World AIDS Day was yesterday, but I still want to share this from the
World Association for Christian Communication
WACC challenges members and partners for World AIDS Day 2012
On World AIDS Day, 1 December 2012, the World Association for
Christian Communication (WACC) calls on its partners and networks to
integrate interfaith approaches in interventions to reduce stigma and
discrimination against people living with and affected by HIV and
AIDS.
“Getting to zero: Zero new HIV infections. Zero discrimination. Zero
AIDS related deaths” is the theme until 2015. Anti-stigma
interventions in communities where different faith traditions live
side by side will increase their impact if they adopt approaches that
recognize differences and leverage the strengths of an inclusive
interfaith strategy.
WACC’s project partners provide many positive examples of interfaith
cooperation in action. The Ecumenical Commission for Human Development
(ECHD) in Pakistan brought together Christians and Muslims in Lahore
in a collaborative anti-stigma initiative. It facilitated interfaith
dialogue and convened an interfaith summit for youth and religious
leaders.
Highlighting the importance of the interfaith approach, ECHD’s
director Mr James Rehmat noted that, “Churches, mosques, temples and
others work together, they can disseminate information about HIV to
the broadest possible cross-section of the population, thus reducing
the risk of leaving out isolated groups and eliminate inconsistency
between the religions in the messages that are communicated.”
A second project underway in Lahore, Pakistan, organised by the AIDS
Awareness Society is working with Christian, Muslim, Hindu and Sikh
religious leaders to reduce gaps in knowledge about HIV-related stigma
and discrimination. The project is expected to reach almost 50,000
people living in the communities which these leaders serve.
In Ethiopia’s Fantalee district, the Rift Valley Initiative for
Rural Advancement (RIRA) worked with Christian, Muslim and the
influential Gada traditional leaders to increase understanding of
stigma and discrimination in pastoralist communities. RIRA’s
executive director Mr. Abdi Ahmed commented, “The Religious leaders
are highly visible and have a strong impact on their respective
constituents. They have helped to overcome the negative views about
HIV and AIDS held by pastoralist men and herders in particular and
society at large. Change is visible in their public conversation about
HIV and AIDS.”
In Lagos, Nigeria, a multi-year project implemented with Hope for
HIV/AIDS International (HFA) with funding from UKaid’s Department
for International Development is reaching out to Christian, Muslim and
traditional leaders to help overcome HIV-related stigma and
discrimination. Currently in its second year of implementation, the
project is providing invaluable lessons on the willingness of leaders
from different faith traditions to engage positively with each other.
Mrs. Lolade Abioye, HFA project administrator, observes the lesson
that, “Irrespective of religious leaning, both Christian and Muslim
faith leaders recognize the oneness of God, and they also acknowledge
the leaders of both faiths. In the training workshops, the imams and
pastors voice respect for the beliefs of each other’s faith
traditions.”
Today there is considerable evidence from around the world that
communication and interfaith dialogue change attitudes when it comes
to tackling stigma and discrimination. Genuine and inclusive
communication can create greater understanding and relieve tension in
contrast with actions that tend to isolate vulnerable groups or,
indeed, to incite violence against them.
On World AIDS Day, WACC encourages its members, partners and networks
to explore and seize opportunities to create spaces for interfaith
collaboration with the aim of reducing stigma and discrimination
against people living with and affected by HIV and AIDS.
The WACC project partners mentioned above were supported with funding
from Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst (EED), Germany, and Stichting
Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
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