From: World March
Date: Tue, Jul 7, 2009 at 4:11 PM
Subject: World March-USA - Thanks for your Initiative

A Better Community for All (ABC4All) has endorsed the World March for Peace! See:
http://www.worldmarchusa.net/endorsements.php

THANKS FOR YOUR INITIATIVE!
http://www.theworldmarch.org/

Name:Burton Danet, Ph.D.
Phone:310-712-5477
Email:abc4all (at) gmail (dot) com

Description: A Better Community for All (ABC4All) has endorsed the World March for Peace and is sharing with ABC4All Mentors in 104 countries (to date).

When:10/02/2009 - 01/02/2010
Where:Manhattan Beach and all over the world
Organization: A Better Community for All (ABC4All)

HOW CAN I HELP SUPPORT THE MARCH?

Join or Form a Local Promotion Team

Local Promotion Teams are being formed in New York, Washington, Red Bluff, San Francisco and Los Angeles, where the international team of marchers will visit, and in any city that wants to offer its support to the march through
the development of local marches or initiatives. Local Promotion Teams will coordinate outreach to organizations, schools, community groups and congregations in their area; encourage the development of locally developed events or initiatives, giving them a common framework and helping to
publicize them; and plan and oversee local press and contact with government representatives It is our plan to have initiatives in support of the March in each of the fifty States. We are looking for State Coordinators who
will oversee outreach within their state connect its activities to the national plan.

Help Plan a Local March

The route of the international base team of marchers has been decided by the International Coordination Team of the World March, but there exists the possibility of forming converging marches that will connect to the marchers
on various points on the main route and that can connect to other marches locally or regionally.

Develop an Initiative or Project

The backbone of the march will be the route through 90 countries, but the heart and body will be the thousands of local initiatives developed at each point along the way. These initiatives will vary in form and size (e.g., a
concert with thousands of people, a university symposium on economic violence, a community forum on discrimination against immigrants, a workshop on civil disobedience, a theater or dance piece that expresses the hope for
a violence-free future, seminars with school children on conflict resolution, a neighborhood potluck for peace, street actions, art exhibits, etc .). These initiatives can be developed by individuals, organizations, mayoralties, universities or schools, or by coalitions of groups who want to publicize the specific area of peace or nonviolence work in which they are engaged. There is space for everything the imagination is capable of conceiving.

Volunteer

There are lots of tasks that will need to be done, including:

Publicity/Marketing -- provide media research and connections! write, design, etc.
Research -- conduct Internet research on national organizations, universities, municipalities that might be interested in participating in the march.
Video/photographers -- document events and collect mages, make promotional videos for the march.
Fundraising -- help plan fundraising events and activities, obtain sponsorships, etc.
Website -- provide assistance in website design a nd maintenance
Phone calls -- provide follow up phone calls to organizations that have been invited to participate in the march

Get the Word Out

The march will be successful according to its ability to reach the billions of people worldwide who are yearning for an end to the violence. You can help by talking about the march with your family, friends, neighbors, co-workers and fellow students, and referring them to this website --

http://www.worldmarchusa.net

and

http://www.theworldmarch.org/

--
ABC4All Basics
http://abc4all.net/abc4allbasics.html

It's Not Too Late to Start Saving Lives in Nigeria

By Yinka Adeyemi

September 2001
Courtesy of AIDS News Service, Vol. 3, No. 2, a publication of Journalists Against AIDS (JAAIDS) Nigeria. www.nigeria-aids.org

In January of 2001, Mauritania, a country with one of the lowest reported HIV prevalence rates in Africa, took a step that Nigerian leaders neglected to take more than 15 years ago: The country's Senate held a Special Session on HIV/AIDS, inviting experts to speak on the nature of the epidemic, and to suggest ways to nip it in the bud, even as the epidemic ravages the rest of the African continent.

