This year marks the twentieth anniversary of World AIDS Day. The theme continues from the 2007 campaign: Stop AIDS: Keep the Promise—Lead, Empower, Deliver. This theme is meant to highlight the fact that many individuals and organizations have already offered up their leadership skills, and now policy makers need to find the resources to deliver on their promises. The campaign is calling on everyone, including families, communities, social organizations, and governments to take the initiative in helping meet the target goals.
Ways you can be a leader in the fight against HIV and AIDS:
Wear a red ribbon today as a symbol of hope, in memory of those lost to AIDS, and in honor of those living with HIV and AIDS.
Find out how the day is being recognized in your community. Some examples: Attend a candlelight vigil, a tree or bulletin board decorating ceremony, a display of NAMES Quilt panels.
Talk about HIV and AIDS in your workplace, at school, on your blog, at church, to your family and friends. How has HIV/AIDS impacted you or someone you know?
Learn more about HIV and AIDS–there are many resources online.
Get tested. Drive someone else to be tested and be supportive.
Contribute time or money, not just on this day, but any day you can, to an organization that assists those living with or impacted by HIV and AIDS.
Let your legislators know that HIV/AIDS matters to you.
I saw the quilt when it was displayed fully at the mall in Washington DC … I couldn’t believe how big it was. I heard that it weighs over 50 tons and is the largest community arts project ever. I don’t think that it could be displayed fully now … Thank you for the information, not just for today — but for every day.
Which year? I was there the last time it was displayed fully, in 1996. ‘Cause if you were there that year, then you could have rubbed shoulders with me, Tom, and Amy–or with Timmy, who was there, too, though he and I wouldn’t meet for another year.
A friend and I went in 1996 we saw the Quilt, and we went to see the holocaust museum … to lighten the mood we went to the History museum too…
Have we had this conversation? I was there, seeing the quilt too. Well, actually, I was there visiting the grandparents; and it happened to be over a weekend when the quilt was being displayed. I was rather young then: I didn’t quite know what the quilt was all about. But I still remember being in awe of its size, even more so after my grandparents informed me that each pannel was made by (and represented) a different person.