Count on Me: World AIDS Day programme in Shillong

[Guest guest]

Count on Me: A campaign for " A World Without AIDS "

Maitri is a Shillong-based, NGO dedicated to HIV-AIDS awareness, advocacy,

prevention and care and support of PLWHA. Using innovative non-conventional

models, such as sports and socio-cultural and celebrity-driven events for the

promotion of AIDS awareness,

'Maitri' has achieved considerable success in all it endeavours. One of its

major successes was the attendance of the President of India, Dr APJ Abdul

Kalam, as keynote speaker for a Conclave held at the NEC Convention Centre in

Shillong in September 2005 for an HIV-AIDS intervention among Uniformed Services

in India.

On that occasion, " Count on Me, " a song written and composed by Shillong

musician Ashkenazy about every individual's responsibility towards

stamping out the killer Virus, was first performed on a public platform by

school going children for the President. Using the powerful messaging and

imagery conveyed by these three words – Maitri embarked on a campaign titled

" Count on Me! " that was set in motion at the recently concluded International

AIDS Conference at Toronto, Canada.

Maitri founders in their presentations during the Conference which saw the

attendance of over 25,000 delegates from around the World, encouraged the

gathering to raise their hands and join in a " Count on Me! " chant as a symbolic

way of combating the Virus. The response was overwhelming.

To carry this campaign forward, Maitri proposes to organize a week-long build up

to World AIDS Day 2006 culminating in a grand finale " Count on Me! " show

featuring a top International musical act. The song, which, is sought to be

promoted as a worldwide AIDS anthem would form part of a CD-ROM featuring a

video/audio track, a fact sheet on HIV-AIDS statistics, data and major

initiatives or interventions taken in the North East by Maitri and the sponsors

and a general awareness building toolkit for the youth and general masses is

proposed to be released at Shillong on 1 December 2006.

The organizers are hoping to be able to bring , a popular icon with a

huge fan following in North East India, and an AIDS activist as the main act.

There are ambitious plans to have the Mr give away autographed prizes to

winners of the various school and college level competitions organized during

the build-up and to even perform the " Count on Me! " song along with the School

children who originally rendered it.

The Federation of Khasi, Jaintia and Garo People (FKJGP) – an apex organization

that represents Meghalaya's multi-cultural, multi-linguistic and multi-ethnic

social milieu has entered into an agreement with Maitri to help host the event

at the JN Stadium, Polo Grounds, Shillong in commemoration of its 15th

Anniversary which it has dedicated to AIDS awareness and prevention.

This is a precursor to the establishment of a permanent AIDS cell at the FKJGP

headquarters and its district and block units.

The " Count on Me! " emblem – a raised hand along side an AIDS ribbon–is planned

to appear in many countries on lapel pins, T-shirts, baseball hats, key-chains,

buttons, plaques and other memorabilia as part of the campaign. FKJGP is the

first Indian institutional partner to sign up for the " Count on Me! " worldwide

campaign. It has been conceived by Maitri director, Sanjay Sharma, who is a

communications consultant, a social activist, a journalist and a designer all

rolled into one.

Salient features of the Programme include:

• A mass voluntary blood donation-cum-HIV testing camp expected to have a

participation of nearly 1,000 individuals under the supervision of sector

specific professionals/experts.

• Volunteers will also be encouraged to sign a " Pledge " of " responsible

citizenship " to fight stigma and discrimination of PLWHA. They will be given

Certificates of Participation/Appreciation (special care will be taken to ensure

confidentiality of the identity of those getting themselves tested)

• Schools and Colleges of Meghalaya would be invited to participate in a

State-level slogan writing competition (any language) on the campaign theme

" Count on Me! "

• Schools and Colleges of Meghalaya would be invited to participate in a

State-level Essay writing competition on the campaign theme " Count on Me! "

• Schools and Colleges of Meghalaya would be invited to participate in district

and State-level sit-and-draw Poster designing competition on the campaign theme

" Count on Me! "

• Photography competition – colour and b/w format (school & college level) on

the campaign theme " Count on Me! " vis-à-vis HIV-AIDS and drug abuse. The 100

best entries would be exhibited on World AIDS Day and ultimately compiled into a

coffee table book for wide dissemination

• Higher-secondary Schools and Colleges of Meghalaya would be invited to

participate in an inter-district State-level debate competition on the topic

" Indigenous culture & tradition are responsible for the high prevalence of

HIV-AIDS in the North East. "

The organizers are enlisting the support of the local, regional, national and

international media to give widespread publicity to this massive campaign.

Periodic media conferences and interactions will be conducted to project a

status report of details of the programme.

Count on Me

An Anthem for " A World Without AIDS "

Composed, written & arranged by Ash

Performed by School Children of Shillong

Let me slip away, with a smile on my face, and a heart filled with grace, slip

away.

Like anybody else, let me close my door and slip away - away, yeah, slip

away...'

Spread the message - count on me.

Not the Virus - it's up to me.

You can count, count on me.

AIDS is preventable - count on me.

Apathy kills - it's up to me.

You can count, count on me.

Don't take chances - count on me.

When romancing - it's up to me. You can count, count on me.

There's a whole new world and

You're not alone anymore, let our song reach out and help you change the world.

There's a whole new world and you're not alone anymore.

Let our song reach out - and have you sing along...

Sing it now - count on me,

Sing it now - it's up to me

Say it now - count on me, yeah

Say it now - it's up to me.

You can count on me.

Spread the message - count on me.

Not the Virus - it's up to me.

You can count on me.

AIDS is preventable - count on me.

Apathy kills - it's up to me.

You can count on me.

You pay the price, when not believing, there's a light that shines on us all

You can count - count on me to live as one yeah, count on me to save the world

You can count on me.

--

Sanjay Sharma

CEO

Cognet Solutions,

Pinemount Ridge,

Barik, Shillong - 793 001

Meghalaya, India.

+364-250-6050, +94361-61402

e-mail: cognet.solutions@...