The Mauritanian Senate recognized the urgency of concerted action against the epidemic, and suggested the introduction of sexual education in schools as well as a privately managed national agency to play an advocacy role. It is a refreshing, bold step from a country about the size of a few local government areas in Nigeria.

Around 1989, when neighboring countries were reporting an outbreak of HIV/AIDS, Nigeria reported only 11 cases of HIV infection. Officials, unwisely and against every historical epidemiological trend, diverted attention from the virus, focusing instead on mosquitoes and malaria. As they did so, fuelled by apathy and delusion, the virus silently crept into the nooks and crannies of Nigeria, infecting millions and killing thousands.

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Due to bad policy, many Nigerians will have to suffer, and many will die from the virus, barring the sudden development of an efficacious vaccine. Today, even if we take the grossly underestimated figures used by the Nigerian government, the country has a whopping 2.6 million HIV/AIDS cases. And this is primarily the result of callous inaction and arrogance on the part of government. Information was adequate, but officials simply refused to use it or even take it seriously.

It was a familiar pattern in many African countries, with the possible exception of Uganda and a few East African countries. Indeed, rather than begin early intervention to educate and stem the spread of HIV/AIDS, African countries initially engrossed themselves in a wasteful debate over the origin of AIDS.

It all probably started in 1985, at the First International Conference on Virus-Related Cancers in Dakar, Senegal, in which I participated along with the co-discoverer of HIV, Dr. Robert Gallo, and the head of the OAU Scientific Commission, Dr. Williams. It was at this conference that respected scientists articulated their theory about Africa as the origin of not only AIDS, but of many other frightening diseases also. For instance, Dr. Kevin De Cock argued that Ebola virus, Marburg virus and Lassa fever, all thought to be new diseases, "turned out to have been endemic in Africa." Meanwhile, Gallo aired his African-Monkey Connection theory.

Said Gallo at the Dakar Conference: "Viruses closely related to HTLV (Human Type Lymphotropic Virus), but distinct from it, have been isolated from Old World monkeys. This and other facts led us to propose that the ancestral origin of HTLV is Africa."

As I wrote in a syndicated column in 1985, to a people who, barely 20 years earlier were under the yoke of Western colonialism, the Africa-Monkey argument was another indication of racism by Western scientists. Therefore, because of our history of colonialism and slavery, the first impulse of African leaders and opinion formers was to defensively repudiate such Western claims with a display of nationalistic garb.

But while Africans were engaged in this needless debate, intense anti-HIV/AIDS efforts were going on in the West. Pressure groups were forming and national education campaigns on HIV were being launched everywhere.

In Nigeria in 1985, it was difficult to meet one person who did not view HIV/AIDS as a "disease of the white man," and the African connection theory as more evidence of the Western association of Africa with everything negative. Well-meaning people who dared to preach abstinence or condom use as a way to curb the spread of HIV were routinely laughed at as victims of malicious Western propaganda. In the prevailing environment, therefore, many did not see the need for behavioral change. Unfortunately, that attitude persisted for years. Yet, many science writers knew that a major outbreak in Nigeria, with its 100 million people, was only a matter of time.

Such was the prevailing attitude in Nigeria, and it was the principal reason the National Action Committee on AIDS (NACA) was not inaugurated until last year. The Committee's work is cut out for it, and the challenges are daunting.

Although the death of popular musician Fela Anikulapo-Kuti and the admission by his world-renowned physician brother, Professor Olikoye Ransome-Kuti, that the musician died of AIDS has promoted some awareness and encouraged the use of condoms, many Nigerians still remain unpersuaded. A survey of some Nigerians, selected randomly over two weeks in January 2001, suggests that many are armed with information about the disease. But even those who reported adequate knowledge said they did not see any reason to wear condoms because, "I do not sleep around" or "I know the people I sleep with." Less than 5 percent said they would consider voluntary testing, while the majority said they would rather not know about their HIV status in order not to be ostracized by friends and family.

