today is world aids day.
aids is highlighted on 1st december every year.
every year more people die - they don't have to.
in first world countries, becoming hiv positive is no longer the death sentence it was 20 years ago. but it still is in developing countries.
you can watch bono's message about it here.
you can also watch his address to the american presidential prayer breakfast earlier this year, here.
you can learn about the red campaign here.
you can check out info on africa here.
you can join the 'you me us' campaign here.
there's no end of stuff you can look at, just google 'world aids day'.
but will you translate your looking into action?
jesus saw those people others didn't want to see. he went out of his way to include the poor, the lepers, the unacceptable into the party of god's kingdom. he did something about what he saw. hiv/aids is like the leprosy of today. christians at leat, have a duty to follow their master's example.
small actions by lots of people create a mass effect. small actions with visible symbols attached, like a wearing a red ribbon, create a heightened awareness that opens the door for conversation about what the red ribbon is for.
small actions like writing to politicians about the inequity of developing world health care compared to our own, and the protected interests of multinational pharmaceutical companies in comparison to the unprotected needs of millions of hiv infected people in developing countries is the chance to put the power of democracy into action on behalf of those whose voices go unheard.
go on, do something today - you really can; perhaps you must.
2 comments:
Hi
I wondered if you could explain the origin of wearing coloured ribbons for different causes. I don't understand how it helps anyone. Does anyone not know what it means? Is a red ribbon better than a pink one? Should we all wear lables for all the charities we support?
hi anon,
thanks for your comment. briefly, i don't have an explanation for the origin of wearing ribbons, but they are a form of symbolism, and symbolism has been around forever. symbolism is very powerful, as the symbol is full of meaning. the value of the symbol is dependent on the power of the meaning.
in terms of hiv/aids and the colour of the ribbon, well, they've chosen red (presumably because of the colour of blood, and hiv being predominantly a blood-borne diease), while the pink ribbon has already been claimed for breast cancer.
i think wearing the symbol of a red ribbon for hiv/aids can be helpful as i explained in the post by creating a visual awareness that can lead to conversations and increased awareness, that hopefully leads to actions that generate change. and that's the key: its about creating change. if the wearing of ribbons doesn't actually lead to action aimed at change, then its value is limited.
so, the obligation on the wearer is to actually be an agent for change.
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