News
As summer approaches, the World Council of Churches’ Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance (WCC-EAA) is now in full preparation for the 21st International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2016), hosted in Durban 18-22 July 2016.
Held every two years, international AIDS conferences draw over 20,000 researchers, policy-makers, activists, people living with HIV and others to share the latest advances and to help identify and tackle continued obstacles to the pandemic.
But why is it important for faith people to get engaged?
Francesca Merico, HIV campaign coordinator for the WCC-EAA, explains:
“Participation at the International AIDS Conference is an essential part of the Live the Promise Campaign, where the WCC-EAA advocates for access to treatment, eradication of stigma and discrimination, and most importantly, elimination of root causes of vulnerability to HIV transmission.”
Merico continues, “I think of AIDS 2016 and plenty of questions come to my mind. Can faith leaders and faith communities do more in response to the AIDS pandemic? Can faith communities do more to address stigma and discrimination towards people living with HIV? Can they do more to achieve Universal Access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support?”
“I have one answer to all these questions: Yes we can, and we must do more.”
To encourage participation and engagement worldwide, the WCC-EAA has now relaunched www.iacfaith.org, where information on faith-based activities at AIDS 2016 is published. New updates and information will also be shared through WCC-EAA social media channels, such as Facebook and Twitter.
Sara Speicher, WCC communication officer and leader of an ecumenical media team gathered for the conference, comments, “Together we can increase the visibility and positive impact of the faith-based response to HIV by actively participating in AIDS 2016 – physically in Durban and virtually through all our communication channels”.
”The AIDS 2016 conference promises to be an intense networking, learning, and advocacy experience for all,” she concludes.
Conference preparations also include an interfaith pre-conference, planned for 16-17 July, to engage participants in exploring the challenges posed by HIV and AIDS to people of faith, and evaluating actions to be taken and planning strategies required to put Faith into Action for Access Equity Rights Now.
The WCC-EAA serves a key role as coordinator and as provider of space for faith-based participation at the conference, including the WCC Ecumenical HIV and AIDS Initiatives and Advocacy (EHAIA) and partner organizations such as World Young Women's Christian Association (World YWCA), and the Lutheran World Federation (LWF).
Live the Promise: HIV Campaign