That is not an irrational fear in Nigeria today. Fela's brother suffered unprecedented assault in the press by commentators who accused him of a criminal vendetta against the more popular musician. Worse than ostracism is the likelihood of an HIV-infected person being fired from gainful employment.

There appears to be no recourse in Nigeria for such people who are wrongfully dismissed from their jobs. In a shocking case that resonated throughout Nigeria, a judge on January 22, 2001, disallowed a former hospital worker, Georgiana Ahamefule, who was dismissed from her job, from appearing in her defense out of fear that she would spread the virus in court! Her case remains unresolved.

The attitude of the judge underscores a desperate need in Nigeria for a national education program on HIV/AIDS, along with comprehensive programs to combat the virus, including condom use, vaccine tests, counseling and treatment.

Political leaders should begin to speak openly about the virus and participate in public blood screenings. Of course, it is probably too late for 2.6 million Nigerians, who, unfortunately, will eventually become the cadavers next door. But far too many Nigerians remain at risk. And they must be saved.

Yinka Adeyemi is a Columnist for the Daily Times of Nigeria and author of "A Media Handbook for HIV Vaccine Trials for Africa" published by UNAIDS.

(16/06/2009)

As the HIV response represents one of the soundest of all possible global investments, it is critical that commitment to HIV efforts be maintained and strengthened in the midst of these economic challenges - Report of the Secretary-General to the 63rd General Assembly.

Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, Minister of Health of South Africa addressed the General Assembly on 16 June 2009
Credit: UN Photo/Jenny Rockett

At the 63rd session of the General Assembly held in New York on 16 June 2009, the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon presented a report on the progress made in the implementation of the Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS and the Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS. The first address by UN member states was delivered by Dr Aaron Motsoaledi, the new Minister of Health of South Africa. Speaking on behalf of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), Motsoaledi noted recent progress made in South Africa and in the SADC region in confronting AIDS.

This year’s report provides an update on developments in the AIDS response, looks forward to the agreed 2010 milestones, recommends key actions to accelerate progress and urges renewed commitment to the goal of universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support.

In June 2008, the General Assembly held a High-level Meeting on HIV/AIDS that assessed progress in the response to the global HIV epidemic. Reports from 147 countries showed that important progress had been made, including in the areas of access to antiretroviral therapy and the prevention of mother-to-child transmission.

However, the report shows that, despite such encouraging developments, considerable challenges remain, including significant access gaps for key HIV-related services. The pace of new infections continues to outstrip the expansion of treatment programmes, and commitment to HIV prevention remains inadequate. While funds available for HIV in low- and middle-income countries increased from $11.3 billion in 2007 to $13.7 billion in 2008, there has been a global economic downturn since the 2008 High-level Meeting.

As the HIV response represents one of the soundest of all possible global investments, it is critical that commitment to HIV efforts be maintained and strengthened in the midst of these economic challenges, report of the Secretary-General.

The Secretary-General’s report also highlights that despite the many commitments made by Member States to protect the rights of people living with HIV and people vulnerable to HIV infection, many countries have laws and policies that are inconsistent with the commitments and result in reduced access to essential HIV services and commodities.

In 2007, one third of countries reported that they still lacked laws to prohibit HIV-related discrimination, and many countries with anti-discrimination legislation have problems with adequate enforcement. A total of 84 countries reported that they have laws and regulations that present obstacles to effective HIV prevention, treatment, care and support for vulnerable subpopulations. Furthermore, some 60 countries have laws that restrict the entry, stay and residence of people living with HIV based on HIV-positive status only. Finally, an increasing number of countries have enacted overly broad laws that criminalize transmission or exposure to HIV, as well as non-disclosure of HIV status. Such measures are likely to lead people to avoid HIV testing, thereby undermining efforts to achieve universal access. Therefore, the report recommends that laws and law enforcement should be improved and programmes to support access to justice should be taken to scale to prevent discrimination against people living with HIV. HIV-related travel restrictions should be eliminated; the criminalization of HIV transmission should be limited to intentional transmission; and laws that burden or impede service access among sex workers, men who have sex with men and injecting drug users should be repealed.

