S. Asian religious leaders meet in India to fight AIDS

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Two articles on S. Asian religious leaders response to HIV/AIDS

1) S. Asian religious leaders meet in India to fight AIDS

http://asia.news./041119/kyodo/d86et5hg0.html

2) Maulanas, pujaris can help spread AIDS awareness’

http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=107306

1) S. Asian religious leaders meet in India to fight AIDS Friday November 19,

7:02 PM

(Kyodo) _ Religious leaders from across South Asia kicked off a three-day

meeting here Friday to discuss measures aimed at combating the HIV/AIDS pandemic

through inter-faith consensus and coordinated action in the region.

The South Asian Inter-Religious Council on HIV/AIDS is to discuss the role of

religion in HIV/AIDS prevention, developing joint strategies, interaction

with various agencies and raising awareness of the disease.

Thirty people are attending from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal,

Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The meeting is supported by the U.N.

Children's Fund and the World Conference of Religions for Peace.

" The council aims to strengthen and accelerate the work of religious leaders of

major faiths in HIV/AIDS prevention, care and support, " said Akhtarul Wasey,

the organizer of SAIRC.

Though there are few faith-based organizations acting as powerful resources in

the fight against HIV/AIDS in South Asia, many more religious leaders need to be

engaged to reduce and end the stigma and ignorance that feeds the epidemic,

Wasey said.

Ian Macleod, UNICEF's regional adviser on HIV/AIDS, said South Asia is at

cross-roads in its fight against HIV/AIDS.

" The region is home to over 5.2 million people living with HIV/AIDS. Decisions

made now by leaders at all levels of society including religious leaders will

determine whether countries can successfully control and reduce the spread of

HIV/AIDS, " Macleod said.

The South Asia Inter-Faith Consultation on Children, Young People and HIV/AIDS

held in Kathmandu in December last year pledged to strengthen efforts of

religious communities across the region to combat the HIV/AIDS pandemic. SAIRC

was formed as a part of that effort.

http://asia.news./041119/kyodo/d86et5hg0.html

2) Maulanas, pujaris can help spread AIDS awareness’ Express News Service

New Delhi, November 19: Religious leaders from across South Asia have converged

at the Jamia Millia Islamia University for a three-day conference to thrash out

ways to use their influence in countering the HIV-AIDS threat in the country.

Convened by the dean of the university’s faculty of Humanities and Languages,

the ‘‘South Asia Inter-religious Council on HIV/AIDS’’ will see participation

from 24 representatives of the major religions in South Asia, besides UNICEF and

UNAIDS.

Pointing out that the sub-continent is home to more than half-a-crore AIDS

victims, Congress leader Fernandes emphasised the important role religious

leaders can play in fighting this menace.

‘‘Everybody is religious in India. If all the religious leaders come out and say

we will fight AIDS, half the war will already be won,’’ he said.

He pointed out that one of the main stumbling blocks in dealing with the

challenge is lack of awareness among the common people.

Today, doctors say if people learn that a clinic treats HIV infected persons,

they don’t visit it. Similarly, teachers are afraid of admitting HIV positive

students into their classrooms. This sort of scenario can be tackled best by

social and religious leaders, he added. He also suggested that people’s

representatives should also take up the task of sensitising the population about

the disease.

Others, like Bhikhu Maitri Mahasthavir, president of the International Buddhist

Society, described their own experiences in dealing with the scourge.

‘‘Where, we come from, Lumbini in Nepal, we are surrounded by Muslims and

Hindus. The situation used to be so bad a few years ago that the women would not

even submit themselves to vaccination or even medication. But when we approached

them through the maulanas and pujaris, it worked wonders,’’ he said.

The meeting, to be continued over the next two days, will see presentations both

from the participants and NGO representatives and sharing of positive

experiences in special ‘break out’ discussions.

‘‘The meeting aims at promoting networking among religious leaders working

towards combating HIV/AIDS,’’ said the organisers. The final day will also see

the development of the all-important ’framework for action’ and its adoption by

the Council.

http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=107306