God, AIDS, Africa & HOPE

Reflections / Gedanken

10/16/2012 • 8:15 am 1

Preparing for Europe

south africa

south africa (Photo credit: rafiq s)

 

 

As always this time of the year I am preparing to leave Cape Town and fly to Germany for an extended period of time. For four weeks I will travel to and between Munich, Frankfurt, Dresden, Berlin, Trier, but also Vienna and London and other cities. It is a very hectic schedule, but I try to bundle as much as possible into my agenda to make the long flight worthwhile and to use the time as efficient as possible. The HOPE Gala in Dresden will be the highlight of the trip, followed by the Festive AIDS Gala in Berlin. But besides all glamor the trip is about HOPE Cape Town and about people. It is also about being an ambassador for the situation in South Africa. We are going through a tough time here in country – mine strikes, burning trucks, strikers killing people who want to work; all the news about violence and intimidation is surely not good news and paints a rather grim picture of South African society. In fights within the ANC, the ruling party, but also corruption, wildcat strikes, violence, high unemployment and the lack of political leadership brings the country to the brink of chaos and unlawfulness. It feels a bit like the wild west when watching the news. But as always there are also rays of hope and a great potential. All this makes it even more important that the relationship between South Africa and European countries is strong and based on honest and correct information, which in return fosters the means to support the new South Africa in a beneficial way. I hope that my travel contributes not only to the well-being to HOPE Cape Town Association& Trust but also gives a bit towards a better future for this beloved country.

 

 

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

10/07/2012 • 8:43 am Comments Off on Significant Court Case in Canada relating to disclosure

Significant Court Case in Canada relating to disclosure

English: Statue of Justicia (Justice), by Walt...The Supreme Court of Canada ruled that people living with HIV do not need to disclose their status to partners before intercourse, provided they have a low viral load and a condom is used. The decision, issued early October, addresses two cases heard by the court in February 2012 regarding a 1998 ruling concluding that people living with HIV who fail to

their HIV status to sex partners can be charged with aggravated sexual assault. Prosecutors from the two provinces where the cases originated, Manitoba and Quebec, petitioned the court to rule that all HIV-positive people should be legally compelled to tell their sex partners, regardless of the risk reduction associated with condom use and effective HIV treatment. The court disagreed with the prosecution. To read more about the case go here.

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Filed under: HIV and AIDS, HIV Prevention, Politics and Society, Society and living environment, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , ,

09/30/2012 • 12:08 pm Comments Off on Change of blog title

Change of blog title

The reader will note that I have changed the blog title slightly. Naturally one has some thoughts about it, but I feel that all the words, this blog title includes make out big parts of my life.

GOD – having chosen the priesthood I guess everybody can assume that there is a connection and that I indeed believe that there is more to this world than we can see or hear or feel. Whether we get it always right in the church how we see, proclaim this last point of reference of our whole universe is another question. I am sure we can do much better and I am willing to try very hard to contribute to this.

AIDS – well, out of the blue this pandemic jumped into my life while visiting Tygerberg Children’s Hospital in 1998 and since then my name is associated with Aids activism here in Cape Town, but also within parts of the church.

AFRICA – a continent I heard about conscientiously when we were told not to buy goods from South Africa. “Don’t buy fruits from South Africa” was the slogan I also chanted as a youngster. Apartheid was a funny concept to me; growing up in a town where black people where rich people. Why? Because I lived close to one of the biggest US American Airbases in Germany and the “dollar” was still worth its money. During school and study I never could have imagined to live on this continent, let alone at the very bottom far away from home. Times have changed and Africa is in my heart and in my blood.

HOPE – well, not only HOPE Cape Town is part of my fabric of life, the meaning of the word was always important for me. I could not live without this feeling and longing for the better. I refuse to give up hope – and for me it is more than a feeling. I know that you have to reach out to the stars to get the utmost out of your life. Hope means always thinking outside the box with the certainty that there is always that “little more” to achieve and to get done.

Our lives have become so divers and blogging is a way of communicating this diversity and to connect and reach out without the limitation of national borders. Social media are indeed a force to recon with, but I am aware that we have still to learn as people how to make the best use of it. It’s like with all new inventions and developments; one has to learn to master them in a way beneficial to all.

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Filed under: General, Networking, Politics and Society, Reflection, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , , , ,

09/29/2012 • 9:39 pm Comments Off on A bit of spring cleaning…

A bit of spring cleaning…

Just a little bit of spring cleaning for the blog, here and there some changes and off we go – ready for all what will come in the coming month. Marikana and all the other strikes indicate that South Africa is going into a rough time – also thanks to Zuma, Malema and the question who gets the top at the ANC conference.

We must take good care not to lose it – that 3000 illegal striking people with partly new weapons (watch the footage) stop 21000 other people willing to work – and that all outside the unions – shows what potential for trouble we have. Stoning and killing people who want to work, endangering lives like now in Gauteng with the truck driver are alarm bells for our society.
It time for our politicians and those in power to stop to look for themselves and their families and clans but deliver to those in need. Just not only pay lip services but mean their Sunday sermons. Crime rate, corruption, unemployment, a rotting health deliver in parts of the country despite new buildings – its time that everybody does their spring cleaning and start afresh.

South Africa has so many possibilities – lets work together to create a future for all. Everybody in his or her environment. And please, for the bigger part no apartheid excuses anymore – the rainbow nations is full of South Africans, right?

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09/25/2012 • 9:21 am Comments Off on Only Southern Africa?

Only Southern Africa?

There is a perception that Southern Africa is the only hot spot of the HIV/AIDS pandemic.  But Eastern Europe and Central Asia have the world’s fastest-growing HIV epidemic according to the World Health Organization. It is said the epidemic there is concentrated mostly among injection drug users. Experts blame punitive drug policies, discrimination and trouble accessing treatment. They say the situation will not be contained until local governments affected by the epidemic change their AIDS policies. To read more click here.

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

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