November
is Red Ribbon Month. Over the 20 year period during
which the HIV/AIDS epidemic has taken hold of communities
all over the world, this symbol of the scarlet loop
has come to mean many things to many people, but to
far too many, it still means very little. For those
who have lost loved ones to AIDS or who are HIV-positive
themselves, it is both a painful reminder of illness
and death, as well as a catalyst for activism and transformation
in the lives of the living. For some it signifies a
warning, either of the fear born of loneliness and stigma,
or of the need for awareness to live and love safely.
However, for others, who remain distant from and dismissive
of the struggle it represents, it is irrelevant and
dreary.
As free individuals, we each have the right to hold
our own perspective on the ribbon's message; but with
the current magnitude of the epidemic in our own sub-continent
of Africa, and the "Next Wave" rising to engulf
Russia, India and China, one thing is certain: no-one
in the world can continue to ignore HIV/AIDS. The Red
Ribbon will endure as long as this disease syndrome
scythes its way through our homes and hearts, and its
message is nothing less than a call to arms.
Despite the stats, the sagas and the stalling, we have
an arsenal of weapons against HIV/AIDS, and we can devise
a powerful battle plan. We have gathered much knowledge
about the tactics and targets of the HI-Virus, and using
this intelligence, we can deploy both modern science
and ancient wisdom to develop effective healing methods
and products. As rapid as the spread of the HI-Virus
may be, we have, by virtue of ever-advancing information
and transportation technology, the means to spread accurate
information about HIV and AIDS far and wide. However,
what we need most of all now is the ultimate weapon
- masses of troops of human beings equipped with the
super-power of unconditional love, a compassion that
knows no barriers and overcomes all obstacles, and the
unfaltering courage to fight on.
As the global HIV/AIDS epidemic obligates us to close
ranks and act decisively, the Red Ribbon is the badge
of One Human Family, one we should honour through remembrance
and relationship. It should not be a branding for "untouchables",
but a symbol of empathic recognition. The colour red
should remind and recharge us, and the loop should bind
our fragmented societies to respond with the strength
of unity. As the Sufi writer Ibn Hazim put it: "Love
is an incurable disease - no-one who catches it wants
to recover, and all its victims refuse a cure."
If love and the spirit of ubuntu are the best vaccine
for HIV, what can you do this month to acknowledge,
protect and comfort someone facing its effects?
Do you have
an opinion about these views? HIVAN welcomes yours,
and invites you to send your thoughts to our Webmaster
at webmaster@hivan.org.za
for publication on this site, or alternatively to participate
in our Discussion Boards by clicking here www.hivan.org.za/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi
November
is Red Ribbon Month. Over the 20 year period during
which the HIV/AIDS epidemic has taken hold of communities
all over the world, this symbol of the scarlet loop
has come to mean many things to many people, but to
far too many, it still means very little. For those
who have lost loved ones to AIDS or who are HIV-positive
themselves, it is both a painful reminder of illness
and death, as well as a catalyst for activism and transformation
in the lives of the living. For some it signifies a
warning, either of the fear born of loneliness and stigma,
or of the need for awareness to live and love safely.
However, for others, who remain distant from and dismissive
of the struggle it represents, it is irrelevant and
dreary.