God, AIDS, Africa & HOPE

Reflections / Gedanken

12/29/2012 • 11:19 pm Comments Off on Lucky I

Lucky I

End of the year is always a time to look back on one’s life, achievements and failures and the big question is whether with age also some more wisdom came to the surface.
Everybody must do this review for himself – for me, looking back I can only say: Lucky I or better I was blessed.
It was a tough year but I am still alive, lots of failures during the year, but I am still standing on two feet and feel growth, lots of great moments and still hungry for life, lots of love and I am very grateful for this.

The small moments made this year so valuable, the intimate moments with friends sharing life in a way one normally would not trust to do. The duties and services done and being able to touch the lives of other people. The sermons being not a one way road but begin of a meaningful discussion. HOPE Cape Town with all the great people working for and with the organization – even if there were tough moments to find a way forward serving those infected and affected by the pandemic. My contacts with sponsors and donors in South Africa and Germany, the HOPE Gala in Dresden, the Ball of HOPE in Cape Town and the invite to join the German AIDS Foundation in Berlin for the Festliche AIDS Gala.

Being able to speak to students, address groups, NGO’s , church communities and other entities – be it on land or on a cruise ship – it all made my life much more lively and beautiful. Meeting delegations, politicians, students, tourists – all interested in the work we are doing here in Cape Town – how good it is always being challenged by good questions and the interest in knowing it all.

Well, so at the end of the year I feel blessed with all the family, friends, supporters and even those struggling with me as they are needed to keep the boat of life going in the right direction. Thanks for all the good and the challenges and I am looking forward to a great 2013 with lots of all shades life has to offer. Knowing that at the end all comes together in what we Christians are calling God and who is named differently depending on each believe system – I am not afraid of what lies ahead.

How about u?

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Filed under: General, HOPE Cape Town Association, Networking, Reflection, , , , , , , , ,

12/20/2012 • 6:57 pm Comments Off on Compliments of the Season

Compliments of the Season

It’s never too early: I am taking this opportunity to thank everyone who made 2012 a fabulous year…
Hoping 2013 will be a blessed and best one for all of us – Somebody shout Amen!

For all those I’ve made promises to and never kept – Ek is baie jammer, it was not intentional but I will do better in 2013.

Those that I owe lunches, kisses, dates, etc. eish, I’ll do my best to fulfil.

 For those that have supported me and made me smile through all my hardships… I truly appreciate you – May God bless you!

For those I’ve disagreed with, argued with and just never got along with…… well, 2013 is another year, pasop!

Those that I’ve hurt… unintentionally/intentionally… I’ve probably apologized – “I’m Sorry” again…

For those that stuck a knife in my back… oppas, ek het ‘n gun gekry…. Nah, relax… 4giveness is the best revenge!!! 

For those that have let me down… DANKIE….’twas just another stepping stone closer to my destiny!!!    

To all my real friends … I bought us some superglue

But all in all, you have made 2012 a great year; I wish you and your loved ones prosperity, good health, wealth, happiness, greener pastures, abundant blessings…and a  Wonderful Festive Season

May 2013 be the year you achieve wonderful things and grow in maturity and wisdom..

Blessings & Peace

 Fr Stefan

Now @ sea till mid January

Now @ sea till mid January

Filed under: Catholic Church, Center of Healing, General, HIV and AIDS, HIV Prevention, HIV Treatment, HOPE Cape Town Association, HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, HOPE Cape Town Trust, HOPE Gala Dresden, Medical and Research, Networking, Politics and Society, Reflection, Religion and Ethics, SA-German Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Society and living environment, Uncategorized, , , , , , ,

11/30/2012 • 7:01 pm 1

 

This official words I found on another blog – noble words of an US American president.. let’s see the action to follow

 

D Gregory Smith's avatarFrom Eternity To Here

WORLD AIDS DAY, 2012

– – – – – – –

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A PROCLAMATION

On World AIDS Day, more than 30 years after the first cases of this tragic illness were reported, we join the global community once more in standing with the millions of people who live with HIV/AIDS worldwide. We also recommit to preventing the spread of this disease, fighting the stigma associated with infection, and ending this pandemic once and for all.

In 2010, my Administration released the National HIV/AIDS Strategy, our Nation’s first comprehensive plan to fight the domestic epidemic. The Strategy aims to reduce new infections, increase access to care, reduce health disparities, and achieve a more coordinated national response to HIV/AIDS here in the United States. To meet these goals, we are advancing HIV/AIDS education; connecting stakeholders throughout the public, private, and non-profit sectors; and investing…

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Filed under: HIV and AIDS, HIV Prevention, Medical and Research, Networking, Politics and Society, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , ,

11/27/2012 • 8:29 pm 5

World AIDS Day around the corner

Once again it is short before World AIDS Day and as usual on such a day and before, the media and the politicians have their say about success and failures of HIV and AIDS treatment, prevention work, vaccine studies and all the rest. Once a year the world is made aware of the syndrome killing still scores of people and triggering despair, tears, hopelessness, desperation but also a willingness to fight and not to give up. Have we done enough in the time since the last World AIDS Day? Has research been successful in coming closer to a vaccine? Have fewer people been exposed to the virus? Is there more prevention willingness and treatment options in the global village? Well, according to UNAIDS yes, we have done major steps in the right direction, but we also know how close we are to fail millions of people because of lack of funding. The economic meltdown, the financial crisis, the Euro battle captures our minds and hearts and I wish one would worry as much about those suffering from HIV or TB or Malaria or any other of theses for poor people mostly life threatening diseases. While the USA and other Countries spend millions and millions a day for the war in Afghanistan or undercover in Syria or elsewhere research and the good thing s for live have still to struggle for funding. The world has indeed not learned the lesson of holding up the dignity of people, instead it pays for the destruction of land, people and material goods.

While I appreciate the progress and worry about the still high numbers of non-treated people and new infections, I cannot be silent about the injustice which is reflected in the battle against HIV and AIDS. And this pandemic is only an example that we are as human mankind still far away from getting the values right we proudly proclaim in our national constitutions: that life and dignity is to be protected at all times and all costs as it is the highest value we have.

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Filed under: General, HIV and AIDS, HIV Prevention, HIV Treatment, Medical and Research, Networking, Politics and Society, Reflection, Religion and Ethics, Society and living environment, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

11/12/2012 • 5:01 pm Comments Off on Culture and language

Culture and language

Township Blue

Township Blue (Photo credit: Joseph A Ferris III)

Traveling through some European countries again I sometimes reflect on the distances between people’s understanding and imagination. Townships and life conditions of most South Africans are known to many in Germany only via TV, a view protected by glass and the possibility to switch it off when it comes to close. How does one bring the real colors, the smell, the atmosphere from one continent to the other?

Also the question of realities and how I name them is different and having the same vocabulary does not mean to understand each other. This is true when talking about people from different life environments, but even within my own circles I often experience that words can have so many different meanings and create so many different associations. What very often irritates me is that words are connected with judgement, with “good or bad” feelings, with “white or black” . The older I get the more I get irritated when descriptions are perceived as judgements and how often people take things much more personal than they are meant to be.

I guess, this all is important to reflect when traveling the world to bring people together and let them join hands, who are far away and maybe even never meet, but hear about each other. But this also important to reflect when working in international teams where people from different cultures and languages are working together. Also HOPE Cape Town has this kind of challenges, bringing together different South African cultures and adding the European spice. Quite a mixture, but I believe in diversity and I am sure that this challenge is also an asset because it forces us again and again to listen to each other and to learn from each other. A lifelong and never-ending learning curve – and at the same time a motor for development into the future.

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

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