New figures for worldwide HIV seroprevalence are out. The U.N. reports that some infection rates have declined in countries like Kenya, and Zimbabwe, as well as many in the Caribbean. Treatments for HIV-positive pregnant women to prevent transmission to their unborn children are working. Condom use is on the rise. People are becoming more aware and doing something about HIV. But the organization also estimates that we’ve reached 40.3 million individuals living with HIV/AIDS around the globe. That could only indicate that the world is suffering greater and greater losses to HIV. And that’s no cause for celebration.
December 1 marks World AIDS Day from Philadelphia to Papua New Guinea. And while many zero in on the “World” part of the day, or, of course, the “AIDS” part, I’d like to single out “Day.” Why? A lot can be done in just one day. Here are some suggestions (culled from this issue’s pages) to make the fight against AIDS one day stronger.
The latest Harry Potter blockbuster film can wait awhile. Instead, take your loved ones to see the movie version of the musical RENT. If you’ve never seen the hit Broadway show or listened to its catchy soundtrack, you are in for a real treat. The story features four HIV-positive characters whose lives intersect with other New Yorkers caught up in a bohemian rhapsody. It’s a history lesson, but one that is still relevant today.
Sit down and delve into Justice Edwin Cameron’s Witness to AIDS. His take on AIDS in Africa is a fast and compelling read. From government officials who squabble over definitions to HIVers who are literally shamed to death when they are too afraid to disclose in order to gain access to treatment, Cameron examines the controversies that have cost so many lives. He brings years of experience as a human-rights activist, person living with HIV/AIDS, and a high-profile judge in South Africa’s Supreme Court system to bear on his words.
In Los Angeles and Palm Springs, Bingo Boy Jeffery Bowman is known for hosting fundraising events for AIDS and other causes. With his talent for attracting celebrities both young and old to roll up their sleeves and raise money for ASOs in need, Bowman puts the “fun” in fundraising. Surely there is some memorial or ASO event in your local area that is worthy of attending. Raise your voice in Chicago, home to the World AIDS Day Gospel Shout Out. At The Wall Las Memorias AIDS monument in Los Angeles’s Lincoln Park, light a candle at the Noche de Memorias. Or check out the 2005 New York AIDS Film Festival, opening on December 1 in Manhattan with the premiere screening of the MTV International film Transit.
Request a free copy of Rap-It-Up’s film competition winner, “Multitude of Mercies,” from BET and show it at your local community center or house of worship. The film follows the efforts of a young pastor to establish an AIDS ministry at his church. Though many African-American faith communities have reached out to those living with HIV/AIDS, “Multitude” is a timely reminder that there is still much more work to be done. Hopefully it ushers in a new direction for religious leaders around the world whose spiritual leadership is necessary to win the physical battleground that is AIDS.
Sylvia Browne, this month’s exclusive cover story, is world-renowned for her psychic abilities and spiritual healing. Sure, you can turn to her to find out what tomorrow may bring, but even she suggests that we can take charge of our lives and create our own destinies one day at a time. Just think: By tomorrow, we could be one day stronger.
December 2005