Improved analytic methods have enabled countries to better characterize the magnitude and dynamics of their epidemics, to select appropriate interventions and tailor evidence-informed strategies to address their specific national context. The strategic tailoring of national responses magnifies the results of HIV programmes and reduces waste and inefficiency. Improved monitoring and evaluation systems also permit countries to revise national strategies as their epidemics evolve over time. In their efforts to closely align national strategies with actual national circumstances, countries should work to understand and address the social and structural determinants of HIV risk and vulnerability, such as gender inequalities, social marginalization and stigma and discrimination.

The HIV epidemic presents a long-term global challenge and requires a sustained commitment for an effective long-term response. As the coverage and quality of HIV programmes increase, the report calls to intensify efforts to strengthen the health, education, social welfare and other key sectors, and to integrate HIV with tuberculosis, sexual and reproductive health and other health services.

The long-term AIDS response will be sustainable only if substantially greater success is achieved in slowing the rate of new HIV infections, while providing optimal services for people living with HIV, the report underlines. Bringing to scale the appropriate mix of behavioural, biomedical and structural HIV-prevention strategies would more than halve the number of all new HIV infections between now and 2015. Access to such a combination of prevention strategies, however, remains sharply limited in most countries according to the Secretary-General’s report.

Finally, the report emphasizes that achieving national universal access targets by 2010 will require an estimated annual outlay of $25 billion within two years, necessitating renewed commitment from all providers of HIV-related funding. Sustaining an effective AIDS response will require unprecedented leadership at all levels, including from Governments, civil society and affected communities.

The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the African Development Bank, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the German development finance institution DEG announced that they have created a new private equity fund that will invest in Africa’s health sector. The Health in Africa Fund will invest in small- and medium-sized companies in sub-Saharan Africa, such as health clinics and diagnostic centers, with the goal of helping low-income Africans gain access to affordable, high-quality health services. The fund will help implement key recommendations of IFC’s report, ‘The Business of Health in Africa: Partnering with the Private Sector to Improve People’s Lives,’ which found that the private sector already delivers about half of all health-related goods and services in Africa, and that greater investment in private health companies could have major health and economic benefits for low-income Africans.

The World Bank’s Environmental Department is seeking civil society representatives to serve as observers on two Climate Investment Fund (CIF) Trust Fund Committees. The Bank has contracted a leading public policy dispute resolution organization, RESOLVE, to manage this self-selection process. The CIFs, which are managed by the World Bank and implemented jointly with the Regional Development Banks, were established through an inclusive and consultative process in support of the Bali Action Plan and approved by the World Bank Board in July 2008. Application forms, criteria, and instructions for the observer seats are available on the RESOLVE website (www.resolv.org/cif). Application instructions and criteria will be posted in Arabic, Bengali, Cambodian/Khmer, French, Nepali, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Tajik, and Turkish during the week of June 15. Completed applications are due by Wednesday, July 2. CSO Observers Sought for Climate Investment Funds (CIF)
The Bank’s Environmental Department is seeking civil society representatives to serve as observers on two Climate Investment Fund (CIF) Trust Fund Committees. The Bank has contracted a leading public policy dispute resolution organization, RESOLVE, to manage this self-selection process. The CIFs, which are managed by the World Bank and implemented jointly with the Regional Development Banks, were established through an inclusive and consultative process in support of the Bali Action Plan and approved by the World Bank Board in July 2008. Application forms, criteria, and instructions for the observer seats are available on the RESOLVE website (www.resolv.org/cif). Application instructions and criteria will be posted in Arabic, Bengali, Cambodian/Khmer, French, Nepali, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Tajik, and Turkish during the week of June 15. Completed applications are due by Wednesday, July 15.

Visit the website: www.resolv.org/cif for more details