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Taking Action for Health, Dignity and Justice
The Balm in Gilead Welcomes Faith Leaders from Around the World to
The Interfaith Pre-Conference on HIV at Howard University
Washington, DC, July 12, 2012 - The Balm in Gilead and the National Faith in Action Coalition will host an Interfaith Pre-Conference on HIV, July 20-21, 2012 on the campus of Howard University. Three plenary sessions and numerous workshops will explore ways faith communities can use both advocacy and on-the-ground responses to address the root causes of vulnerability to HIV and promote more just, equitable and inclusive communities. The sessions will be held at Howard University's Cramton Auditorium, 2455 Sixth St. NW, Washington, DC and Blackburn Center, 2397 Sixth Street, N.W. Washington, D.C.
The Pre-Conference is held two days before the 19th International AIDS Conference (IAC), which is held every two years and often attracts over 20,000 participants. AIDS 2012 is the 19th IAC, and the first time in 22 years that the conference has been held in the United States, following the lifting of entry restrictions for people living with HIV.
Click Here to Download PDF version of the
press release!Taking Action for Health, Dignity and Justice: The Interfaith Pre-Conference on HIVwill bring together some 750 religious leaders, faith-based representatives, including young people and people living with HIV from around the world, under the common theme of health, dignity and justice within the global context of HIV. People from many of the world's major religions, including Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism, will be exploring how their communities can further contribute to building health, dignity and justice in the context of HIV, and how they can fight stigma, rather than contribute to it.
Over the past 12 months, The Balm In Gilead, the US-based national partner, has been preparing to welcome the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance, the international organizers of the Interfaith Pre-Conference on HIV with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, and faith leaders addressing HIV from around the world.
"One of the greatest achievements of the International AIDS Conference is the gathering of world religious leaders for the Interfaith HIV Pre-Conference to share and highlight the extraordinary contributions communities of faith are making in areas of HIV prevention, testing & counseling and compassionate care around the world," states Pernessa Seele, Founder/CEO of The Balm In Gilead. "It is my hope that the power and experiences that will take place at the Interfaith Pre-Conference will be translated into programmatic action in every rural and urban village represented."
Speakers at the Interfaith Pre-Conference include: Rabbi David Saperstein, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism (USA); Maria Ziwenge, a young woman living with HIV from Zimbabwe; Ambassador Eric Goosby, United States Global AIDS Coordinator and many other religious leaders and representatives in the global HIV response. Details are below. More information on faith-based events held before and during AIDS 2012 can also be found at: http://iacfaith.net/interfaith.
Interfaith Pre-Conference plenary program and speakers
All sessions below held at the
Cramton Auditorium, Howard University 2455 Sixth St. NW, Washington, DC
Friday, 20 July
Opening Session, 9-10am
Welcoming remarks:
Peter Prove, Executive Director, Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance
Pernessa Seele, CEO and Founder, The Balm in Gilead
Paul De Lay, Deputy Executive Director, UNAIDS
Keynote speakers:
Rabbi David Saperstein, Director and Counsel, Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, USA
Maria Ziwenge, Young Women's Christian Association, Zimbabwe
Plenary 1: Dignity, 10:30-12:00 noon
Focuses on inclusive religious and community responses which treat all people with respect and examines some of the social and legal barriers that prevent inclusion in HIV programs.
Nick Stuart, President and CEO, Odyssey Networks (Moderator)
Panelists:
Swami Advayananda, International Network of Religious Leaders Living with or Affected by HIV or AIDS (INERELA+), Réunion Island
Pablo Torres Aguilera, dance4life, Mexico
Bishop Yvette Flunder, United Church of Christ City of Refuge, USA
Faghmeda Miller, Positive Muslims, South Africa
Rev. MacDonald Sembereka, INERELA+, Malawi
Special Lunchtime Session: The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and Faith-Based Organizations: Partners in Sustaining Community and Country Leadership on Global HIV/AIDS, 12:45-1:30 pm
Speakers:
Ambassador Eric Goosby, United States Global AIDS Coordinator
Dr Thomas Frieden, Director (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Saturday, 21 July
Plenary 2: Health, 9:00-10:30am
Examines the challenges in scaling-up anti-retroviral treatment and highlights opportunities for faith-based organizations to help increase access to treatment, both through advocacy and practical hands-on involvement.
Canon Gideon Byamugisha, INERELA+, Uganda (Moderator)
Speakers:
Esteban Burrone, Medicines Patent Pool, Argentina
Pacem Suzen Kawonga, Community of Sant'Egidio - Dream Program, Malawi
Dr Ronald Lalthanmawia, Christian Medical Association of India
Ruth Messinger, President and Executive Director, American Jewish World Service
Plenary 3 and Closing Session: Justice, 2:00 - 3:30 pm
Explores the attitudes, policies, social inequalities and practices that continue to make people on the margins of society most vulnerable to HIV and challenges participants to address these issues.
Moono Nyambe, Global Network of People Living with HIV, Zambia (Moderator)
Speakers
Imam Johari Abdul-Malik, Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Centre, USA
Rev. Nyambura Njoroge, Programme Executive, World Council of Churches, Kenya
Dr Rosalee Velloso Ewell, World Evangelical Alliance, Brazil
Closing address
The Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance is the lead international sponsor of the interfaith pre-conference, working in partnership with The Balm in Gilead as the lead national sponsor. Additional co-sponsors include INERELA+, Religions for Peace, Asian Interfaith Network on AIDS, Catholic Medical Mission Board and the American Jewish World Service.
Background for Editors
International AIDS Conferences (IAC) are the peak forum for those working in the field of HIV and AIDS, including scientists and researchers, policymakers, health professionals, people living with HIV, civil society activists and faith-based organizations. See also www.aids2012.org.
For more information, visit www.balmingilead.org. Press Contact: Pauline Barfield, 212.736.0404
Celebrating over 23 years of service, The Balm In Gilead develops educational and training programs specifically designed to meet the unique needs of African American and African congregations that strive to become community centers for health education and disease prevention. The Balm In Gilead is known throughout Africa and the United States for its insightful understanding of religious cultures and values and extraordinary ability to build strong, trusted partnerships with faith communities. With these unique partnerships, The Balm In Gilead has been entrusted to build the capacity of national faith structures to utilize their existing tentacles that reach into every urban center and rural village to deliver comprehensive health services.
The Balm In Gilead, Inc. is an international NGO based in Richmond, VA (USA) and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (Skyway Building).
The Balm In Gilead | 701 East Franklin Street | Suite 1000 | Richmond | VA | 23219
