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The African Religious Leaders Assembly on Children
and HIV/AIDS Africa
http://www.comminit.com/pdskdv62002/sld-4878.html
Summary
From June 10-12, 2002, 120 senior religious leaders from across Africa
(25% of whom are women) convened in Nairobi, Kenya on behalf of the Hope
for African Children Initiative. The purpose of this meeting was to
discuss the impact of HIV/AIDS on children and to launch a
continent-wide campaign to further engage religious communities in
efforts to expand care and to reduce the stigma often associated with
AIDS. Specifically, the Assembly was convened to galvanise the
commitment and engagement of African religious leaders on behalf of
children and to encourage them to mobilise their entire religious
communities to:
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Encourage social
mobilisation of all levels to act on behalf of children and families
affected by HIV/AIDS
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Reduce stigma by
confronting and breaking down the social shame of HIV/AIDS that is a
major obstacle to effective action to address the needs of children
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Promote the rights
of children, as expressed in the Convention on the Rights of the
Child; and
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Engage political,
traditional, civil society, and business leaders in efforts to work on
behalf of children affected by HIV/AIDS.
Topics
such as prevention, treatment, and institutional versus community-led
care for orphans were addressed from a theological perspective.
Main Communication Strategies
Participants, who were chosen to ensure religious, geographic, and
gender diversity, sought concrete support from the G8 leaders convening
in late June in Kananaskis, Canada. They also organised the delivery of
a plan of action to combat stigma associated with HIV/AIDS, as well as
the role of faith-based groups in context of Global Trust Fund
implementation strategy. There was also a multi-religious declaration of
the moral commitment to address the needs of children in the face of
HIV/AIDS and the organisation of a Plan of Action for a campaign led by
religious leaders at the pan-African and national level to engage
religious communities in the fight to reduce stigma and to promote
proven approaches to meet the rights and needs of children. A 30-member
African Religious Leaders Council was elected to provide ongoing
leadership in the implementation of the plan and for the involvement of
religious organisations in the Hope for African Children Initiative.
Development Issues
Children, HIV/AIDS, Rights.
Partners
Hope for African Children, CARE, Plan International, Save the Children,
the Society for Women and AIDS in Africa, the World Conference on
Religion and Peace (WCRP), Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Source
Letter sent from Beatrice M. Spadacini to The Communication Initiative
on May 8, 2002.
For more information, contact:
Beatrice M. Spadacini
Communications and Public Affairs Manager
Hope for African Children Initiative
1730 N Lynn St., Suite 600
Arlington, VA 22209
Tel.: (703) 807-1264, ext. 107
Fax: (703) 807-1274
Cell: (202) 425-6551
bspadacini@hopeforafricanchildren.org
Email:
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