Faith Communities Commit to “Scaling Up” at the 4th SA AIDS Conference. 01/04/09
Issued on 1 April, 2009, 20h00
Faith Communities re-affirmed their commitment to, and participation in, the region’s response to HIV at a special interfaith session prior to the 4th South African AIDS Conference in Durban this week.
Lyn van Rooyen, from CABSA (the Christian AIDS Bureau for Southern Africa) explains: “Faith communities are key role-players in the response to HIV and AIDS and add very specific strengths to the response of all other sectors in SANAC and in the implementation of the National Strategic Plan. In the session we looked at the work faith communities already do and explored what it means to be a HIV competent faith community and the advantages of interfaith collaboration.”
These particular strengths were highlighted in a statement, that has to date been signed by more than 120 delegates to the conference. Signatories also admitted that their contribution has not always been only positive, and committed to strengthening their response to the cross cutting issues that play a role in the pandemic, including poverty, inequality, gender imbalances, dealing with sexual minorities and refugees and involving people living with HIV in meaningful and significant ways.
Interfaith collaboration for the conference also included an interfaith exhibition, highlighting activities, publications and training in the faith sector. “We hope that this might lead to a bigger and more comprehensive interfaith pre-conference at the next SA AIDS Conference in 2011,” said Sixolile Ngcobo, from Norwegian Church AID, who played a key role in organising this session.