This year the 20-26 May is the 'Global
Week of Action' for AIDS - and we at the Stop AIDS Campaign
are also taking action.
The week is an unprecedented coming together of AIDS activists
from across the globe to demand a stronger response from Governments,
more resources and more accountability in the fight against
HIV/AIDS. Just as 2005 provided crucial opportunities to Make
Poverty History, the summer of 2006 sees a series of meetings
vital to combating the global HIV/ AIDS epidemic. The season
will kick off with the UN General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS)
on AIDS, looking back at what has been achieved over the past
five years and deciding what needs to happen in the future.
A few weeks later, in July, Russia will take up its Presidency
of the G8 and last year’s promise of ‘Treatment
for All by 2010’ will be put to the test. At the same
time Goverments will meet again to decide how much to give the
Global Fund for AIDS, Malaria and TB, seen by many as the best
means of funding AIDS treatment for all. All
this activity could produce nothing more than empty words
and inaction. Or it could help save millions of lives. That
is why it is vital that during the Global Week of Action we
show leaders the world will accept nothing less than decisive
progress on the promises made last year.
Global Week
of Action event in Parliament, 22 May 2006, London. Photos
(left to right): Speakers - Chipo Mbanje (Zimbabwe) and Dr
Nelson Musoba (Uganda); World is Watching display at the event;
Speakers - Neil Gerrard MP (Labour), Chair of All-Party Parliamentary
Group on AIDS, Andrew Mitchell MP (Conservative), Shadow Secretary
of State for International Development, and Baroness Northover,
Liberal Democrat Spokesperson on International Development.
Susie McLean, Senior Policy Advisor, International HIV/AIDS
Alliance, spoke on behalf of the Stop AIDS Campaign.
To mark The Global Week of Action here in
the UK we once again took our ‘eyeball petition’
directly to decision makers as part of an event we organised
in Parliament. Under the full glare of supporters’ eyes,
arranged as a huge map of the world, MPs heard about the current
barriers to providing Treatment for All. A Ugandan HIV/AIDS
doctor and a Zimbabwean activist told MPs about the reality
of the epidemic in some of the worst affected countries whilst
a Stop AIDS Campaigner explained what MPs could do. All MPs
received our latest briefing, 'Universal
access by 2010 - the UK Government's role in making it happen',
outlining our campaign demands for 2006. Also distributed
was our policy document, 'Access to Essential Medicines for
HIV, May 2006'.
The Stop AIDS Network of student activists also had their
say, with the screening of 'Stand up, Speak out!', a short
film made by the AIDS generation calling the UK government
to action.
Briefing papers:
>
Universal
access by 2010 - the UK Government's role in making it happen
> Access
to Essential Medicines for HIV, May 2006
As well as learning about the issues, MPs were able to add
their eyes to our new MPs online gallery. We also used the
event to launch our brand new version of the online 'eyeball'
petition, which now has over 5000 pairs of eyes.
TAKE ACTION!
Keep your eyes
on the Government and demand action by joining
our...
> online
petition <
|
