Justice Focus: HIV/AIDS

December 1, 2009

The Justice League has launched it’s 1 year justice calendar just in time for Christmas 2009!

Christmas is the season where we celebrate the birth of Jesus, mankind’s Saviour who entered human history as a baby. This remarkable narrative of Jesus’ birth is recorded in the Bible in Luke 2.

Stores have distracted us with decorated windows and gifts for sale but most have missed the world changing event of this Christmas season. Let’s focus back on celebrating Christ, who came to the world He created to seek and save the lost. Consider Isaiah 40:25-31.

December 1st is World Aids Day which draws together people from around the world to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS and demonstrate international unity against HIV/AIDS which has stolen so many lives. A red ribbon is worn on World AIDS Day as a sign of solidarity.

This December we are focusing on HIV/AIDS for our Justice League calendar Christmas issue. The image for this edition has dual meanings, there is Mary & Joseph, surrounding the child Jesus. The three wise men are represented in the background looking on with their gifts. There are three figures that represent the shepherds, who were not privileged people, but people who were often treated unequally. Christ came for all and we are celebrating his birth. And we find our Holy family in the intensive care unit of a hospital. Remembering that there are many effected by HIV/AIDS, babies, mothers, fathers, and brothers. HIV/AIDS is a killer. We need to be aware of it, educate and stop the spread of HIV. Look for health care solutions and remove the stigma of HIV/AIDS.

Check out the stats & facts, links and video resources. We are starting Prayerful Fridays. On each Friday of the month there will be a prayer resource made available online focusing on the justice issue of the month.

Justice League is a group that is raising awareness in our younger generation about global social justice issues, encouraging and supporting them to be people of justice with their actions and live their faith in prayer.

HIV & Aids? Are they the same?
No. When someone is described as living with HIV, they have the HIV virus in their body. A person is considered to have developed AIDS when the immune system is so weak it can no longer fight off a range of diseases with which it would normally cope.

I don’t know anyone with HIV…do I?
People with HIV generally look healthy and many do not find it easy to tell other people, so you may not realise if someone you know is HIV positive.

STATS & FACTS

• 1000 + children were newly infected with HIV world wide per day in 2008
• There are currently 33.2 million people living with HIV, according to 2007 figures released by the World Health Organization
• An estimated 2.5 million were newly infected with the virus and 2.1 million died of AIDS the same year

WEBSITES
Global Youth Coalition on AIDS
World Aids Campaign
Acting on AIDS
World Health Organisation
UNAIDS, uniting the world against AIDS
AIDS 2031.org
You Think! Aids resource

VIDEOS
Mother to Child
One Life
Youth Activists & Making A Difference

This post was submitted by Clintmeister.

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