Parliament of Worlds Religion 2004 Barcelona

Author(s): Parliament of the World’s Religions
Publisher: USA Parliament of the Worlds Religions

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Exploring The Face of AIDS
This Symposium is a unique opportunity to bring together religious leaders, advocates, parliament participants and people living with HIV and AIDS to not only learn about the disease from diverse perspectives, whether it be religious, regional, cultural and economic but also explore how we can actually make an impact on the rate of infection.
Session 1
July 10th Intrareligious / 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM/Sagrada Familia Room, AC Barcelona
Exploring The Face of AIDS
This session will offer compelling stories from religious leaders, AIDS advocates and people living with AIDS from diverse cultures, traditions and social backgrounds who will share their experience of the AIDS pandemic.
Moderated by Rev: Ken South of Action AIDS.
Panel: Father Centurio, Religious leader, Uganda; Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati, Religious leader, US; Troy Truter, Person living with AIDS, South Africa; AIDS Positiva spokesperson, AIDS activist from Barcelona; Michael DeVito, Person living with AIDS, San Francisco
Session 2
July 10th / Interreligious / 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM/Sagrada Familia Room, AC Barcelona
Strategizing The Aids Pandemic From A Faith Perspective: What Are The Resources And Obstacles For Religious Communities Responding The Aids Crisis?
This session will be a facilitated dialogue to explore available resources and obstacles that different religious communities encounter in their response to the AIDS crisis. This session will explore the importance of breaking the boundaries of religious persecution, ignorance and prejudice, stigma and discrimination, which are keys to changing the way people affected and infected with HIV/AIDS are viewed.
Panel: Rev. Alberta Ware, AIDS Activist, Balm in Gilead, USA; AIDS Positiva spokesperson, AIDS activist from Barcelona; Rev Ken South: AIDS Activist, AIDS Action, USA
Symposia
Session 3 A
July 10th/Engagement / 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM / 22@ Room, AC Barcelona Hotel AIDS And Religion: What Every Religious Leader And Their Community Needs To Know This session will examine the nature and transmission of the disease, as well as prevention, care, statistics and demographics. Organizations working internationally will explore social impact and future of the pandemic and the pivotal role they see religious communities need to play in stopping the spread of this disease.
Presented by Rev Ken South, AIDS Action and Rev Alberta Ware, Balm in Gilead.
Session 3 B
July 10th / Engagement / 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM / Sants Room, AC Barcelona Hotel
A Closer Walk - The visual story of AIDS in the world today. A Closer Walk is the first film to depict humankind's confrontation with the global AIDS epidemic. The film's director and producer, Robert Bilheimer, is an Academy Award nominee for his film Cry of Reason, a profile of the South African antiapartheid leader Beyers Naude.
Rev Ken South. Rev Ken South has been very active in the interfaith AIDS community for many years. His involvement includes AIDS National Interfaith Network, AIDS Medicine & Miracles and the National Religious Leadership Roundtable for GLBT Concerns. He is currently working for AIDS Action in Washington DC. Rev South has great breadth of experience with AIDS and religious groups.
Rev Alberta Ware. The Rev. Alberta Ware is Director of Church & Community Mobilization for The Balm In Gilead, Inc., an organization whose mission is to mobilize Black churches to become community centers for HIV/AIDS education and compassion. As director, Rev. Ware provides technical assistance to churches, non-profits and government agencies.
Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati. Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati is the founder of Kashi Ashram, an interfaith spiritual community. Ma Jaya's teachings are based upon a commitment to humanity through service. Ma is a Trustee of the Parliament and an inductee into the MLK Jr. Board of Preachers at Morehouse College. She is founder of the River Fund, dedicated to serving people with AIDS.
Father Centurio Olaboro. Father Centurio is director of the Uganda Martyrs Orphan's Project, Chairman of the Uganda Joint Christian Council, an interfaith peace activist and AIDS advocate. He runs Ma's Orphans' Centre in Uganda which takes care of 800 orphans, most of whom have lost their parents to AIDS or have been involved in civil war or child slavery. Father has lost three of his own sisters to AIDS.
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