CUSO-VSO E.D. chairs historic summit of religious leaders on action against HIV and AIDS
31/03/2010 00:01:00
In what is widely being recognized as an historic moment, leaders from all of the world’s major religious traditions have agreed to work in support of the eradication of AIDS and, in particular, have undertaken a personal commitment to work together to eliminate the critical problem of stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV.
The agreement is the key outcome of the three-day Global Summit, of high-level religious leaders co-sponsored by UNAIDS and hosted by the government of the Netherlands during the past week. The summit involved leaders of the Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh and indigenous traditions, together with senior representatives of governments, UN agencies, and organizations of people living with HIV.
HIV and AIDS activists and practitioners have welcomed the outcome as “a milestone”, and “a step forward that was unthinkable – even unimaginable – only a few years ago.” Dr. Richard Fee, Chair of the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance, underlined the significance and potential impact of the agreement by noting that the religious organizations involved “do touch every village in the world.”
Quoted in the New York Times, UN Under-Secretary General Thoraya Obaid described the agreement as representing “a sea change in attitudes”, and a senior HIV and AIDS ambassador stated that the summit has produced “an incredibly strong commitment that will be critically important for the future.”
The summit was led by Derek Evans, Executive Director of CUSO-VSO, acting in his personal capacity. Derek was invited to facilitate the Summit because of his extensive background as a peace negotiator and in inter-religious dialogue, as well as his expertise in the field of HIV and AIDS.
He commented, “Although I was not acting on behalf of VSO in this work, I was very grateful for the support encouragement of our Board and Staff throughout the process. And I think this reflects in its own way what we are really all about: providing the skills and leadership needed to enable others make a real and sustainable change in their own communities – and to build a global movement in support of human rights and development in the process. The wonderful thing is that this ‘high-level’ agreement will have a real and positive impact in the lives of people living with HIV.”
According to the Rt. Rev. Gunnar Stålsett, President of the European Council Religious Leaders, "Quite simply, this agreement and the incredible commitment emerging from the Summit would not have happened without the unique leadership of Derek Evans. His guidance of the Summit was the most powerful example of true facilitation that I have ever experienced, and we are all most grateful for his extraordinary gift."
