Sri Sri Ravi Shankar pledges support to PLHIV

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Sri Sri Ravi Shankar pledges support to PLHIV

The two-day 'Faith in Action 2010' commences today

Online PR News – 28-September-2010 – Bangalore, (India), Sept. 27, 2010: `Faith

in Action 2010', a two-day summit addressing HIV-related stigma and

discrimination, began today with the lamp-lighting ceremony by Sri Sri Ravi

Shankar, founder of the Art of Living Foundation along with Munisri Jinesh

Kumarji, Sri Jain Shvetambar Terapanth Sabha, Avtar Singh Makkar , Shiromani

Gurdwara Parbhandhak Committee, Golden Temple, Amritsar, Ervad Noshir Dadrawala,

Centre of Advancement of Philanthrophy, Dryuhannon Mar Dios Corus, Metropolitan

of Chennai, Syed Ghulam Kibria Dastagir, President, Anjuman Syed Zadjan, Ajmer

Dargah Sharif, Swami Dharmavallabh Das, Swami Narayan Gurukul, His Holiness

Phrakhrupipipsutatorn, AIMA, Thailand and Param Poojya Asaram Bapu.

The first day of the summit saw the religious leaders taking a pledge to work

tirelessly to remove all forms of stigma, discrimination, isolation and

marginalization of people living with and affected by HIV.

The thoughts shared by people living with HIV/AIDS at the summit strengthen the

fact that religious leaders play an inevitable role in fostering the process of

reconciliation that is so urgently needed to bring families and communities

divided by HIV AIDS back together.

Also present were Chhagan Bhujbal, Deputy Chief Minister, Maharashtra; Rajeev

Bindal, Hon'ble Health Minister, Himachal Pradesh; Ravi Aggarwal, Hon'ble Health

Minister, Chhatisgarh; Thakodave, Home Minister, Arunachal Pradesh and Laxmikant

C Hawla, Hon'ble Health Minister, Punjab.

The discussion platform was shared by religious heads like Sri Sri Pejawarshree

Galu, Sri Suttur Math; Maulana Ahmed Ilyasi, General Secretary, All India

Council of Mosques and Imams; Bishop Dr T Sagar, National Council of Churches;

Giani Gurbachan Singh, Jathedar, Akal Takht; Lama Tsering Chosphel, General

Secretary, All Ladakh Gompa Association and Ervad M Bharucha,Panthaky, Bai

Chenoy Fire Temple.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said, " Stigma and discrimination remain the biggest hurdles

in getting the access to treatment. It is overwhelming to see organizations like

Karnataka State AIDS Prevention Society (KSAPS), HEROES Project, International

Network of Religious Leaders living with or personally affected by HIV and AIDS

(INERELA+) and Asian Interfaith Network on HIV/AIDS, India (AINA-India) with

technical support from UNAIDS, UNICEF, USAID and AIDS Prevention and Control

project–Voluntary Health Services (APAC-VHS) join the initiative to eradicate

this stigma from the society.

We expect the conference to conclude with a declaration endorsed by eight

different faith leaders in India outlining their role in contributing to the

AIDS response within a commonly agreed framework. "

The summit registered keynote addresses from Prof. Gilks, Country

Coordinator UNAIDS India, Karin Hulshof, India Representative, UNICEF, Mr R R

Jannu, and PD Karnataka State AIDS Control Society. There were discussions on

the role of religious leaders in dealing with stigmas and discrimination against

people living with HIV AIDS.

The Faith in Action summit, held at the Art of Living International Center in

Bengaluru, Karnataka, India, is being attended by over 300 religious leaders

across faith and states with a strong representation and participation from

people living with HIV (PLHIV).

Faith in Action also provided for workshops and sensitised religious leaders

across faith by dividing the religious leaders in groups and conducting group

workshops on stigmatisation and role of faith-based organizations in addressing

the issue. An active participation during group workshops by people living with

HIV also led to a reflection of the expected outcomes on the Day 1 of the

summit.

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