News

One month until World AIDS Day ... Keep the Promise!

November 1, 2005

World AIDS Day is a unique moment when all of humanity is challenged to reflect on the way that HIV and AIDS affects us and how we can respond to the pandemic. Each organization and individual has an important role to play in planning or participating in events in the community and the church.

The theme this year is 'Keep the Promise', calling for accountability in thepromises that have been made for action against HIV and AIDS. This includes the commitments that international leaders have made for funding and support, and that national leaders have made about health programs and access to treatment.

For the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance, 'Keep the Promise' also refers to the commitments that religious leaders and organizations have made to their communities as well as personal resolutions we have made to ourselves to challenge the pandemic. The Alliance has taken the global campaign theme, "Keep the Promise", as its focus for the next four years.

What Can I Do?

There are many resources and ideas to support activities around World AIDS Day, including liturgies and prayers, study guides, fact sheets,poster images, video, and advocacy ideas.

Here are some suggestions (more can be found on the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance website.

1. Plan a worship service for Thursday, 1 December 2005, or incorporate World AIDS Day in your regular Sunday service the weekend before or after. Several ecumenical liturgies have been prepared and can be adapted as needed. If you prepare worship material such as sermons, liturgies and prayers - particularly on the theme 'Keep the Promise' - please email them to the Alliance to share on our website.

2. Make a personal promise to fight HIV and AIDS at the World AIDS Campaign Forum and encourage others in your community to do the same.

3. Find out what your church has said about HIV and AIDS and ask church leaders what they have done to follow up on their statements. Declarations by Churches compiled by the World Council of Churches can be downloaded as a Word document. If your church's statement is not included, email it to us.

4. Study the Religious Leaders' Statement of Commitment (Word document) that was prepared at the 2004 International AIDS Conference, and develop a plan in your church or group to work to fulfill some of these commitments.

5. Learn about the commitments toward prevention, care and impact alleviation made by governments through the United Nations Special Session on HIV/AIDS (UNGASS) and how you can join in civil society to ensure that effective targets are kept and strengthened.

The Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance is a broad international network of churches and Christian organizations cooperating in advocacy on global trade and HIV and AIDS. The Alliance is based in Geneva, Switzerland.