URGENT ACTION NEEDED.

The U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief is requiring organisations in the global south receiving US funding to sign an “anti-prostitution” pledge in order to receive funds. This is outrageous, discriminatory and will create even more problems for AIDS programmes and people living with HIV and AIDS. PEPFAR has now become a meaningless and restrictive programme as added to this latest condition are other conditions such as funding abstinence only programmes and supporting anti-gay organisations in Uganda

President Bush today announced he would be asking the US Congress to agree $30billion over the next 5 years. However in the past the US has tied HIV/AIDS funding to abstinence only HIV programmes and in Uganda they have supported anti-gay organisations that prevent access to treatment by members of the LGBT community. In 2006 56% of PEPFAR (Presidents Emergency Plan for Aids Relief) prevention funding (20% of PEPFAR) went to “abstinence until marriage programmes” and 44% went to other programmes such as avoidance and reducing risk behaviour along with condom use BUT no monies went to any condom only promotion programmes.

Help to fight PEPFAR’s restrictions is needed particularly from organisations working with HIV/AIDS the GLOBAL SOUTH. Advocates are asking people and organisations to please sign on to this letter to US Congress recommending that the pledge be removed.

To sign on, write to pepfarletter at taumail dot com. If you would like to add a sentence about the ways the pledge has affected your work, please send that too!

To Congress Re: PEPFAR
A Letter from the Field by
January 31, 2008
Dear Member of the US Congress:

We are members of non-governmental and community-based organizations from throughout the developing world. We are writing out of concern about the so-called anti-prostitution pledge within the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the ways it affects our work. The pledge requires organizations receiving U.S. funding to sign a pledge “opposing prostitution.” This policy has undermined
the work of many of our organizations and we must protest it.
[Read more…]

I was attracted enough by the title of an AllAfrica.com article to resolve to read it. The title read: “Uganda: Africans Can Overcome HIV/Aids.” I wanted to know how we could do so. If Uganda can do it, then Lesotho can, also, I reasoned. Lesotho has one of the highest rates in the world. I went home this year after 7 years away, and found many of my friends gone, compromised to AIDS and the folly surrounding it.

But I was quickly disappointed by the article, even if it spoke some truths that I would agree with. Shunning promiscuity is one of those. But the author also says things like, “since the condom is about safe sex and safe sinning,” it cannot be Jesus’ approach. Now, I don’t know if it would be Jesus’ approach — my worry lies in the fact that the author thinks condoms are for sinning.

Condoms are for safe sex that should be had by any couple if one of the partners is infected. We must remember that infection does not equal sinning, and that infected people should not be stigmatised like it has been done before. There are many ways to catch a virus. And even if someone catches the HIV virus by fornicating, sinning, cheating their spouse, our job is to help them, not to hurl Biblical verses at them, not to cast the first stone. That’s what Jesus said to the mob that wanted to stone that woman accused of whoring, right? Who are we to pass judgement?

Condoms are also for birth control. If I have “enough” children, or if I don’t want to have children, full-stop, then naturally I use a rubber. There are many reasons why a responsible person would want to use a rubber. They may not want to infect their partner or be infected by their partner, they may want to control the size of their family, they may feel more comfortable having sex with a rubber than without, they may want to use a rubber in order to prolong the excitement of the act. And any of those are as valid as wanting to eat to live.

“Since the intervention of the condom hinders man and woman, whether married or not, to become one flesh, the sexual act that follows merely implies manipulation of among partners as conduits of sensual pleasure and masturbation. Thus the prevailing mistrust for abstinence and faithfulness among partners seriously betrays African cultural and Christian values in preference for secularism and utilitarianism.
[source…]”

I think it’s wrong to imply that who uses a condom sleeps around and cheats their partner (in bold in the quote above; the highlighting is mine). It is simply untrue. And the sexual act can be enjoyed only for sensual pleasure. It is an outlet of love that God has bestowed on us (and maybe on dolphins, too, I don’t know. And who cares?). The sexual act is the ultimate in acts of love. Ranks right next to dying for someone. Maybe that’s why they call it “the small death.”

I also happen to think that this is not a question for Christians, or Jews, or Moslems, or Atheists alone, but for humans. AIDS hits flesh and blood, not spirituality. So I think to look at the issue and make it Christian is beside the point. And that’s what the author is doing. HIV/AIDS is hot-blooded, and kills my Jewish neighbour as well as my Hindu friend. We need to address it in those terms. Go and tell their families what you think Jesus would want and they will tell you what they think their own saints would want. Where does that leave us, standing on this blue, vulnerable planet at the edge of a hostile environment? You tell me.

“The African solidarity with the infected and affected, augmented by the Christian story of the Good Samaritan will bring about the holistic physical and spiritual healing required.”

