World AIDS Day is traditionally marked by events to gather people together. Together we think about the people who have been lost, and pledge that no more be lost to ignorance of HIV, stigma, lack of medical care, or support. We pledge that no more be lost to despair. We pledge to educate, advocate and change attitudes and opportunities.
The theme for this year’s World AIDS Day is “Increasing Impact through Transparency, Accountability, and Partnerships”. PAN’s work is dedicated to these three strong and meaningful words.
Transparency: PAN works with groups and individuals across BC and in Canada to strengthen the community-based response to HIV, HCV, and accompanying medical and social issues. It is our collective hope that our work will improve the lives of people with HIV and HCV; improve health care and social service providers’ knowledge of the complexity of these diseases; provide sound research to support provincial and national community work; and constantly evaluate initiatives for improvement.
Accountability: PAN is responsible to our membership of almost 50 groups in BC; to our partners on programs and projects; to our funders supporting the work. Part of our role as a provincial network and one committed to each and every member group is to support them in their best work, from planning to evaluation. We recognize the diversity of regions, populations and needs. Accountability can be measured by individual and organization; we strive to support members to be accountable as we are too. In this, the voices of people living with HIV are essential as our leaders.
Partnerships: We work together across regions, across many different needs; across differences in approach, in mandates, and in what people believe to be the most strategic way to advance social justice. We recognize and honour the ways in which our members are addressing the complexities of HIV against the backdrop of other social inequities, including overlapping stigma that flows from poverty, discrimination, racism, and colonization.
We recognize the stigma that makes people vulnerable to HIV can also make people vulnerable to mental illness, substance use, isolation, desperation. This World AIDS Day we recognize each one, each other, and the power of us all together. We recognize the ability of us all to effect positive change is magnified by the ways in which we can learn from and collaborate with each other.
For those of you who were at the Fall conference, you heard me quote Ani Di Franco: “There is strength in the differences between us; I know there is comfort where we overlap.” I believe this message can carry us to excellence together. This World AIDS Day, which also marks the beginning of Aboriginal AIDS Awareness Week, let us commit to respecting our diversity and celebrating our shared successes.
See Events and Recognition of World AIDS Day and Aboriginal AIDS Awareness Week
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