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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
The wrong World AIDS Day Printable Version PRINTABLE VERSION
by Nico, Canada Dec 4, 2008
Health , HIV/AIDS , Globalization   Opinions

  

The wrong World AIDS Day
The shows will continue to run separately, and money will keep flowing to the best presentations. There will be little focus on cooperation between organizations and on the effectiveness of these HIV/ AIDS programs.





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Comments


hello nico
Daniella Fanitsa Mickelson | Jan 29th, 2009
I believe your article is quite amazing. It has opened my eyes completely to a new kind of life. yes, i agree it is not right to raise all this money just for a specific day. This money should be used to help research Aids, in order to help people who are living or affected by aids every single day of their lives.



Henry Ekwuruke | Jan 31st, 2009
World AIDS Day afterall is not a bad idea!



great article
racheal kalaba | Jan 31st, 2009
Hai niko its really a great article and well sumed up. trully its heartening to see so much mooney spent on advertising and comemorating the world AIDS day. hence there is need to see to it that people affected or infected get treatement and support that will help and sustain them to live longer and i hope that as we move on we shall see positive change in the way we approach this issue big up



its a reality...
lorence | Feb 4th, 2009
hi niko... for me its relevant, not only for that specific occasion but applies for all projects and programs of NGO's flow of funds... it is a reality that, somehow reflects all the rage diffusion of funds is likely for organization's proposals... hence, for low prevalence countries "world aids day" is a tool to come up with a program to make people aware and soon to empower significant others about hiv/aids..



HIV / AIDS Education..
Michael Gfroerer | Feb 6th, 2009
Thanks for the informative article. I've been involved with many human rights initiatives over the years, and what tends to happen is that the most pressing needs of the subjects are not addressed as many NGOs do what they think is right, rather than asking the subjects what they need. What is really needed, it seems, is education re. prevention of HIV / AIDS, and a strong and brave effort to address the rights of Africa's women-many of whom are treated as chattel which sometimes results in husbands infecting their wives. Another issue is the misinformation of religious groups such as the Roman Catholic Church; an African bishop was telling Africans that they could become HIV infected by using condoms! -Michael Gfroerer Secretary General for North America, the International Lesbian and Gay Cultural Network



Balancing the effort
aykan | Feb 26th, 2009
Hi Nico, I think this is really a great article and I can understand the points you are raising. I won't try to justify spending huge amounts of money just for the day instead of deep education programs. However we should not forget that people need those kinds of days and celebration moments keep focusing on the issue. HIV Day is one big carnival that keeps people's companies' and funders' attention to the subject. You can argue that the money that is spent for July 4th celebration should be invested in the health care system in the US but it is just not the way the system works. You need big moments in time to raise awareness for your cause So what is the solution? I think it is to have a balanced approach, we should focus on the impact of the programs but we should also use big moments in time to celebrate and attract more people and funds to our causes. cheers Aykan



Understanding the Need!
Everistus Olumese | Feb 26th, 2009
Actually, there are some NGOs and FBOs who uses this day to create awareness and to promote HCT. I work for an organisation whose project director is a bishop of the Anglican Church. During the last WAD, he went on television to promote HCT by having his HIV screeening done. He used the opportunity to encourage his clergy and members of the church and public to know their HIV status. The response was overwhelming. He also took the opportunity to promote and endorse the SAVE approach to HIV prevention. This we did with minimal resources, and people are still coming to know their status based on the action the Bishop took during WAD, So WAD is not entirely unbeneficial.



Re:
brandon agnew | Mar 9th, 2009
Nico, Your contributions as an engaged and adventurous soul serve as great inspiration to those around you. You have gathered much wisdom; exposed to life and living in both worlds. Being aware of the divide is one thing; you have chosen to challenge it. Your fire and disdain with the inner-workings of the 'cause' (in this case, HIV/AIDS) bring to light many frustrating bumps in the NGO's road. When it is allowed to happen, change is often slow to take shape. After all, a global health and social justice issue such as the prominence of HIV/AIDS demands an adjustment in global consciousness above and beyond all else. Perhaps- keeping this in mind - we should allow World AIDS Day festivities to act as celebration for those whose messages and stories and warnings of life with HIV/AIDS deserve to be heard yet so often are not; stigmatized, forgotten and castaway. To give AIDS a platform capable of reaching the global consciousness serves strongly in utility and message. The responsibility is all of ours: to act justly, to provide action, to take to the streets with rally cries and determination, to lobby politicians across the board, to act as engaged global citizens demanding structural adjustments that will allow for a healthier, more ethical and fair reality, to remedy the ailments of Mother Earth. The time is always now. The fight is always worth taking up. Kudos to you Nico. Namaste.



Adanna Chigbo | Dec 19th, 2011
I never knew NGO funders do not allow for the carry-over of "retained gains" (e.g you mentioned that leftover monies from the AIDS event become lost funding to the company... that's good information to know for the future. Concerning the content of this post: Wow, the fact that they do not volunteer without some form of recompense is a measure of how desperate (moeny-wise) the people must be. Tres triste. I, however, have nothing against the NGOs providing them with things as a way of saying thank you especially when you mention that the money is reserved by the funders just for that event in the first place. I don't even have a problem with the fact that the most active NGOs (or those that seem so) get the most funding because unfortunately, every charity act and almost every so-called socially conscious company is motivated by what would attract them the most attention in that field and make them "seem' like they care for these people. What I do have a problem with is the fact that when they are given this money, they don;t have much to show for it. The HIV/AIDS "awareness" day therefore comes across as some sort of celebration parade to show off who is better than others (in terms of activeness) instead of being used as a day to actually go village to village reaching out to people. What is the point of a big affair with politicians voicing (on TV usually... a medium that most poor people that actually need to become aware of HIV/AIDS have no access to)or reading off what their opinions are on the subject - practically regurgiatting the same thing year after year. I have nothing against rewarding NGOs who are actively going round making sure people are aware of HIV/AIDS and helping te infected, but I would rather the funders look beyond teh face value of who "seems" active and spend their money wisely on those who actually make a difference. Maybe even consider allocating less money to host a lavish celebration and focus more on helping the small communities that they might have neglected in the past.

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