God, AIDS, Africa & HOPE

Reflections / Gedanken

01/27/2015 • 11:04 pm Comments Off on Leaving Rio de Janeiro

Leaving Rio de Janeiro

Wow, what for a city and after Salvador da Bahia and other Brazilian places one gets really in the mood of Samba and a seemingly easy lifestyle. The visit in the first favela settlement on the mountain of “providencia” in Rio reminded us going into the “slum” that life conditions can be harsh. Like everywhere broken promises of politicians, false or disappointed hopes of a better life and an unbelievable strong sense for religion partnering the life of those at the margins of society. And amazing for me as a priest the combination of old African religion and Christianity – syncretism in the highest form but seemingly tolerated in society or at least ignored by those preaching the gospel in various official churches as we know them around the world. A real rainbow nation and if South Africa can learn from Brazil as a BRICS country then it is to live and let live the different cultures and traditions in a way worth a rainbow nation. And on the HIV/AIDS front Brazil learned quick that antiretrovirals are the better option than the African potato and that a network of care and the production and service delivery for all affected and infected including proper medication is a must. Of course, there are also similarities – time management, improvisation on the highest level with often a good result, crime in various cities, corruption on all levels of society, a brutal gap between rich and poor – there is room for joined ventures which would benefit both countries. For me the visit was a real enrichment – the various encounters will stay with me and I know already that this will not be the last visit in this huge country. Travelling the world means to learn a lot – but often there is nobody home who wants to listen to what one has experienced. We are all to busy with our own affairs. How much do I wish that all would have the opportunity to see what I have seen alone in the last 7 days. But that remains a dream – but with social media like Facebook and others one can at least share a glimpse of the colourful reality of the world around us and take this as a starting point for more attentive discussion how other countries manage their affairs and how we in South Africa can benefit from it.

Filed under: General, Politics and Society, Reflection, Society and living environment, , , , , , , , , , , ,

08/19/2012 • 12:17 pm Comments Off on What has it really brought… the conference???

What has it really brought… the conference???

Being back in South Africa and back at my working desk and in my working environment the question remains and I am often asked: What has it really brought to go for 48 hours on flights with 18 hours stop over to attend a conference with more than 20.000 people I don’t know and which comes together for 5 days from all over the world.

First of all: I guess, I will take the shorter flight – only looking to save some hundred bugs does not do the trick and flying from the USA via Europe forwards and backwards is a pain in the neck. On the other hand it had the chance to get used to the new environment.. well.. somehow… 🙂
And even being with such a crowd together: I met people I know, even Prof Cotton from the own HOPE Cape Town Association board was queuing with me on the first day to get into the lecture hall passing the tight security. So it was not that lonely. But despite Washington not being very much involved into the conference, the conference remains a beacon of inspiration. I met so many people from so many angle of lives: I spoke to Thai transvestite and escorts, Russian gay activists fearing for the future of an open society, women from Asia, Africa, South America, HIV positive themselves or affected by the pandemic and all that spirit of keeping the fight going, battling against the odds, not giving up against politicians who don’t want to listen, societies, so traditional that one can’t even mention sexual words in public – it was inspiring. Talking to sex workers about their work experience, drug users who escaped somehow the tight visa control of the USA and made it to the conference, priests who are also doctors in the fields of HIV and AIDS – so many faces are still alive in my mind and in my heart and in my soul.

So, yes, even after some time it remains good to have been in Washington, also for my own well-being as an activist, as a priest realising again in all those encounters how important it is to fight on. To keep the fire burning, also in the very own church. Once again I was reminded what great organisation the Catholic church is when it comes to care, but also how disastrous the moral theology can be at times, putting lives in danger to say the least. The church as the community of saints and sinners were very close to me in Washington – and I could associate with both parts of it. 🙂

I will have meetings now in September with some of the folks I met in Washington and then I will see what in practical terms will come out of the conference for HOPE Cape Town Association and Trust – besides all the new material I could collect and bring with to South Africa. And I am confident that at the end the travel was beneficial to all concerned – as a Rotary saying says.

Filed under: General, HIV and AIDS, HIV Prevention, HIV Treatment, HOPE Cape Town Association & Trust, HOPE Cape Town Trust, Medical and Research, Networking, Politics and Society, Reflection, Society and living environment, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

08/04/2012 • 4:22 am Comments Off on What Harry Potter can teach us…

What Harry Potter can teach us…

I visited the Island of Adventures – Universal Studios in Orlando today and I was amazed to see how loads of people visited the Harry Potter exhibition with an amazing ride and all kinds of displays.

