It’s been 25 years since the first diagnosed cases of HIV/AIDS, and as world leaders gather at the UN to assess the state of the epidemic, people will be taking to the streets to demand action. Don’t let the overly optimistic article in today’s New York Times fool you, the epidemic is still very much a crisis. If you’re in the area, take your lunch hour to call for universal access to treatment, more funding for HIV/AIDS and an end to ideologically driven campaigns against condoms, sex workers and IV drug users.
I’ll post more on the march later, but hope to see you there.
RALLY AND MARCH at the UN General Assembly Special Session on AIDS (UNGASS)
On Wednesday, May 31, demand that the leaders of rich countries and the most affected countries listen to people most directly affected by HIV and fulfill their commitments to fighting AIDS.
12:30pm: Gather at Dag Hammerskjöld Plaza(47th Street between 1st and 2nd Aves)
1 pm: Rally with Emcees Rosie Perez and Amos Hough
2:00pm: March stopping at the UN missions of Uganda, India, Nigeria and the U.S.
Speakers at the rally and march will include:Vineeta Gupta (India) – Stop HIV/AIDS in India Initiative; Sipho Mthathi (South Africa) – Treatment Action Campaign; Violetta Ross (Bolivia) – Bolivian Network of People Living with AIDS; Waheedah Shabazz (U.S.) – ACT UP Philadelphia; Raminta Stuikyte (Central/Eastern Europe) – Harm Reduction Network; Beatrice Were (Uganda) – ActionAid.
