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Can religions do more in response to the AIDS pandemic? To address this question over 450 representatives of faith-based organizations currently responding to HIV and AIDS will gather in Mexico City, 31 July - 2 August, in advance of the XVII International AIDS Conference.
"Solutions to the global crisis of HIV and AIDS are not possible without the active engagement of faith communities", says Dr Manoj Kurian, programme executive for health and healing at the World Council of Churches (WCC). "Although churches and other faith communities around the world are providing critical input to overcome the pandemic, much more action is called for from us - action that upholds the teachings and values that guide us", he adds.
Leading church, civil society, and government speakers will address the Ecumenical Pre-Conference including:
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Dutch AIDS Ambassador Paul Bekker
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Rev. Mark Hanson, presiding bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
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Msgr. Gustavo Rodriguez, president, National Social Commission in Mexico of the Catholic Church
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Mr Emilio Alvarez Icaza Longoria, president, Commission on Human Rights of Mexico City
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Ms Kay Warren, executive director, Saddleback Church's HIV/AIDS Initiative (USA)
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Dr Jacob Gayle, deputy vice president, Ford Foundation
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Rev. Patricia Sawo, regional coordinator (East Africa), African Network of Religious Leaders Living with or Personally Affected by HIV and AIDS (ANERELA+)
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Dr Purnima Mane, deputy executive director, United Nations Population Fund
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Ms Beatríz Rebeca Jarero, director, Meson de la Misericordia Divina (Mexico)
"Faith groups have taken a leadership role in many areas in the response to AIDS," states Linda Hartke, coordinator of the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance, which has led the planning for the Ecumenical Pre-Conference. "We hope that everyone participating here will be inspired, re-energized, and challenged to expand and strengthen our efforts."
Plenary sessions over the three days focus on key obstacles and opportunities to reaching the goal of universal access to prevention, care and treatment. They include leadership, prevention, violence, vulnerability of children and stigma and discrimination.
"I expect the Ecumenical Pre-Conference to be an opportunity to hear from those within the faith communities who are striving to make a difference", says Rev. Dr Nyambura Njoroge, project coordinator of the WCC Ecumenical HIV and AIDS Initiative in Africa (EHAIA). "I hope religious leaders and decision makers around the world will listen to a crescendo of prophetic voices - voices from the eye of the storm called HIV and AIDS", she adds.
The 3-8 August XVII International AIDS Confere nce, probably the largest conference on a single health issue to date, is the first to be held in Latin America. Known as AIDS 2008, the conference will bring some 25,000 participants from the academic, scientific and medical communities, as well as from business, government, faith and civil society organizations together with HIV positive people's networks. Over 33 million people worldwide are living with HIV. The AIDS 2008 conference theme is "Universal Action Now".
Churches and church-related organizations in Mexico have formed a Christian Host Committee to support and facilitate the faith-based presence at AIDS 2008. The Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance provides overall coordination and support for faith-based participation through its secretariat and several international planning committees.
Media contact in Mexico: Sara Speicher +521 55 5075 2752
Schedule and speakers list for the Ecumenical Pre-Conference in pdf format
Extensive coverage, including photos, news, features, video and audio of faith-based participation at the International AIDS Conference will be available beginning 31 July.
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Webcasts of all Ecumenical Pre-Conference plenary sessions will be made available by Kaiser Network.
The Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance is a broad international network of churches and Christian organizations cooperating in advocacy on global trade and HIV and AIDS. The Alliance is based in Geneva, Switzerland.
