Fr. PHILIP KURUVILLA, General Coordinator, ESHA Project, [partnering with ICCO Cooperation] A project of the National Council of Churches in India, Nagpur, India

1 Billion people, 1 Billion Deities ! Rama Ganesha Saraswati Lakshmi Nanak BuddhaChristDevi Krsna Murugan

Dr Suniti Solomon and her colleagues documented the first evidence of the HIV infection in India in 1986, when she served at the Madras Medical College [Chennai, India]

Bishops of the Church led the anti-stigma campaigns

AIDS WAS NO LONGER A DIRTY SECRET- IT WAS TAKEN OUT ON THE STREETS

GENDER & SEXUALITY ISSUES WERE ALSO TAKEN UP BY THE CHURCH

FAITH LEADERS BEGAN TO DIALOGUE WITH PLWA’S AND LGBTQ

THEOLOGICAL COLLEGES AND PRIESTS STARTED HIV-TRAINING

I T IS TRUE THAT TILL RECENTLY, FAITH LEADERS HAVE NOT PLAYED A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN RESPONDING TO THE PANDEMIC BECAUSE MANY OF THEM ARE STILL GUILTY OF: 1 st : DENIAL 2 nd :TRIVIALISATION 3 rd :JUDGEMENTALISM

2. Many feel the Virus is God’s Punishment for ‘sinful’ or deviant behaviour

4. The LGBTI community have been traditionally not welcomed by most religious leaders and their faith communities

Greater ‘Reach’ into the Faith Community Greater ‘Reach’ into the Faith Community Greater Experience Greater Experience A Spiritual mandate for their work- even if it is on A Spiritual mandate for their work- even if it is on taboo subject like AIDS taboo subject like AIDS Increased (long-range) Sustainability Increased (long-range) Sustainability There is in-built Motivation to Serve There is in-built Motivation to Serve

But two things happened: 1. The ‘Asian Interfaith Network on AIDS’ -AINA – came into existence in Thailand in In India –IICA- the Interfaith Coalition on HIV and AIDS was created after 2005

IN 2008 HE CONVENED THE HINDU LEADERS CAUCUS ON HIV AND AIDS : AS PART OF ‘FAITH IN ACTION’- OVER 90 SAINTS/SADHUS ATTENDED

Hindu Leaders Caucus- 2008

THE BAHAI COMMUNITY BROUGHT OUT LITERATURE ON HIV AWARENESS. THE JAMIA MILIA MUSLIM UNIVERSITY INVITED RELIGIOUS LEADERS HH SWAMI CHIDANANDA SARASWATI HELD AN HIV -TRAINING PROGRAM IN HIS PARMARTH ASHRAM

WITHIN THEIR FAITH COMMUNITY –CHURCH, MOSQUE, TEMPLE – EACH FAITH LEADER WITH RIGHT INFORMATION : SHAPES ATTITUDES PROMOTES RESPONSIBLE BEHAVOUR INCREASES THEIR FAITH COMMUNITY’S KNOWLEDGE AND AWARENESS ON CRUCIAL ISSUES PRIORITISES HIV and AIDS AND THE STIGMA ISSUES CHANNELISES MUCH NEEDED FUNDS SO IT IS IMPORTANT TO EMPOWER FAITH LEADERS!

EMPOWERED FAITH LEADERS AND INFORMED FAITH COMMUNITIES CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE, THEY ARE AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE SOLUTION……. EMPOWER FAITH LEADERS - THEY CAN BE INSTRUMENTS FOR SUCCESS

GIVE THEM A CHANCE!!

Fr. PHILIP KURUVILLA, General Coordinator, ESHA Project, National Council of Churches in India, Nagpur, India