Africa’s Right to Health Campaign Newsletter

Issue 2 - December 2003

Africa’s Right to Health campaigners across the nation helped to change the face of World AIDS Day. By combining awareness and activism, they worked to transform the way American citizens and residents think about their role in fighting the global AIDS crisis. Mourning for the fallen by fighting for the living, campaigners engaged in a range of events from hosting “safe sex” parties to generating calls to the White House – from gagging themselves in silent protest to shouting in the streets.

1. Africa Action’s MOST WANTED

George W. Bush—Tommy Thompson—Colin Powell—Hank McKinnell
Condoleezza Rice—Senator Bill Frist, M.D.

These six decision-makers are Africa Action’s MOST WANTED for being the biggest obstacles to global HIV/AIDS funding and expanded treatment. Since his 2003 State of the Union Address, Bush has been Africa’s greatest betrayer. He promised U.S. leadership in the war on AIDS, but he has asked for NO new money in 2003 and only half a billion dollars in 2004 of the $15 billion he promised.

Africa Action has designed posters and postcards featuring caricatures of these six in order to raise their visibility and highlight the decisions they make that endanger Africa’s Right to Health. Organizations in five cities and on over 30 campuses are helping to collect 8,000 of these MOST WANTED postcards-one for every person who dies each day of AIDS in Africa. The postcards call on Bush to keep his promise to increase funding for Africa. The postcards/ posters were used in creative ways for activists’ World AIDS Day public awareness and political actions. In the Bay, the Priority Africa Network, held a rally that featured Congresswoman Barbara Lee as the keynote speaker. In Michigan, a premier showing of the film, A Closer Walk, was followed by a “truth telling” guerilla theater performance that found Africa Action’s MOST WANTED responsible for their crimes. Representative John Conyers was in attendance.

We will deliver these postcards to President Bush at the White House in January 2004 just before his State of the Union Address. MOST WANTED posters and postcards are available at the Africa Action national office. Contact us at organize@africaaction.org or click here for more information.

2. World AIDS Day March on the White House

We started off our World AIDS Day commemorative activities by taking part in a march on the White House on November 24th to protest the Bush administration’s failure to prioritize the fight against the pandemic both here and overseas. A collaborative effort of dozens of HIV/AIDS prevention, service, advocacy and activist organizations, the rally drew a crowd of several hundred to protest Bush’s broken promises and betrayals concerning greater funding and more accessible treatment in Africa and here at home. Africa Action invited Reverend Justus Reeves from the Progressive Baptist National Convention to speak as part of the event and used the opportunity of the March to distribute our “Broken Promises” Talking Points, which clearly discern fact from fiction in Bush’s double speak on the AIDS pandemic.

3. World AIDS Day Rallies and Day of Silence

On World AIDS Day itself (Dec 1st), hundreds of students across the country gagged themselves throughout the morning of December 1st to represent the 7,000 Africans who are silenced by HIV/AIDS each day. The Day of Silence was an action of personal sacrifice that is often uncharacteristic of global justice actions. More than a protest, students made an individual sacrifice to reflect their beliefs, making a huge impact on those with whom they came in contact.
Mourning for the fallen, but fighting for the living, students broke their silence in a number of creative ways to protest the White House’s failure to live up to its promises to fight the AIDS pandemic in Africa and globally. A total of twelve colleges and universities hosted our World AIDS Day National Student Day of Silence, an encouraging start given that a unified action on an Africa policy issue of this magnitude hasn’t been seen since the anti-apartheid movement. The creativity of individual campus groups was amazing. Some students gagged themselves with American Flags. Others engaged in die-ins. It is our hope to begin to build a student network that will help to develop campaigns that appeal to that group. CLICK HERE or check below for information on all our World AIDS Day activities.

4. World AIDS Day Interfaith Action

Interfaith religious leaders held a demonstration in front of the Treasury building to deliver a letter from over a hundred clergy from around the country to President Bush and Secretary of Treasury Snow calling for "Bolder Action on AIDS and Debt". The national office coordinated the action and press briefing that followed with Jubilee USA Network, Global Justice, Religious Action Center for Reform Judaism, and the General Board of Church and Society ~ The United Methodist Church. There was international and national, TV, radio, and print coverage of the demonstration and letter.

5. Opinion-Editorial

As part of our World AIDS Day press activities, Africa Action drafted and distributed Opinion Editorials, co-authored by Salih Booker and key allies in Houston, the Bay Area, Boston, Atlanta, and DC. An Op-ed written with Phill Wilson, Executive Director of the Black AIDS Institute was placed in dozens of black newspapers and other media outlets across the country. Entitled, “AIDS-Broken Promises Cost Lives,” the Op-Ed elucidated the failure of the Bush administration to tackle the pandemic globally, in Africa, and domestically, where more than 50% of all new HIV infections reported are among African Americans. Go >

6. African Church Leaders take HIV Test

Bishop Mvume Dandala, General Secretary of the All Africa Conference of Churches, who participated in our first annual Baraza and Ending Global Apartheid speaking tour in October 2003, was featured in the BBC News. At an annual meeting of the All Africa Conference on Churches, Dandala and 800 other church leaders representing more than 150 churches and 39 countries were tested for HIV to encourage testing across the continent. Bishop Dandala urged other church leaders to reveal their HIV status in an effort to reduce stigma. He also spoke on the value of HIV prevention programs that include condoms and encouraged church leaders to support people living with HIV/AIDS in a responsible and caring manner.

7. Youth Voter Guide

Africa Action is working with a number of allies to create a youth voter guide that is focused on foreign policy issues. The purpose of the guide is to try and draw foreign policy issues into election debates. The election guide provides students with background information of pressing
international issues, example questions to ask candidates, and sample ‘Get Out the Vote’ flyers. As a collaborative initiative to make foreign policy matter in 2004, the guide showcases an array of national organizations that can provide interested students with resources to get involved in a number of foreign policy issue campaigns.