An idea, some years ago not heard of; an idea, somebody – not known to the public –  had in her mind, developed, believed in it, put it into the reality of a book and millions of people worldwide know by now the adventures of Harry Potter and his friends, his battles with the dark side of life. Millions have found comfort in fleeing reality in the moments of reading, of watching the movies or even now enjoying the Harry Potter ride in Orlando.
We can ignore the criticism and worries of some right-wing Christians about the magical aspect of the stories. They simply don’t get the point. The point I want to make is very simple:

Should this not be a very good lesson that the thoughts of one person, an idea, a fantasy becomes part of reality in the lives of so many people. And not in history far away but in our times. Seeing all those people queuing for the ride, the excitement of kids – somehow it was an encouragement that one person without political or hierarchical  power can make the world as such more colorful, fill it with more fantasies, with longing for another world full of magic but still reflecting the harsh reality we all face every day in our daily living.

Not everybody can bring his or her thoughts on paper and into book form… but there are other possibilities. Harry Potter as an encouragement for everybody, that we are called and able to contribute to the well-being and development of this world in our circles and in a wider sense. I wish for this creativity also in the fields of HIV and AIDS and all those plaques bringing mayhem to mankind.

And by the way: I loved that specific ride: it combines the newest technology and stimulates all senses.. – it creates a new dimension of reality and somehow it reminded me, that creation is ongoing… Too far-fetched?

Filed under: General, HIV and AIDS, Networking, Reflection, Society and living environment, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

07/20/2012 • 8:52 pm Comments Off on On my way to Washington

On my way to Washington

Since a long time the a major AIDS conference will take place in the USA again. Not that the Americans pulled out of the dealing with HIV, but their restrictive policy in making it difficult or impossible to welcome people living with the virus made the country unsuitable for any AIDS related conference in the last years. It shows that God’s nation on earth needed quite some time to understand how stupid and contra-productive it was to challenge HIV and AIDS with useless immigration laws. And this does not only counts for immigration. It becomes clearer and clearer that legal measures often are unjustified and hamper the efforts to combat the disease or turn around the tide. Let’s hope that during or in the aftermath of the conference more countries realise that they increase the risk of HIV instead of bringing it down when taking so-called preventative legal measures or trying to root out HIV with the penal code.  Only when people are able to receive a test result without the fear of discrimination, not only from fellow neighbors but also from states and countries, when they are allowed to enjoy the same freedom of travel like everybody else we will be a step closer to turning the tight of the pandemic. Let’s work hard to achieve this goal and start today.

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

07/06/2012 • 6:04 pm Comments Off on No time to rest…

No time to rest…

It is amazing – after 24 hours at airports and in the air back in South Africa and it takes not even minutes to receive the first phone call. How do they know that one is back in the country, just switching on the cell? This week is occupied a lot from work with HOPE Cape Town. The transition phase is ongoing but I get the feel that we are getting there. The website need an update and all the news about the new cooperation with the University of Applied Sciences Neu-Ulm must be beamed up. We started research in the fields of E-learning: How do our people learn best? With paper documents, computers or handheld devices? A 6 months study will hopefully tell us more about it.
But it was great to see the enthusiasm of the students and lectures from Neu-Ulm coming to Cape Town for a week of extensive work. And it was good for our HOPE Community Health worker to see how networking is functioning and how important it is to learn from each other.
Other meetings with fellow priests and friends complemented the week and there was also a second meeting regarding founding a European Club for Cape Town. A club, where one can do networking; but also intellectual and spiritual exchange should take place. And not only once a week or once a month. The club should provide a venue to be accessible every day, just to bump in for a drink and a chat or a business meeting. To make such an idea working one has to look at existing clubs to liaise and form an additional grouping using the facility. I find it an exciting idea and I have the impression that all involved like to work hard to get it off the ground and going.

Ending a time as chaplain at sea means also to write a report about your work, the church wants to know what one has done in this swimming vineyard and even some guests have already taken the opportunity to send greetings from home to their “ex-chaplain”.

Church wise the appointment of Bishop Mueller from Regensburg in Germany to be “God’s watchdog” has created some debate and yeah, I guess, it is debatable. He has a diversity which leaves one sometimes guessing in which direction it explodes. On one hand he is a friend of one of the most acknowledged liberation theologian in South America; on the other hand he dealt with laity in his diocese in a way which is more than questionable. And for the Pius-brothers he seems to be a heretic – denying the virgin birth of Jesus and the teaching of transubstantiation. So it seems nobody is really happy – except the pope I guess and I think we just have to wait and see what is happening. Even if the past might be difficult, there is always the hope that people can change or grow into a job in a way serving God and the people.  All the hasty judgements,be it positive or negative are too early. Let him start and we will see…

Reading also the news on AIDS I see that Uganda starts to have problems related to resistance. This comes not as a suprise, this is indeed one of the biggest challenges we have to keep the virus far away from turning into a nasty resistant one. But the chances are high that it will happen if we don’t watch out very carefully, also here in South Africa.
I also note that the OraSure HIV home kit test is now FDA approved. I remember sitting with the representative of this company quite some years ago and at that time I felt that this test could prove good to make testing easier and avoid the pre-test counselling which I believe we have to stop doing as soon as possible. But local government and the hospitals were not keen at that time even to listen to such a test not performed in a hospital setting.

Well, weekend is coming and I hope there is time for some reading. I just have counted: There are 23 books waiting to be read…

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

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