God, AIDS, Africa & HOPE

Reflections / Gedanken

10/10/2010 • 10:31 pm Comments Off on POZ Magazine:Global Fund Gets $11.7 Billion, Fails to Meet Its Goals

POZ Magazine:Global Fund Gets $11.7 Billion, Fails to Meet Its Goals

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria raised only $11.7 billion of its $20 billion goal, The New York Times reports. The fund also didn’t reach its lowest funding goal of $13 billion, the amount needed to continue only its current programs. The United States, the largest contributor to the fund, pledged $4 billion, a 38 percent increase over last year. However, some AIDS activists have said the U.S. pledge isn’t enough. For the fund to meet its goals, all countries would have had to double their donations. Michel Kazatchkine, MD, executive director of the fund, said no one currently on treatment it provides will be cut off, but other targets will be lowered for the next few years.

To read the Times article, click here

Source:   http://www.poz.com/rssredir/articles/The_Global_Fund_1_19216.shtml

Filed under: General, HIV and AIDS, Politics and Society,

10/03/2010 • 4:41 pm Comments Off on 03.10.2010 Sunday afternoon

03.10.2010 Sunday afternoon

Sunday afternoon – and my last service as a supply priest for Belhar. I must admit that I have enjoyed going there the last Sundays and to experience one of the South African parishes – so different from the once in Germany. The question I have in mind is: how can the church remain relevant for the people in the next 20 years. Eying to Europe one can see how societies and with it churches develop and I am convinced that one can learn to prevent some of the “European developments’ for the local church.

Besides the church work, there will be also a decision on the future of the POZ initiative catering for priests and religious who are themselves HIV positive. After the Southern African Bishop’s Conference can in the moment not see any need to set up a special offer for those infected working in the church, there are consultations to see how one can overcome obstacles and offer a pastoral service, the members of the working group believe is necessary and essential. Turning stigma into a blessing is important and combined with a process of healing and self acceptance it would be an important service the church could offer their own employees. But of course it is a sensitive field and I feel that we have to do more convincing to get those responsible in the church hierarchy on board.

The coming week will see not only trips to Durban and Johannesburg, but also visitors connected to the Romantic Hotel Group in Europe, the farewell for Rainer, who will find his final resting place here in Cape Town, meetings for the HOPE Cape Town Trust and HOPE Cape Town Association and as usual lots for preparation work for all things lying ahead.

Filed under: General, HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, Reflection, Uncategorized, , , ,

09/30/2010 • 1:00 pm Comments Off on 30.09.2010 Diversity

30.09.2010 Diversity

Diversity has always driven my life, and also this week it is not different:

The death of Fr Roland continues to give reason for many talks about life and death, but also normal life is going on: The new HOPE Cape Town feature is ready now for post production and tomorrow I will sit with the chairperson to see the footage and to decide on the “red line” for the feature.
Premier Seehofer from Bavaria together with Premier Zille and Mayor Plato plus a delegation met in Kalksteenfontain to hear from NGO’s connected with Bavaria what they are doing here in the Western Cape. It was an interesting gathering and it is always also good for the NGO’s to see that they have neighbours they could relate too. But I guess it is also important for the politicians to see what is happening on the ground.And it is good to see the partnership between the Western Cape and Bavaria so lively; it is good to meet the same people again and again to  know that we are indeed on the same page in developing this partnership.

Senior staff meeting, a preparation meeting for a farewell next week, dinner with friends and a meeting with the Archbishop of Cape Town – never a dull moment and all is important – but I guess the most important part is really the meeting of hearts and minds, the exchange of ideas and the openness for a frank discussion, where everybody is listening to everybody. This human aspect of a business meeting becomes for me more and more important, because it is the base for good cooperation and a successful development in whatever stands on the agenda.

Next week will see me again in Johannesburg for 1,5 days and then directly afterward to Durban for the same amount of time. And then it is not far before I am leaving for Europe again with lots of meetings and talks – my last big travel for this year. Such travel needs lots of preparation, not only logistic but also the contents of what I want to bring over to my audiences and meeting partners must be well prepared.  3/4 of the year is gone – I am looking forward to the rest of the year and I know I will meet exciting people, new ideas and enough food for thoughts for the years to come.

Filed under: General, HIV and AIDS, HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, Networking, Politics and Society, Reflection, , , , , , , ,

09/25/2010 • 10:14 pm Comments Off on Epistle 2010-25…

Epistle 2010-25…

…. and it reads: “Father Roland P.  died this afternoon at 3h45 at the Durbanville Medi-Clinic. His requiem Mass will be celebrated at….”

Pictures surface in my mind: the small talk with him during the opening of the Bavarian House during the soccer world cup. His smile which made you think twice whether he was serious or joking, a brilliant mind.. and.. and .. and.

A life is gone, a life came to an end and sitting in the evening in a restaurant with a friend having dinner, the question arose: Is that all what is left from him? Memories? Memories in those who have known him and which will definitely fade away in the then following generation…
A life is gone, a whole world is gone, because Roland was, like everybody else, unique: The way he experienced things will be gone for ever, and with it, everything he experienced: the first rain, the first steps, the first love, the way he worked as a priest and so much more. Gone for ever or taken up into heaven? What kind of heaven? Heaven with eternal praise or eternal love? Should not a priest know this best?

Not sure, but sure I feel somehow somber in this moment and my thoughts are with his family and with himself. It is like his death is touching my life for a while, slowing it down, commemorating it, and also questioning everything what I am doing and how I am living.

Yes, what is the meaning of life? Where do we come from, where do we go to? Philosophical question and very theoretical normally they are suddenly so vivid and alive. But is it really important to know where we will go when we die?  Not even sure about this – but what I know very much so: That I have to live my life as long as I can, that I have only one chance in life to live it to the fullest. And surely: That I don’t know when I will be called to higher services, it has an urgency to live, and to live it as complete and fulfilling as one can. And that means also to accept all grey shadows of life.
I said Mass this evening in Belhar for him and I am grateful for all the  moments, we shared when our ways crossed in the last years.  RIP we Christian say, but I would love to change it: Live in peace where ever you are now and thanks for being a reminder even in your death, how valuable my own lifetime is. I knew it, I know it, but still I need a reminder from time to time.

Filed under: General, Reflection, Uncategorized, , , ,

09/21/2010 • 11:26 pm Comments Off on 21.09.2010 Travel

21.09.2010 Travel

I traveled a lot this year, Europe and within South Africa – and I am just preparing for the next travels which will bring first to Durban and Johannesburg and in October/November to Europe before in December Johannesburg is again on the agenda.
I am always amazed to hear after my return: “How was your holiday”. It seems that many people connecting travel still only with holidays and it seems that being sometimes exhausted and feeling tired after arriving home is not an option. 🙂
I do enjoy traveling on one hand, but on the other hand it is meanwhile no fun anymore to spend so much time at airports with all the changing security measures. I love to meet new people but on the other hand it is indeed sometimes difficult to connect every day with new people in another city. Maybe one feels the “ying” and ‘yang” of traveling more when one grows older.
But what I still have maintained  is this curiosity to learn when on travel, to be curious about new situations and to draw conclusions for my own life when confronted with new traditions or habits. Travel makes life so much richer and that is worth every effort.

Filed under: General, Networking,

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