8. New Website Launch!! January 13, 2004

Africa Action’s new website with much more information, news, and ways to get involved will be launched on Tuesday, January 13, 2004! Please visit www.africaaction.org.

Africa Action National World AIDS Day of Action and Student Day of Silence

Africa Action’s World AIDS Day of Action was a success. We are growing in our impact and strength. To every participant or organizer of the wide range of creative and powerful events and demonstration, thank you for your efforts.

These actions were taken in solidarity with people around the world. The All Africa Student Union, one of our newest partners, held a rally with 5,000 students in Abuja on World AIDS Day. The Africa Action MOST WANTED posters were used as a part of that rally.

Below you will find information on all of our World AIDS Day events.

Atlanta, GA

To commemorate World AIDS Day Atlanta University Center (AUC) students joined a march and rally at Spelman, Morehouse, and Clark-Atlanta to condemn the Bush Administration's inaction on the HIV/AIDS crisis. The rally, which took place on the Clark- Atlanta promenade, ended the Day of Silence called by the schools to represent the 7,000 Africans who are needlessly silenced by HIV/AIDS each day. As part of the demonstration, students wore t-shirts with the local zip code '3-0-3-1- 4' to draw m attention to that fact that the AUC area has the highest HIV rate in the state of Georgia.

Boston, MA

Harvard University Students participated in our national day of silence, breaking their silence with at rally on the quad in the afternoon. With a backdrop of white tombstones, student representatives and physicians from Partners in Health spoke about the impact of the pandemic, US foreign policy failures, and the need for students to get involved in fighting the AIDS pandemic. The Associated Press, the Boston Herald, and the Harvard Crimson covered the rally.

For World AIDS Day, the MIT African Student Association and the Boston Pan African Forum sponsored a screening of the film, "A Closer Walk" to highlight the pandemic’s deadly impact in Africa. The film offered the opportunity to talk about the Bush administration’s failures to address this crucial issue. Proceeds from the event are being donated to organizations in Africa that care for AIDS orphans.

Bay Area, CA

The Priority Africa Network held a protest demonstration and press conference at the federal building in Oakland yesterday. Surrounded by 300 pairs of shoes to represent the 300 people who die everyday of AIDS in Africa, Congresswoman Barbara Lee spoke about the Bush administration's efforts to block increased funding for the AIDS pandemic in Africa and the need for the U.S. to do more.

Detroit, MI

The Michigan Coalition for Human Rights along with the Triangle Foundation and the International Institute hosted a premier of “A Closer Walk” in Detroit. The showing was followed by a “truth telling” guerilla theater performance that found Africa Action’s MOST WANTED responsible for their crimes. Rep. John Conyers was in attendance.

Houston, TX

The Houston Africa Action Coalition held a press conference with Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, Councilman Ada Edwards and other civic leaders to call on both the local and national government to address local and global HIV/AIDS crisis. The Africa’s Right to Health Resolution played an important role at the press conference, which was followed by a gospel choir concert with the city’s finest musicians.

Kentucky

Northern Kentucky University students organized a forum to commemorate World AIDS Day. The forum focused on the impact of the pandemic in Africa and across the globe and addressed the issue of stigma and discrimination. The University President headlined the event.

New York, NY

Braving the cold, Columbia University Global Justice and dozens of Washington, DC
Interfaith religious leaders held a demonstration in front of the Treasury building to deliver a letter from over a hundred clergy from around the country to President Bush and Secretary of Treasury Snow calling for “Bolder Action on AIDS and Debt”. The national office coordinated the action and press briefing that followed with Jubilee USA Network, Global Justice, Religious Action Center for Reform Judaism, and the General Board of Church and Society ~ The United Methodist Church. There was international and national, TV, radio, and print coverage of the demonstration and letter.

To link to the letters, click here: their supporters staged a rally on the main plaza of the university in New York City. More than fifty students attended to hear Salih Booker, executive director of Africa Action, who inaugurated a week of action by demanding that Pres. Bush keep his promise to fight AIDS in Africa. Hot chocolate and cider were passed out to students clad in red to show their support and solidarity for the fight against global AIDS. This important event kicked off a week of activities at Columbia University focused on the global HIV/AIDS crisis in Africa, the U.S. and globally.

University of California System

UC-Berkeley: Student government commemorated World AIDS Day by holding a teach-in about the global injustices that fuel the spread of the AIDS pandemic, particularly in Africa. The teach-in was attended by at least 60 students.

UC Santa Barbara: Led by the Black Student Union (BSU), students gagged themselves throughout the day, while other students pass out both prevention and political
information from booths in the center of campus. This just two weeks after members of the BSU held a “die-in” in the center of campus.

University of Wisconsin-Madison

At the University of Wisconsin-Madison, members of the Black Student Union and their allies observed a day silence in the morning which they broke with an energetic rally. 7,000 flags were planted on Bascomb Hill, the site of the rally, to represent the number of Africans dying each day of HIV/AIDS. Many students braved the cold to be a part of the demonstration and the HIV testing that took place in the Multicultural Student Center, where Hot 105.9 broadcast live throughout the afternoon. NBC 5 news in Madison featured this event on their evening broadcast, providing an opportunity for students involved to project their message to a wider audience. The event was also front page news in The Cardinal, UW-Madison's student newspaper, and was covered by the Wisconsin State Journal.

Student Days of Action or Days of Silence were also held at:
University of California Los Angeles
University of California Riverside
Texas Southern University
Richard Stockton College of New Jersey
San Diego State University
Oakton Community College

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