Contesting AIDS

Miss Universe 2002, Justine Pasek, Ends Her Reign but not Her AIDS Activism

by Dale Reynolds

The fifty-two-year-old Miss Universe Competition will crown a new winner this month. What few know is that the official Miss Universe Competition–like the others co-owned by Donald Trump, Miss Teen USA and Miss USA–has an official charity/cause that the individual winner must agree to promote for the twelve months they reign. For Miss Universe, the most watched on television of the three, the official cause has been HIV/AIDS since 1998, as well a fit as those gowns the women wear for the final judging because the disease is now deeply entrenched worldwide.

But 2002’s Miss Universe, Justine Pasek, twenty-three, had not been very much acquainted with the cause, probably because of an ignorance of the subject brought about by the official denials in Panama that AIDS was any kind of a problem there. Born in the Ukraine (when it was still a part of the Soviet Union), of a Polish father and Panamanian mother, she was raised in Panama City.

Today, of course, Ms. Pasek is very well-acquainted, indeed, with the enormity of AIDS, but the soft-spoken almost-twenty-four-year-old grew up much more interested in children’s health issues. It wasn’t until she was crowned last September, after replacing Miss Russia, that she began to do some research. "I went to Panama that November for the official visit. It was then that I felt that the attention [AIDS] was getting from the media would have positive consequences. Just my being there helped launch an HIV/AIDS hotline and a testing center."

But it was only then that she learned that Panama has the second-highest (after Honduras) rate of HIV cases in Central America. "I have since become very pro-active toward the fight against the ailment. After I was crowned, I started asking around for a PR company to get me in touch with Probidsida, one of the few AIDS organizations in Panama. I made a special visit to their offices and they filled me in on their [troubled] history; how, for instance, the Panamanian government wouldn’t give medicines for the disease through the social security system." Probidsida conducted peaceful demonstrations and was about to sue the government in court, when the federales woke up to the public relations nightmare that would ensue, and gave in to logical demands of the group. Probidsida is still struggling, in need of sponsorship and money donations, as well as more media attention. Clearly, having a Miss Universe (Pasek is the first Panamanian to have ever won) as a spokesperson helps enormously: "When I am finished with my reign, I will work for them."

The organization that is helped most by the Miss Universe Competition is the Global Health Council, a health-based organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. [see Web-exclusive article]. All Miss Universes now act as the official spokespersons for their HIV/AIDS subsidiary, AIDS Candlelight Memorial. Even before she was elevated to the top spot, at a time she’d been alerted to the chance that she might replace the current winner, she had already done some photo shoots for them and was given basic information on the global reach of HIV/AIDS.

So what has she learned about the crisis since her crowning? "I have come to learn [about HIV/AIDS] more on a human level than just knowing specific statistics. But what I have learned since then is alarming. I didn’t know that my Ukraine has the fastest growing cases of AIDS in the world–mostly because of IV drug abuse. But just what can any Miss Universe do to help? Distribute new needles? It is unrealistic to just say ‘Stop using drugs.’ It’s too complicated for us to deal with directly. But what I’ve learned the most is how strong the human spirit can be–we underestimate the power of will in our lives."

In Panama, she has visited groups of people who are living with HIV. "I met all kinds of people who were infected and were living with it and being productive with their lives: a supermarket owner; an accountant; along with other [people in other] jobs and careers. It made me learn about human power." Here in the U.S., she donated her time and energy to God’s Love We Deliver and Cable Positive, among other ASOs.

The pageant interrupted her college career and she intends to return this year, majoring in environmental issues. She also will continue as an AIDS activist. "I can only hope that people will respond to my messages. There’s a new presidential election next year, so we will work on the government to give more support to create a structure for the fight against the disease. We need the basics. In Panama, people are really in denial about this disease. I was shocked recently in talking to an educated lady, to hear her say that there were no cases [of HIV in Panama]. She was horrified to find out the truth from me."

Interestingly, her original curiosity about HIV/AIDS was based on working at a modeling agency, interacting with different organizations in the field of children’s health, care for senior citizens, the Red Cross, among others. "We had never worked with groups that dealt with HIV/AIDS–there was, literally, no events produced for them. That showed me right there how much movement was needed. Hopefully when I return, I can raise attention and awareness."

She also has praise for the way Americans have dealt with the disease. "Americans have so many more resources at hand for the fight than we do in Panama. At GMHC, they work in their seven-story-high building, with different services available to clients (such as computers for research and a healthy-diet cafeteria for lunch and dinner). They work with a $20 million budget. It broke my heart that Probidsida tries to do everything it does on an annual budget of just $50,000 a year.

"We Panamanians need to reinforce the awareness that there is treatment and counseling available. There are already places to go for education, prevention, and for testing. Nobody should go through that [process] by themselves, there are people out there to help, as well as places to go. I intend to bring that information to the people."

Glad to hear it, Miss Universe. Go tell ’em what they need to know!

Read the article on the International AIDS Candlelight Memorial Campaign by clicking here.

Dale Reynolds is formerly West Coast Editor of A&U. He is currently a freelance writer on entertainment themes, and can usually be spotted at www.zap2it.com.