AIDS Awareness Week brings people together

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On Dec. 1, in recognition of World AIDS Day, people will be wearing a red ribbon, an international symbol of support of the continuing fight against AIDS. It is intended as a symbol of hope of finding a vaccine or a cure that will stop the suffering created by HIV/AIDS.

The idea for the red ribbon came from a small charity called Visual AIDS in New York City. In 1991, the organization created the symbol that would unite the many voices who were seeking a meaningful response to the epidemic. Visual AIDS was made up of people involved in the arts. With their connection to high profile celebrities, the red ribbon quickly appeared on television and at celebrity events. Today it is worn by people in most cultures and countries of the world.

Organizers are putting the final touches to the Edmonton's annual inter-faith memorial service at the Edmonton Art Gallery. A candle light vigil, a walk, a pipe ceremony and a round dance will also be held on Dec. 1.

"We've partnered up with the White Buffalo Dancers and Drummers Society and the Nechi institute to put this round dance on," said Jessica Daniels, office manager of Feather of Hope Aboriginal AIDS Prevention Society. "We are hoping that a lot of people will come out to support World AIDS Day. It is the first time they've ever had a round dance at city hall. It should be good," she said.

The week-long activities for AIDS Awareness Week, held on Nov. 22 to 29, will include an open house and free HIV/AIDS certificate program at Feather of Hope.

"We are running a certificate program for people who want to work in their communities with people who have AIDS," said Daniels. "It is a course that is recognized by Health Canada and Alberta Health. Our open house will also run during every day throughout the week," she said.

For AIDS Awareness Week, a huge display with interactive computer programs and projects on HIV/AIDS will be showcased in Sherwood Park.

"It is a huge display that was recently at a school in Hobbema," said Daniels. "It is a traveling exhibit which may eventually be displayed at the Londonderry Mall in Edmonton," she said.

In Calgary, the AIDS Calgary Awareness Association is hosting a variety of events on World AIDS Day and during AIDS Awareness Week. Calgary's Urban Aboriginal Project is planning to host a round dance at the Calgary Native Friendship Society on Dec. 1. Everyone is invited to attend an AIDS memorial at the Central United Church on World AIDS Day. The service begins at 7 p.m. and will include a cermonial lighting of candles, music, poetry reading, displays, a memorial quilt and an open mike for anyone wanting to share their stories on AIDS. During the week some of the activities planned by the association include an open house at their new centre, two workshops on sexuality hosted by the Men's Project and a workshop on new drug treatments. A community outreach team conducting Guerrilla Theatre will be at a few shopping malls during the week doing skits that centre on the AIDS issue. The group gets shoppers involved in the sketches by pulling them into the skits as they walk by.

Two regular training workshops titled Safer Sex and HIV/AIDS, and Creating Supportive Environments: Working with HIV will also be held during the week.

"We are planning to conduct a media campaign, an ongoing series of articles addressing one myth for each week day. We are hoping to hook up with someone from the A-Channel television station in Calgary, to the print media, CBC radio morning show, and the university's radio station," said Stephen Entwisle, communications co-ordinator for AIDS Calgary Awareness Association. "For instance we still run across the misconception that AIDS is primarily a gay man's disease. So we want to get out the message that AIDS is an ongoing concern not for just the gay community, but for other communities as well," he said.

According to Health Canada, HIV/AIDS has hit the Aboriginal communities in epidemic proportions. By Dec. 31 1998, a total of 16,236 AIDS cases were reported to the Bureau of HIV/AIDS, STD and TB Laboratory Centre for Disease Control in Ottawa. Out of these numbers 321 were listed as Aboriginal people. Among the list, 263 were men. Of that number 57.4 per cent listed their exposure to AIDS occurred from having sex with other men, 19.4 per cent from injection drug use, 12.9 per cent from men who had sex with other men and used injection drugs, 4.9 per cent through heterosexual contact, 0.8 per cent through receiving blood clotting factors, 1.5 per cent from prenatal transmission from mother to child, and 3 per cent from non-identified risk factors.

Among the numbers listed 58 were woman. The exposure categories listed in percentages for women were, 53.4 per cent , injection drug use 29.3 per cent heterosexual contact, 6.9 per cent , through receiving blood clotting factors, 5.2 per cent prenatal transmission and 5.2 per cent non-identified risk factor.

However AIDS data about Aboriginal people is difficult to record because people who are diagnosed as having HIV/AIDS are not usually identified by race.

Despite these limitations in recording data on AIDS in Aboriginal communities, evidence shows that Native people are being affected with the disease at a younger age as compared to non-Aboriginal people. Health Canada stated that injection drug use among young Aboriginal people was one of the main modes of AIDS transmission.

Today HIV/AIDS shows no signs of slowing down. Due to the high movement of people between inner cities and rural communities, the risk of AIDS in remote communities is quickly becoming a reality.