook her hand and gave her a hug, this issue has consumed me. I never meant to be "preachy" at everyone, we're just trying to have a civil discussion where everyone can say their part and agree or disagree with what other people have to say. This is not the place to one-up everyone else.

It's just sad that the attitude I've noticed from people who are not educated about this issue is very defeatist. It began to first stand out last winter when Ellen and I took a class called Politics of AIDS in Africa everyday for three weeks. A lot of people tended to shrug it off and didn't see the point of providing assitance to those already suffering from AIDS since they will die from it anyway. But the point is that AIDS is still being spread at an exponential rate and treating these people can help slow that spread. I think towards the end of the course, a lot of people changed their minds and became more motivated.

Personally, I don't think such an attitude is fair. I have a best friend who's dying of cancer, she's been in the hospital for weeks and can't even sip lemonade without throwing up. But I still pray for her, visit her, meet with her friends and family, NO ONE is going to give up because she will probably die. She takes four antibiotics, IV drips, and chemo even though her body seems damaged beyond repair. And it's my hope that EVERY person in the world, no matter how insignificant those individuals may seem to me, will receive the same chance to be treated and live as healthy as possible for as long as possible.
 
...and in addition to what I said above, I don't mean to say that treatment would be the most effective solution. But I think it has to be a part. Ashley Judd sumed up the combination of treatment and prevention/education REALLY well when her and Bono were on Good Morning American last winter. I tend to agree with her views most because as a woman, she also recognizes the importance of de-stigmatizing AIDS and advocating women's rights in Africa.

I think the most important thing that could happen would be to start at a more empirical level, rather than small organizations and villages at a time. By this I mean cancelling debt, NOT just the bilateral debt to the US, but the unilateral debt from World Bank, IMF, etc. This would allow for corrupt or impoverished governments an econimies to reorganize their funding and administration in order to establish their involvement in this crisis. This would lay the foundations for effective local programs to help halt the spread of AIDS.
 
I think it's quite a gut reaction, at least around here (not interference, where I live), to get what I guess could be considered "preachy" to people, since many are so uninformed. Around here many people I've talked to are willing to pray for the situation in Africa, and that's about it. Not to say that prayer isn't important, but if we all just pray about it, no one is actually going to take action.
Also, a lot of people where I live aren't educated at all about this, so if someone asks, it's sort of an invitation to give a speech, y'know? It could be seen as getting preachy, especially if you yourself are informed (which is a good thing, of course!), but I'd say getting preachy is better than not spreading the word at all.

I'm not sure that makes sense, but anyway. :)
 
"Getting preachy" isn't necessary here, we are Bono's angels, we have heard all his speeches, we KNOW. That's why it's almost offensive to be lectured on this subject, as if I were dumb and/or didn't care, because neither is true. In my own personal experience, I have found that among the real 'uninformed', the 'preachier' you get, the more annoying it gets to the average person and the more likely they are to be driven away. Not just this subject, ANY political cause, and yes, religion too. The more facts thrown around, the more it makes it appear as if a person is lecturing, and insulting your intelligence. Just because I don't go through the whole speech, list every statistic or tell you how many people died today doesn't mean I don't know it and I don't care. Everyone here already knows, and posting it over and over only makes people come off as pushy, self righteous know it alls. I have noticed that the ones most actively involved in this cause (Sherry, u2sangel, and others) don't do this, they know they don't have to and it's not the way to go about it.

The best thing to do is let people know the basic facts, and if they ask for more, tell them, or give them the links and addresses to find out more and help. Continually preaching and listing facts runs the risk of driving people away from annoyance. (Hey, even Bono's daughters were worried their Dad was doing this to some visitors!) Of course, you can always say 'who cares as long as I'm saving lives!' But, you're NOT if the people aren't listening, or are getting annoyed. We can only get the word out and hope that enough will take an interest and care, the rest we can't do anything about. But again, there is no need for lectures here among the gung ho, and that's why they can come off as offensive, preachy and 'talking down.'

Everyone can write letters and emails to the right people, because the 'right' people are the only ones who can help now anyway.
 
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No one is lecturing, we're having a discussion about AIDS and the different approaches on how to solve the problem. That's why it is confined to this thread; people who are sick of hearing about it don't have to read this stuff, but a lot of people are still interested in discussing the matter futher, especially with it being AIDS week.

For instance, it's obvious you know plenty about AIDS already and if you don't need to hear anymore, you aren't obligated to post in this thread.

I've read many posts form people who DON'T know a lot and WANT to know more and what they can do, so for their sake, I'd like to continue with this discussion.
 
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I didn't see LivLuv as being preachy at all, just sharing her thoughts, which is what this board is about.

LivLuvAndBootlegMusic said:

It's just sad that the attitude I've noticed from people who are not educated about this issue is very defeatist.

I really agree with the above statement. I see it in my friends and associates. If this discussion comes up (re: Africa, AIDS) I am usually faced with that attitude of "oh well nothing we can do" sort of thing. I think a lot of this has to do with how (Americans, at least) are given information. Watch the news, read the paper, and see how helpless & ineffective you feel. It's something I studied a few years ago in a college course, how the media presents overwhelming situations that cause people to feel very helpless. I'm not sure how to change that feeling (at least on the AIDS issue) besides talking about it, and the solutions, and presenting them as real solutions REAL people can help work towards, not just political stuff that never really affects us.
 
