AIDS activists see red over universal symbol

[Guest guest]

AIDS activists see red over universal symbol

By Kestur G Vasuki, Bangalore: An AIDS convention in Bangalore has

decided to abandon the red-ribbon symbol, saying it is

discriminatory.

Over a HIV-positive people across the country attended the two-day

convention.

The organisers of the convention claimed that the red ribbon the,

symbol of AIDS and HIV, has created a negative impact about victims.

" We have decided in the convention to abandon the AIDS symbol, the

red ribbon, which acts as a negative in our minds. If a HIV person

sees the AIDS symbol red ribbon we feel like committing suicide, "

Veena Dhari, an organiser at the convention said.

Veena Dhari, the first woman in the country to declare her self as a

HIV Positive person, also said that the convention has decided to

give impetus to the HIV/AIDS networking across the country.

" The second thing is the convention has passed a resolution to

increase the HIV networking people across the country, " she added.

India accounts for about 5.1 million HIV-positive people, next only

to South Africa. The northeast has been declared as one of India's

high-risk zones with close to 100,000 people infected with HIV.

In a recent report the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency said if the

misinformation and stigma about the disease continues at the scale

it is now, the number of Indians with HIV could quadruple by 2010

http://www.newkerala.com/news.php?action=fullnews & id=30054

[Guest guest]

Dear Friends,

Just because they are universal, they do not belong to anybody and yet to

everybody. So while one cannot be forced to accept it, a person or a group for

that matter, cannot force everyone else to reject it either. That in a nutshell

is the essence of a symbol.

But a symbol means more than just that. It becomes an anchor around which a

whole set of action grows, activism develops, emotions are created, resources

mobilized, sometimes even lives sacrificed. All of these add to the value; call

it brand-equity if you wish, of symbols.

Much work has happened, which has added much of that value, at the cost of much

effort of millions, to the universal red ribbon symbol of HIV activism.

The unsubstantiated, if not illogical sentiment of one that it wants her to

commit suicide at seeing it [without any explanation as to why] is not reason

enough to reject that much work and efforts. Nor is it reason to reject for that

matter, the resources that have been mobilized and committed around that symbol,

which in turn provides succor and life support to many suffering millions, or

help save lives.

Therefore, no matter what the Bangalore convention adopts and feels, the red

ribbon is going to stay here for some time. We can choose to contribute

positively to it, or we can choose to engage it in an insane fight. The choice

is ours individually to make.

I have a small suggestion to make to the Bangalore convention wallas. The major

world conferences will continue to be organized around the symbol, and major

donors will continue to subscribe to it, so here is a dare. Please put your

money where your mouth is, and go out there and reject or refuse all funding

from those who subscribe to the symbol. More importantly don't apply to major

conferences for scholarships and support, nor attend them. If you

can do this you are people of conviction and my sincere respects are with you,

even if I disagree with you. If you cannot, then please know that by opening

your mouth on this non-issue you have actually successfully placed your foot in

it.

Best regards

Aditya Bondyopadhyay

E-mail: <adit@...>