Religions for Peace

An interfaith prayer breakfast will be held on Friday, June 10, on the occasion of the United Nations General Assembly High Level Meetings on HIV/AIDS. The breakfast will bring together leaders from religious and civil society organizations, government, and networks of people living with HIV to reaffirm the need for action and solidarity with people living with, and affected by HIV/AIDS.

“Religious leaders must continue to scale up their partnerships to ensure care for all who need it. Strong partnerships can reach more people, achieve more lasting impact, and stretch our resources further.” stated Dr. William Vendley, Secretary General of Religions for Peace. “Religions for Peace will continue to support the efforts of all religious communities to do more and to do it better.”

Leaders and representatives of faith-based organizations long engaged in the response to HIV/AIDS are calling on governments to redouble their efforts to tackle the disease.

Thirty years after the appearance of the first medical reports about a new illness, government representatives will be meeting at the United Nations in New York City, 8-10 June, to review progress since the 2001 UN Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS. Amid fears that political will may weaken as governments redirect funding, religious representatives are joining civil society campaigners and organizations responding to the complex pandemic to emphasize that while some progress has been made, it is not enough. Treatment and support services remain inaccessible to millions, and root causes to the pandemic – such as stigma, discrimination, poverty and marginalization – remain.

"We cannot weaken our efforts. We cannot reduce our funding. We cannot soften our words calling for the rights of those most affected and most vulnerable to receive the care, support and treatment they need," stated the Bishop Gunnar Stålsett, Moderator of the European Council of Religious Leaders and Co-president of Religions for Peace.

The Interfaith Prayer Breakfast is by invitation only. It is co-organized by: Religions for Peace, Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance, UNFPA, UNAIDS and a number of religious organizations. It will be hosted by the Ford Foundation.

Contact: Janet Phillips, jphillips@religionsforpeace.org or call -1-212-687-2163