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AIDS Consultation 2005
AIDS Conference 2005:
Keep the Commitment: Stop AIDS
October 28-November 1, 2005, Bangkok, Thailand
An interfaith gathering prior to International AIDS Conference 2004 became a milestone for people from different religions and faith to renew and recommit themselves in the midst of increasing HIV and AIDS crisis. The statement of commitment calls for new commitment to work together and within our communities to:
- Promote the dignity, equality, and rights of all people;
- Discuss openly and accurately the basic facts about the HIV and AIDS and about all effective means of prevention;
- Work to eliminate the root causes of the HIV and AIDS pandemic including gender inequality, prejudice against those whose way of life or sexual orientation is different from the majority community, systemic injustice, and unequal distribution of wealth;
- Overcome silence, stigma, discrimination, denial, and fear regarding HIV and AIDS;
- Reject the negative statements by some faith leaders that AIDS is a form of divine punishment or retribution;
- Advocate for expanded resources to fight against HIV and AIDS;
- Document “good practices” and support research to identify more effective means of prevention and treatment;
- Attain “access for all” – to effective preventive education and knowledge, comprehensive care and treatment, and full inclusion in the community.
Our religious communities bring rich experience and unique strengths to fulfill these commitments. Specifically, we will carry out the following actions: - We will implement policies within our structures and institutions in order to combat every tendency to marginalize people living with or affected by HIV and AIDS as either employees or members within our communities.
- We will advocate for and with people living with or affected by HIV and AIDS in order to obtain lower prices for both medications and laboratory tests and to ensure access to the full range of education, counseling, voluntary testing, and care.
- We will call upon those holding political office, in collaboration with all members of the global human family, to fulfill the grave responsibility to make the dream of “Access for All” into an everyday reality in all parts of the world, among all groups of people, and at every level of the socio-economic spectrum and to maintain strict, enhanced and transparent accountability in this regard.
- We will ensure, through educational activities and community gatherings, the inclusion of accurate information about ways to prevent the further spread of HIV.
- We will commit our diverse structures of health care, ranging from highly specialized services to locally-based village clinics, as well as our systems of education, social and community development, to implement these strategies in a comprehensive, universal, and equitable manner.
- We will dedicate additional funds from the resources of our own religious communities in order to scale up our respective contributions to the struggle against the HIV pandemic, and pledge careful stewardship and responsible use of the funds entrusted to us by donors from our own communities and from the international community.
- We will involve people living with or directly affected by HIV, many of whom are members of our own religious communities, in the response to this pandemic.
- We will give priority attention addressing the practices within our religious traditions that increase the vulnerability of women and girls who also carry the greatest burden of response in this pandemic.
- We will promote community-based responses to the special needs of children orphaned and made vulnerable by HIV and AIDS.
- We will promote preaching and teaching about HIV in our houses of worship and will encourage the designation of special days and/or weeks of prayer and other religious observances to focus on HIV and AIDS.
- We commit ourselves to monitor and evaluate our own progress toward accomplishing the goals that we have articulated in this statement;
AIDS Consultation 2005 is aimed at promoting continuous dialogue and commitment of churches and Christian communities in combating HIV and AIDS epidemic in Asia. The Consultation is designed to strengthen church leaders and community works in their commitment and sharpen their response to effectively address the concerns of those living with HIV and AIDS. The co-sponsors- Christian Conference of Asia (CCA), the Church of Christ in Thailand (CCT) and the Catholic Commission for health Pastoral care (CCHPC) invite you to participate in the Consultation.
Objectives - To delineate the various thematic issues relating to HIV/AIDS concerns and programs of religious communities in Asia.
- To examine and evaluate the working of religious organizations as ways to improve its efficiency and effectiveness.
- To examine and search for the effective mechanisms on the part of religious communities in responding to HIV and AIDS.
Duration and Venue
October 28-November 1, 2005
Bangkok Christian Guest House
123 Saladaeng Soi 2, Silom Road
Bangkok, Thailand
Tel: +66-(0)2-2336303
Participants
About 40 participants will represent Program
The three-day consultation includes keynote address, theme presentations, organization and personal sharing of experiences, group workshops, panel presentation and future directions.
A half-day session during the consultation will be available for discussion on the role and participation of ecumenical organizations to the 16th International AIDS Conference to be held in Toronto, Canada in 2006.
Methodology
Program covers the following methods - Theme presentations
- Group workshop
- Personal testimonies and sharing (Panel)
- Plenary
Contents
A range of topics which would cover the objectives of the conference are identified as follows:
Keynote presentation: Keep the Commitment, Stop AIDS
Thematic Presentations: - Access for All: Reflection on Global Response to HIV/AIDS after IAC 2004
- Promoting Access to HIV/AIDS Services and Treatments
- Policies and structures to combat HIV and AIDS
Workshops:
- Building Effective Strategies for Eradication of stigmatization and discrimination
- Addressing special needs of Orphans and Vulnerable Children
Future Cooperation and Plan of Action - Consolidation of Strategies and Plan of Action
- IAC 2006: Update preparation and Participation of faith-based communities
For further inquiries, please contact
Ms. Nawanart Kunakorn
CCT AIDS Ministry
100/1 Rattanakosin Road, Doi Sakhet Kao
Chiang Mai 50000, Thailand
Tel: +66-(0)53-306310, Fax: +66-(0)53-306313
E-mail: cam@chmai2.loxinfo.co.th
and
Mr. Songkiat Tung-yen,
Tel +66-(0)53-261244, 336298 or +66-(0)1-2879272, Fax: +66-53-320570
E-mail: mspcca@chmai2.loxinfo.co.th or mspcca@loxinfo.co.th
posted by Prawate on Tuesday, August 23, 2005
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Christian Conference of Asia
