Victoria Falls is known locally as Mosi-oa Tunya ("The Smoke that Thunders") due to the power of the water from the Zambezi River that often flows across one of the great wonders of the world. Today it is a mere trickle.
An interfaith prayer breakfast in New York City on 26 September tackled the involvement of faith leaders and faith communities, in partnerships with non-faith actors, to accelerate optimal HIV services to reach men and children, and to promote action to address issues related to sexual violence against children and HIV.
”We are here to listen. To learn what others do, so we can contextualize our understanding of HIV issues, and journey together in our work ahead. Because on HIV, we do not compete. We work together.”
“Is there a way we can address stigma and discrimination among faith communities, to set an example, so that those who are there to provide services, to give care, do not themselves stigmatize? Because when it comes to HIV and AIDS, it doesn’t matter if we are Christians or Muslims, women or men. With HIV and AIDS, we need to deal with it as human beings.”
¿Hay alguna forma de eliminar el estigma y la discriminación en las propias comunidades religiosas, para dar ejemplo y evitar que quienes están ahí, prestando servicios y atención sanitaria, estigmaticen a los afectados? Porque cuando hablamos de VIH y SIDA no importa si uno es cristiano, musulmán, mujer u hombre; con el VIH y el SIDA hay que tratar como seres humanos”.
Faith-based organizations presented significant input at a 6 April United Nations civil society hearing in New York City, a prelude to a UN High Level Meeting on HIV in New York on 8-10 June.
Varias organizaciones religiosas presentaron importantes aportaciones en la audiencia de la sociedad civil que tuvo lugar el 6 de abril en Nueva York, como antesala a la Reunión de Alto Nivel de las Naciones Unidas sobre el VIH/SIDA que se celebrará del 8 al 10 de junio también en Nueva York.