I don't feel that I should change what I say, compromise what I belive is right, so that more people will accept what I have to say.

If people think all the hype about AIDS is annoying, then they can choose to ignore it, but I know a LOT of people that have become interested in this problem after listening to what Ellen and I have to say. People often stop by our room to ask questions or borrow articles and stuff so they can learn more. As long as these people are still out there, I'll continue to make is my personal mission to make people more aware of this problem. I feel like for me personally, doing this makes me feel more involved and more passionate about this topic. Other people are good with donating or writing letters, which is cool and great as well, but this is where I feel that I am contributing the most with what I have to offer.
 
oliveu2cm said:
I really agree with the above statement. I see it in my friends and associates. If this discussion comes up (re: Africa, AIDS) I am usually faced with that attitude of "oh well nothing we can do" sort of thing.

Along with this, another thing Ellen reminded me of is that if we don't provide help to the suffering adults, especially women, there will be no one around to take care of their children. Saving the children and the next generation is a necessity, but we should not write of those for whom people assume it's "already too late". People in Africa are too poor to buy baby formula, so if a mother is not treated, she can transmit HIV horizontally or vertically to a new baby, or die leaving no means of food for the baby withour her breast milk.
 
oliveu2cm said:
I really agree with the above statement. I see it in my friends and associates. If this discussion comes up (re: Africa, AIDS) I am usually faced with that attitude of "oh well nothing we can do" sort of thing. I think a lot of this has to do with how (Americans, at least) are given information. Watch the news, read the paper, and see how helpless & ineffective you feel. It's something I studied a few years ago in a college course, how the media presents overwhelming situations that cause people to feel very helpless. I'm not sure how to change that feeling (at least on the AIDS issue) besides talking about it, and the solutions, and presenting them as real solutions REAL people can help work towards, not just political stuff that never really affects us.

Exactly.

I know I've talked about wanting to do more, but that can come with time. It depends on the line of work I get into and everything (and I am looking around at job ideas that could help with this cause in some way, shape, or form). But people can still write letters and bring up discussions about this issue, and if that's all they can manage to do, you know, at least it's something. I know this is overwhelming...people like to take control of problems that they can fix in a short amount of time, that's just how they are. But even a small amount of help, even if someone wrote one letter and that was it, would be better than doing nothing.

Like Nelson Mandela said at the concert on Saturday, these people will be reduced to mere numbers unless we get interested. And once people are reduced to mere numbers, mere statistics...as Bono said this morning, we've gotten so numb to statistics. We don't really think about the fact that there's a person behind each number. We need to present this as something other than statistics. Put a human face on the issue-like you're saying, make it relateable.

As far as preaching goes...I do agree with U2Kitten in the sense that there's ways people can do this without making it preachy, because she is right, anytime people preach to someone about anything (and her example of religion is a perfect one), it just turns them off even more, it makes them feel stupid. I don't think LivLuv was intending that at all in her posts, though-that was just her talking as she probably always does with anyone, and it came out wrong. Which is understandable. That happens sometimes.

If people don't get interested...*shrugs*. I personally would love it if everyone was curious about what they can do and didn't have such a defeatist attitude. But it is their choice.

Angela
 
My problem is that even well-informed people think Africa is hopeless. The only thing I need to do is to tell them that it's *not* hopeless, and why it's not. Have you ever heard Bono complain that people are claiming that the Africans won't take medicine because they don't wear watches? Some well-meaning Americans believe that. I don't think Bono complains about things unless they are real problems. I tell these people that they'll take the medicine to save their lives even if they've never seen a watch in their life. I don't want to make a big deal about something as seemingly little as a watch, but I've had to deal with this. It sounds ridiculous to us, and we don't have to assume that people are hung up on the watch issue, but these people don't understand basic things about life in the Third World. It *can* get in the way. So it's a delicate balance. You have to get people to ask particular questions about the AIDS crisis, including everything about getting the medicine to the sick people. They'll sign on to the money thing once they've gotten various and sundry doubts out of their minds.
 
verte76 said:
My problem is that even well-informed people think Africa is hopeless. The only thing I need to do is to tell them that it's *not* hopeless, and why it's not. Have you ever heard Bono complain that people are claiming that the Africans won't take medicine because they don't wear watches? Some well-meaning Americans believe that. I don't think Bono complains about things unless they are real problems. I tell these people that they'll take the medicine to save their lives even if they've never seen a watch in their life. I don't want to make a big deal about something as seemingly little as a watch, but I've had to deal with this. It sounds ridiculous to us, and we don't have to assume that people are hung up on the watch issue, but these people don't understand basic things about life in the Third World. It *can* get in the way. So it's a delicate balance. You have to get people to ask particular questions about the AIDS crisis, including everything about getting the medicine to the sick people. They'll sign on to the money thing once they've gotten various and sundry doubts out of their minds.

:yes:. Right on on everything. :up:.

Angela
 
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