Canada: 16th International Conference on AIDS

Posted August 9, 2006 in News

As well as the reported United Nations conference in New York, another conference is scheduled for 13-18 August 2006 in Toronto, according to Ekklesia. "Faith-based participants at this, the world's largest HIV/AIDS conference, intend to examine how they will deliver on their promises - and they will also challenge government and other players to keep their promises through ecumenical and inter-faith pre-conferences." The pre-conferences are taking place from 10-12 August. and over 500 faith-based participants will hear and discuss central challenges to their response to HIV and AIDS, including working with the most marginalized people living with HIV, cooperating with multilateral and civil society organizations and networks, and fulfilling the promises faith groups have made in response to AIDS.

Skills-building workshops will also help participants to share best practices and to strengthen effective responses in grassroots action and advocacy.

AIDS 2006 comes on the heels of a major UN review of government responses to AIDS in New York in May and the G8 meeting in St Petersburg in July, both of which deeply disappointed many faith-based organizations and other civil society actors for the lack of follow-up on previous commitments and avoidance of setting clear targets for action.

During AIDS 2006, faith-based representatives will join over 20,000 other participants from the academic, scientific and medical communities; corporations; policy-makers from governmental and intergovernmental organizations; national and international non-governmental organizations and movements; and positive people's networks.

Source: Ekklesia

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