Pacific Churches takes action on HIV

Pacific Churches takes action on HIV

Talk turns into action as representatives from Pacific Islands churches
return home today after a week-long meeting to discuss Women, Youth and
HIV in the Pacific and develop “Country Action Plans” to bring HIV
awareness into Pacific Islands churches.

“HIV is growing very fast in the region and the world. For us, only
strong forces can face this tsunami of HIV. If you face it alone, you
will never be able to face it. We need to come together. We need
Polynesian minds, Melanesian minds, Micronesian minds. We need to stand
together,” said Rev Valamolu Palu, Secretary General of the Pacific
Conference of Churches (PCC).

The Country Action Plans – developed for 13 Pacific Island countries
and territories by pastors, congregants and those who work in the
church in these countries – is the start to a three-year strategy for
HIV awareness and activities in Pacific churches. More than 40 people
are attending the meeting, which has been organized by the PCC and is
supported by UNFPA, SPC, UNICEF and UNAIDS.

Pacific Island countries included in the planning are Cook Islands,
Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Niue,
Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and
the New Zealand Pacific Islands community. The plans are being made by
those who live in-country.

“Why should the church care about HIV? Because the grief’s, the joys,
the sorrows and the sufferings of humanity are also the grief’s, the
joys, the sorrows and the struggles of the church,” says Sister Emi Oh.

The meeting, from the 4-8 June 2007 at the Pacific Theological Centre
in Suva, is a follow up from the World Council of Churches – Office of
the Pacific declaration in 2004 to make HIV a priority. It is also a
follow up to the PCC workshop on “Pacific Women in Education, Action
and Advocacy on HIV/AIDS” in 2006.

Pacific Islands AIDS Foundation applauds the bold efforts of the
ecumenical community to continue to address HIV.

“Participating in this workshop has shown a real change in attitudes
around HIV in the church. Now there are calls for love, care and
compassion towards HIV, instead of fear and judgement,” says Maire Bopp
Allport, CEO of Pacific Islands AIDS Foundation.
“We have a strong partnership with the World Council of Churches –
Office of the Pacific, and we will continue to stand and support the
Pacific Islands churches as they take these new steps.”

The meeting has raised discussion around stigma and discrimination
against HIV positive Pacific Islanders, cultural taboos, gender
dynamics, sexual health and lack of communication – all things that
contribute to the culture barrier that silences HIV. But it has also
connected deeply to faith, the work of God, and pastoral care.

“We do this work… in order to spread God’s word and to save God’s
people,” says Reethu Arjun from UNFPA.

ends

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