World AIDS Day - UNAIDS

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Subject: World AIDS Day - UNAIDS

From the AF-AIDS Listserve:

World AIDS Day

-UNAIDS

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World AIDS Day 2003 highlights “Live and let live” - the theme of the World AIDS

Campaign 2002-2003. The campaign focuses on eliminating HIV and AIDS-related

stigma and discrimination – key obstacles to effective HIV prevention and AIDS

care.

World AIDS Day has been commemorated around the globe on 1 December since 1988.

World AIDS Day commemorates those lost to AIDS, celebrates progress made in the

battle against the epidemic, and brings into focus remaining challenges.

A number of activities are planned for World AIDS Day around the world this

year. Many events are summarized on the UNAIDS website. All events

on the site include links or contact details,

www.unaids.org/EN/events/world+aids+day+2003.asp

Some of the global and regional highlights for this year include:

The BBC has scheduled two weeks of special TV, radio and online programming

dedicated to HIV/AIDS from 16 November to 1 December. The BBC's AIDS Season will

be kicked off on 16 November with UNAIDS Executive Director Piot as the

first guest on the Talking Point programme.

The 12 contestants from this year’s popular Big Brother Africa reality

television show will take part in a number of activities to raise awareness of

the impact on HIV and AIDS on young Africans. The housemates from Angola,

Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania,

Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe will be in Kampala, Uganda, from 28 November to 1

December. Each will be accompanied by a young person living with HIV/AIDS from

their respective countries. The theme for their youth-focused mission to Uganda

will be Celebrate Youth, Celebrate Life - Africa United against Stigma and

Discrimination.

An evening of poetry, music and performance by celebrated artists from around

the world will be held in St the Divine Cathedral in New York

City on the evening of World AIDS Day. The event is being sponsored by UNAIDS,

together with the African Services Committee and the Church World

Service.

Jamaica’s “Live Positive” mass media campaign, one of several on-going

initiatives to combat stigma and discrimination launched in April of this year,

will increase its activity around World AIDS Day. MTV and OneWorld International

will announce the winner of the first annual Staying Alive Award on World AIDS

Day. The award was launched to recognize the contribution of an individual to

increasing global awareness of HIV and AIDS.

A week of activities under the strapline Live and let Live is planned between 24

November and 28 November in Madrid, Spain. There will be film shows and talks by

doctors, psychologists, social workers and people living with HIV.

The Czech AIDS Help Society together with the Czech National AIDS Programme is

organizing a day-long fundraising event called 'Red Ribbon' in Wenceslas Square,

Prague, on Monday, 1 December.

Ghana's First Lady will join a special service for children affected by HIV/AIDS

on 6 December. The theme explores breaking stigma and discrimination and

cultural and traditional barriers to HIV and AIDS.

In New Delhi, India, a classical ballet exploring stigma and discrimination is

being staged on 11 December. This innovative ballet explores the story of a

woman victimised and ostracised by society once they discover she is

HIV-positive.

In Uruguay, 'Breaking the Silence', a partnership project led by UNESCO seeks to

break the silence around HIV in Montevideo. The project works with young people

from several deprived neighbourhoods and looks to introduce HIV/AIDS-related

subjects to communities by tapping into local culture.

The Government of Indonesia is planning joint events with a diverse network of

partners including affected communities with a focus on mass media campaigning

for World AIDS Day.

The South Africa United Nations Office will hold its World AIDS Day Event on 28

November in the UN Metro Park Building, Pretoria. Focusing on stigma and

discrimination, there will be people who work within UN agencies giving

testimonies of living openly with HIV.

The UNAIDS Secretariat in Geneva is joining the International Federation of Red

Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the World Council of Churches and the

Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance to host a performance from the Soweto Red Cross

Volunteers Choir on World AIDS Day.

Viet Nam\'s Preventive Medicine Centre is planning a month-long series of

activities from 15 November to 15 December, including: sports

competitions, public demonstrations, health promotion and condom distribution,

bicycle tours, displays, competition targeting schoolchildren, media activity

and visits to people living with HIV and AIDS.

UNESCO's section for Women and Gender Equality has teamed up with Paris-Match

and ELLE to host a free World AIDS Day discussion forum. The forum, HIV/AIDS

Year 24: Mobilized on all fronts, will explore preventive education, access to

medicine for developing countries and the vulnerability of women to HIV/AIDS.

Check the UNAIDS website for further listings:

www.unaids.org/EN/events/world+aids+day+2003.asp