WORLD AIDS DAY

1 December

Stop AIDS: Keep the Promise

Your church, youth group, women's group, prayer circle, club or school is encouraged to join people all over the world in prayer as we observe World AIDS Day. Plan a special order of worship on World AIDS Day or the weekend before or after. Several worship services prepared especially for this year can be used or adapted You can find them at http://www.ucc.org/hivaids or http://www.e-alliance.ch/media/AdventLiturgy.pdf or http://www.e-alliance.ch/media/AdventLiturgy.doc

World AIDS Day is the international day of action on HIV and AIDS which takes place every year on 1 December. The Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance is encouraging faith communities worldwide to hold special worship services to mark World AIDS Day and is promoting an ecumenical liturgy and action ideas on “Keep the Promise”. The theme of accountability, with the slogan, “Stop AIDS: Keep the Promise”, was chosen in consultation with civil society campaigns to stress the critical need to meet current commitments to increase the global response to AIDS and reach universal access to treatment, care, and prevention by 2010.

World AIDS Day is about reminding us all that HIV is an issue for everyone. Hundreds of thousands of new cases of HIV are being diagnosed around the world and the only way we can stop it spreading is by creating a more AIDS Aware society in which everyone takes action. It is up to us to provide HIV/AIDS education in our churches.

Links for resources on World AIDS Day (December 1):

The theme for World AIDS Day 2006 is accountability. The theme of accountability was developed by the World AIDS Campaign support team based on their ongoing work around World AIDS Day, and based on the outcomes of the London HIV and AIDS Campaigning and Advocacy meeting in February 2005. A number of lessons have been learnt from previous work on World AIDS Day, and far more energy is being invested early in the year to make World AIDS Day 2006 a success. The most significant aspect of this World AIDS Day is the degree to which it has been based around the inputs of a wide range of civil society partners.

Around forty million people are living with HIV throughout the world - and that number increases in every region every day. In the UK alone, more than 60,000 people are living with HIV and more than 7,000 more are diagnosed every year. Ignorance and prejudice are fuelling the spread of a preventable disease. World AIDS Day, 1 December is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV and AIDS. This year, it's up to you, me and us to stop the spread of HIV and end prejudice. http://www.worldaidsday.org/

UNAIDS: Uniting the world against AIDS...The renewed commitment to universal access to prevention, treatment, care and support undertaken by countries across the world, has paved the way in West and Central Africa to scale up national programmes.

Actions taken by governments this year will determine the global response to AIDS for years to come,” states Marcel van Soest, executive director of the World AIDS Campaign.

Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance offers excellent and varied World AIDS Day resources at http://www.e-alliance.ch/wad.jsp

Our partner in mission, the United Church of Christ USA, offers several liturgical items for use on World AIDS Day Sunday at http://www.ucc.org/hivaids