Saturday, November 29, 2008

World AIDS Day (repost from Facebook)

Hey everyone...
I haven't been able to spend as much time this year researching and blogging in advance of World AIDS Day on December 1st, but I thought I'd take a couple minutes to post a few resources here. Please take some time in the next couple days to read, think, and pray for the millions of families and individuals around the world who suffer from or are affected by AIDS. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me...

Every December 1st is World AIDS Day, a solemn day of awareness and response to the devastation of the AIDS pandemic world wide. There are a variety of opportunities to participate, including many online educational resources.

Consider changing your Facebook profile picture (and other profile avatars) to a World AIDS Day ribbon for the next few days (or at least December 1st). You could also include it as part of your email signature. You can download one here:
http://www.chapelaids.org/d8

As part of my responsibilities at The Chapel last year, I had the opportunity to put together a website that can act as a prayer path as you think about AIDS. Even though I've moved on, they've updated it and are promoting it (Yeah Chapel!) again this year. Take half an hour or an hour on the 1st and walk through it: http://www.chapelaids.org

Last year I tried to blog once a day every day for the month prior to World AIDS Day on my blog, http://bejustice.blogspot.com. While I didn't succeed, I did blog about 2/3 of the days & put up lots of good resources and some questions to help us think through things. I started on October 31st (here: http://bejustice.blogspot.com/2007_10_01_archive.html) and then just click on the 2007, November archive on the right hand side of the screen to read any of the posts that you would like.

A few general sites:
http://www.unaids.org
-the main UN AIDS site. great resources & lots of educational material.

http://www.worldaidsday.org
-the main UK site for World AIDS Day. while being UK specific in some things, it has a lot of relevant international information as well.

http://www.worldaidscampaign.org
-the main World AIDS Day site worldwide. Great resources & thoughts.


If you want to really learn a lot, watch this documentary the Frontline (on PBS) made in 2006. It's the most thorough overview of AIDS that I know of. It's 4 hours long, but is broken up into easily watchable pieces at their site. It's definitely worth the time it takes to watch:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/aids/

There is SO MUCH info available about AIDS online if you take a look. I hope you'll join me in the next few days in thinking, learning & praying for this humanitarian crisis.