World AIDS Day 2009 —   Get involved

World AIDS Day, December 1, is the one day of the year when individuals, churches and organizations from around world come together to remember that all our lives are touched by AIDS, especially those living with HIV and AIDS. It is the one day in the year where issues surrounding HIV and AIDS can take center stage.

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) encourages congregations to make the most of World AIDS Day 2009 by engaging in some form of worship, event or advocacy focused on HIV and AIDS.

Background

The global theme for 2009 and 2010 World AIDS Day is "Universal Access and Human Rights" chosen by The World AIDS Campaign, a network of civil society groups active in the response to HIV and AIDS.

This theme encourages us to deepen understanding, develop partnerships and challenge discriminatory laws, policies and practices that stand in the way of access for all to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support.

When human rights are not respected, people living with HIV are vulnerable to stigma and discrimination, illness, economic insecurity and reduced access to treatment. Where rates of HIV prevalence are high and treatment is lacking, communities are devastated by the impact of the virus.

Over the past years there have been some encouraging advances in the global response to HIV and AIDS. We have seen increased commitment around the world to respond to HIV and AIDS in national and local initiatives, in churches and religious organizations and in civil society.

This year’s theme of "Universal Access and Human Rights" encourages us, as people of faith, to reflect and work to promote human dignity and respect and protect the human rights of people living with or affected by HIV or those who are vulnerable to infection. At home, in schools, at workplaces or worship spaces, you can take a lead, empower others and help promises be delivered that will mean a compassionate, active and effective response to AIDS.

What can YOU do?  Ten Ideas for World AIDS Day

Encourage your church or organization to get involved, or use some of the ideas below to organize an event in your local community!

• Plan Worship: A Service of Wholeness for World AIDS Day for the Sunday before World AIDS Day, or on December 1st itself.  Since World AIDS Day occurs during the first week of Advent in the Christian year, it is appropriate (particularly in the sermon or prayers of the people) to make connections to the biblical and theological themes of the liturgical season.
  
  
  Please continue to pray for those infected and affected with HIV and AIDS in the United States and throughout the world.
• Advocate:  Help Protect the World's Poorest Countries!
  Support the Stop Vulture Funds Act!
  
  "Vulture fund" is a name given to a company that seeks to make profit by buying up debt in default on the secondary market for pennies on the dollar, then trying to recover up to 10 times the purchase price, often by suing impoverished countries in U.S. or European courts.  Some vulture funds target failing companies but others target the sovereign debts of impoverished countries, some of which are struggling with high rates of HIV and AIDS. Learn more.
• Do the Wrap!  The Wrap project shows what a child needs to grow into a strong, productive adult in sub-Saharan Africa through eight pictures.  Each picture depicts a different facet of the child’s life: school, church, clean water, food, healthcare, play, being listened to and at the center is the family.  This is a thank you gift for giving to ECO #051674 Orphan and Vulnerable Children.  Funds from this ECO will go to help feed the children, provide scholarships and address basic needs such as medical care.  Learn more.
• Wear a Red Ribbon or a Beaded Pin: The beaded AIDS pins, made by people infected or affected by HIV and AIDS, raise awareness about this ongoing pandemic and provides a small income for people such as a grandmother, new caregiver or the older sibling taking care of the younger children. Order the pins, PDS #25384-07-001 - $50 for a packs of 25.
• Subscribe to “AIDS Matters: Responding to AIDS Worldwide” to stay abreast of HIV and AIDS advocacy issues, updates, reports and activities of U.S. congregations and overseas partner churches.
• Join: Presbyterian AIDS Network (PAN) to advocate and/or care for persons and families who have been infected or affected by HIV and AIDS and to learn about the seminary consultation.

• Prepare: Download posters, messages and other promotional materials from the World AIDS Campaign to prepare World AIDS Day materials.
• Conduct an HIV and AIDS education class for your congregation or community: Contact speakers from local AIDS organizations or local health department to speak regarding HIV or AIDS in your area.  You can also look specifically at HIV and AIDS in the United States or you can select a particular country or continent to focus on.  Check on your local AIDS walk and organize a team from your congregation.
• Raise awareness: of HIV and AIDS and human rights of people living with or affected by HIV, or those who are vulnerable to infection in your area. Link up to other community events around World AIDS Day. Work with and support networks of people living with HIV and AIDS.
• Take up an AIDS Offering: Give to ECO #862706 AIDS Crisis Overseas to support the AIDS work of PC(USA).  Envelopes can be found under resources for your congregation.

Find additional resources and ideas.

Programs of PC(USA)’s overseas Church Partners for World AIDS Day

Find more stories about our overseas church partners or see the 2009 Mission Yearbook, Africa pp. 22-51 and Thailand pp. 110.

Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
Partner: Presbyterian Church of Congo (CPC)

APCS HIV and AIDS training. Photo by Jeff Boyd

The Presbyterian Action Against AIDS (APCS) is the CPC’s primary response to AIDS. Month long HIV and AIDS activities will kick off with a parade featuring organizations working with HIV and AIDS. APCS is working with the government on the HIV and AIDS programs that will be conducted in schools, churches and communities.  These programs will consist of theatre, conferences and educational materials.  School teachers, pastors and community leaders will be involved in the development, delivery and support of these programs.

For the youth, APCS will organize a football tournament with the purpose of educating the youth about HIV and AIDS and to encourage them to change their behavior to either prevent the onset of sexual activity, to stop having sex or to remain faithful to one partner.  The football tournaments will last one to two weeks depending on the community and the number of youth involved.

CPC Pastor Mukendi prays during HIV and AIDS APCS program. Photo by Jeff Boyd

For the women, the APCS will connect with the women through their presbytery and community meetings to discuss issues that put women, children and orphans at risk for contracting HIV.

For the orphans, the APCS will bring spiritual support to the orphan and vulnerable children living in difficult situations by engaging their respective parishes, and to provide food and scholarship assistance to the children.

Lastly, through the APCS’s weekly broadcasting program, there will be organized discussions on the World AIDS Day theme of "human rights" and on Congolese law concerning people living with HIV.

Please pray for the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo as they continue to address the ravaging impact of HIV and AIDS in their churches and communities, and for the success of the World AIDS Day programs.

Thailand - Chiang Mai
Partner: Church of Christ in Thailand (CAM)

December 1 commemorates World AIDS Day (WAD), but due to Thailand’s unstable political circumstances the 2008 World AIDS Day celebration was quite subdued, unfortunately. The original plan was to have a march of WAD participants from each corner of the moat to the center of town. (The central part of Chiang Mai is surrounded by a moat.) Speeches were to be given and lots of networking between HIV/AIDS organizations was expected. This was curtailed by the government’s fear of large numbers of people gathering due to the recent protest activity. Read more.

Some of the information was adapted from Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance (EAA)

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