God, AIDS, Africa & HOPE

Reflections / Gedanken

04/16/2011 • 7:14 pm Comments Off on 24 hours to go

24 hours to go

Slowly but surely this week comes to an end. A week still filled with the last preparation, especially mental preparation. I try to strive up all the daily routines, I try to avoid all the unnecessary, what has still to be clarified and now concentrate on what is ahead of me. The reading in the plenary room of the Bavarian Parliament lies behind me; this was a challenge in its own right but at the end also a very supportive event. The preparations for the BUGA event in October were done yesterday.

The closer I come to the flight to Vancouver,the more I understand the challenge lying ahead of me and I am aware that I can only succeed if I can let go the routine of my life and see this time ahead also as a chance to discover myself again. It is amazing for me to experience that even in this global village  where everything seems so close by, there is still room for a feeling of exploration and discovery – a feeling of curiosity – a feeling of leaving safe and calm waters to reach for the unknown…

It feels good and scary at the same time to feel that there is indeed in my so predictable world still room for a new departure – meaningful and full of possibilities. And moving the world in the way intended means at the end also moving myself into a new direction – I am thrilled to see what the person looks like, besides all new knowledge about HIV and AIDS in the world, who will appear at the end of the expedition…. “Move the world”, the World AIDS Awareness Expedition will be more than an adventure or a fact finding mission or a fundraising event, it will also be a spiritual journey in its own right.

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

04/12/2011 • 8:50 am Comments Off on Drug wars, guerrilla fights, terror, revolution and a nuclear catastrophe

Drug wars, guerrilla fights, terror, revolution and a nuclear catastrophe

Move the world means also making a detour

That is not how we did imagine it: We introduced the theme of our expedition for 2011 „move the world“ – but never imagined that people take this literally in many parts of the world.
The constant flow of new crisis areas is forcing us to reorganise the route of our tour. The imaginary „W“-route  (standing for world) which we wanted to follow received some cracks, but that is life We want to safe lives by doing our awareness expedition, but not put at risk unnecessary our lives.

In the moment we are really sometimes don’t know where to start with reorganisation. And it affects not only Arabic countries. One example is Mexico: A travel warning was issued while there is an ongoing drug war. Or Colombia: When we started planning, it was an easy job. But now it seems FARC and drug cartels restarting their fight against the government. In Ecuador we will arrive on the day of a referendum regarding the new constitution – unrest and violence is expected and there is a ban on gatherings.  So how about gathering for a „Round Table“?
Regarding the Americas we have no chance but to get through, partly with the assistance of police and military.

And have a look to the top of Africa. We had to skip Tunisia and Algeria for the danger of being abducted during route through the West-Saharan countries. We now go via Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso and Nigeria knowing of the risk of Al Quaida and various militias. How the situation is in Sudan and Egypt when we arrive there nobody knows. Add Jordanian and Syria – lots of open question marks in the moment.

Well, last but not least the disaster in Japan. We were aimed to go from Vladivostok to South Korea and then continue flying to Australia. In the moment it will only remain a plan. Experts speak about the risk of more radiation in the area – so there is the only solution to plan and to hope for the best.

So at the end we will go with plan A, plan B and sometimes plan C in the pocket – what this means for the logistics you can only imagine. New visa applications and the organisation of new „Round Tables“are keeping us busy

At the end, we pan and will see how it works out – a sort of excitement we don’t really need seeing all the usual commotions planning such a tour.

Why take we on this challenge?
The answer is simple: We know that moving the world is a huge task and we can’t run away when the first difficulties arise. 1.8 million people have died as the consequence of HIV and AIDS in 2009, 14 millions kids have no parents in Southern Africa due to the pandemic. 33 million people carry the HI virus. That is simply not acceptable. So we will return to the drawing tables as many times as we have to do to change the route, always having our aim in front of our eyes.

We keep you informed…

Filed under: Uncategorized, , ,

04/06/2011 • 1:04 pm Comments Off on another one joining the cause…

another one joining the cause…

The second South African I know of joining in to move the world: ca. 4 555 998 people worldwide are still missing – you can be the next bringing this number down and the support up:

If you want to donate your 1 Euro or the equivalent of ZAR 10:

EFT

HOPE Cape Town
Standard Bank – Cape Town Branch
Acc 0706 15551
Reference: movetheworld

Or send in an envelope:
HOPE Cape Town
P.O.Box 19145
Tygerberg
7505
South Africa

In Germany: visit www.waae.de and either donate via sms or in another of the many available forms of donating.

Thanks for making a difference in the lives of many people!

Filed under: Uncategorized, ,

04/02/2011 • 4:06 pm Comments Off on world expedition calling

world expedition calling

Time is running fast and my departure for Germany is coming closer with every day. “Are you excited to go on such a trip?” I am asked many times – and the answer is in the moment: “no, I am not”. There is still so much to do in the days remaining that the feeling of excitement is surely coming to short. I am rather curious looking at the expedition: I am really fit enough to go through all the stress which the expedition will put on me? Am I mentally prepared for all I will experience in the weeks to come? Can I contribute enough to the group of activists? These are the questions rather coming to mind and a deep respect for the challenges lying ahead.
Yes, we want to move the world as a team and we are willing to give the utmost to achieve that – but does the world want to be moved? Or is it not rather the case that people are tired of being moved and only want to stay in their more or less comfortable corner of life wishing for less movement and more quietness.

Being alive means to develop, to move on, to be moved, to be moved by others, to let go and to start anew every day again. One thing is for sure: I will be moved by what lies ahead of me and I will be a different person after the challenge. I only hope that my move will give others the opportunity in the net of human relationships to also change their positions – and then, we indeed have moved the world and the people.  And yes, this idea excites me indeed.

Filed under: Networking, Reflection,

03/22/2011 • 3:10 pm Comments Off on Move the world…

Move the world…

Move the world 🙂

Filed under: HIV and AIDS, HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, Networking, , ,

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