I dig that. But the article does not convey that meaning. The Good Samaritan stops to help without saying, “Huh, what faith is this one, and did they or did they not fornicate?” I’m a Christian brought up in a Christian home (It is true, but I have to say that here to give my point of view the benefit of being at least looked at by some. Much like running for President in the United States). But I don’t think anyone has the right to interpret either the Bible or the teachings of Jesus Christ for humanity. I accept the fact that there are other religions that do not necessarily agree with mine. I do not want to fight with followers of those religions (or those non religions), but would like to hold hands with them to face the difficulties facing our lonely, vulnerable planet. The only basic, universal truth here is that we’re in deep shit together. Now, how do we get out?
http://allafrica.com/stories/200712170390.html

Many acts of Gender Based Violence which could lead to contracting HIV/AIDS, are part of the daily experience for women in Darfur. As part of the 16 Days of Activism Against Violence Against Women, a short play on HIV/AIDs was performed in Abu Shouk refugee camp in North Darfur.

A short skit on HIV grips the attention of the audience; the HI virus, dressed in bright red and wearing what is intended to be a horrifying mask, warns of the doom that is sure to follow anyone who dares to take sexual risks.

The skit’s protagonist contracted HIV from a scheming ‘town’ girl, who, having discovered her own status, sets out to infect 150 men with HIV.

The message might be skewed, painting AIDS as a virtual death sentence and people living with the virus as malicious individuals intent on passing it on, but the performance also clearly demonstrates the key messages about HIV prevention and treatment…….

“Domestic violence, rape, sexual exploitation of children, forced marriage - they all have consequences, including death and HIV/AIDS,”

As the report points out, a play promoting awareness around HIV/AIDS would not have been possible in Darfur a few years ago and is certainly a positive move. However there are other aspects of the play that have a “skewed message”. It is a woman ” a scheming town girl” that is responsible for not only passing on the virus to the protagonist but who then chooses to “infect” 150 other men with HIV. In this way the play actually contradicts the reality of how HIV/AIDS is spread by putting the blame of transmission solely onto women.

Tags:

Gender Violence
HIV/AIDS
Darfur

Cook sister!: Menu for Hope IV - spotlight on Lesotho: I’m sure you have all heard of the wonderful Menu for Hope event that is the brainchild of Pim and takes place once a year around Christmas.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with it, the campaign involves food bloggers (and others) from around the world each donating something to be raffled off on-line for charity. This can be as simple as a cookbook or as elaborate as a foodie tour of a world-class city. It can be something you will lovingly make yourself (e.g. jams or framed photographs) or it can be something you have persuaded somebody else to donate (e.g. dinner at a smart restaurant) - see last year’s campaign to get an idea of what I’m talking about.

Once the raffle starts, members of the public can visit your site to read about your raffle items and then place a bid by going to Pim’s site. And at the end of the campaign, winners are chosen using a software application, after which the regional hosts will tell people the good news of what they have won. Surely this raises a lot of money, I hear you say? Oh yes - just over $60,000 last year! And what happens to the money? Well, like last year, the money will be going to the UN World Food Programme (WFP) and this year’s campaign is going to be particularly exciting.

This is because the WFP has allowed us to earmark the funds to a specific program. We am thrilled to announce that we have chosen a school feeding program in the mountain kingdom of Lesotho - which is situated bang in the middle of South Africa!

If you can participate, do. it’s a beautiful initiative and, as I’ve always insisted, is an example of the kinds of action that will get us out of the quagmire and cycle of poverty, ill-health, and dying land. Please contact jeanne AT 501 DOT co DOT za to tell her what you’d like to raffle, or how you may participate.

Remembering Busi who died on the 12th March this year and all my friends living with HIV.

President Bush today announced he would be asking the US Congress to agree $30billion over the next 5 years. However in the past the US has tied HIV/AIDS funding to abstinence only HIV programmes and in Uganda they have supported anti-gay organisations that prevent access to treatment by members of the LGBT community. In 2006 56% of PEPFAR (Presidents Emergency Plan for Aids Relief) prevention funding (20% of PEPFAR) went to “abstinence until marriage programmes” and 44% went to other programmes such as avoidance and reducing risk behaviour along with condom use BUT no monies went to any condom only promotion programmes. PEPFAR also refuses funding to sex workers by insisting that HIV/AIDS and other health NGOs choose to oppose sex work or receive no funds. The overall result of all the restrictions on funding which ignore the realities of people’s lives, is that there has been a significant increases in HIV contraction particularly amongst women and young people and in countries like Uganda that are recipients of PEPFAR funding.

AIDS activist across the world are calling for universal responsibility and access to medication at affordable costs, an end to all conditional funding that results in exclusion of any group of people and more education to remove myths surrounding HIV/AIDS and the stigmatisation of those living with HIV/AIDS.

Abstaining from Reality:

Links:

Prevention Justice
Reality Check
PEPFAR WATCH

Tags:
World Aids Day
HIV/AIDS