LWI 2008-050 Call for Recognition of Leadership Capacity of People Living with HIV

[LWFNews]

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Call for Recognition of Leadership Capacity of People Living
with HIV 
Panel Discussion on Religious Leaders’ Response to HIV and
AIDS 

MEXICO CITY, Mexico/GENEVA, 15 August 2008 (LWI) - "To live a
life centered in Christ means that I will find myself with people
at the margins," said Bishop Mark S. Hanson, President of the
Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and presiding bishop of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), at an interfaith
panel discussion at the 17th International AIDS Conference (IAC)
which concluded last week in Mexico.

Hanson underscored the importance of standing with marginalized
people in the struggle for justice and full inclusion. "I am very
weary of Christian leaders saying 'I am called to be the voice of
the voiceless.' If we would be quiet, those we deem voiceless,
could find their voice, exercise their voice, and cease to be so
marginalized," he said.

He noted this would mean that religious leaders urge their
communities to do the hard work of introspection and not just
outward compassion, asking within their communities, "How do we
perpetuate and contribute to patriarchal societal structures that
continue to marginalize others?" 

Affirming his support for interfaith work, the LWF president
said the church has the capacity to change structures in society,
and should use its potential to change discriminating policies
and practices that continue to stigmatize. This means "that we
must be willing to create tension within our own faith
communities and in the relationship with each other for the sake
of changing power structures," he emphasized. 


The Wounded Healer

Baptist pastor Rev. Charles King from New York, voiced criticism
that time and time again, the church would reach for the
mainstream instead of going toward the margins. "That's exactly
the opposite of what we were called to do," said King, who is
president of Housing Works, an organization providing housing,
treatment and employment for homeless people living with HIV. 

The capacity and potential for leadership of people living with
HIV should be respected. "They know best what’' good for them
and they can guide us in how we can best work in partnership with
them," said King. He proposed that churches develop a new
positive theology, which includes a highly important notion: "The
notion of the wounded healer: You have to be open to the
possibility that the people who you are serving are going to
offer you healing. In order to be open for that you need to know
that you are in need of healing, too," he said. 


Voices from Islam and Hinduism

Mr Ehsan Matlabi, program assistant at Mashhad Positive Club in
Iran explained that religious leaders and scientists in his
country were working together to set up a comprehensive HIV
prevention program. Religious leaders play an important role in
education, he said. "We ask them the questions: 'What does Islam
say about people living with HIV? What does Islam teach about
condom use as a way of prevention?'" 

Dr Richa Chopra, a representative of the Art of Living
International Center in Bangalore India, introduced a yoga
breathing technique as a means of preventing HIV and AIDS. The
"Sudarshan Kriya" technique, explained Chopra, was revealed to
His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, the center's founder. Its
application is aimed at increasing energy and well-being, and
bringing about behavioral change in people. "Religion is starting
with us. So we first need to work on ourselves, before we can
help others better," she stressed.


Faith Leaders' Involvement Essential

During the panel discussion, Bishop emeritus Dr Gunnar Stalsett
from Norway, insisted on the need to involve all faith leaders in
the AIDS response. "Unless we bring in the imams, sheikhs,
bishops and gurus, the efforts won’t be sustained in the long
term," said Stalsett, who served as LWF General Secretary from
1985 to 1994. He noted that while changes would mainly come from
the informal leadership at grassroots level, the involvement of
the formal faith leaders would make it a coherent struggle, "a
struggle where we see convergence across dividing lines and
countries and religions," he added. 

According to conference organizers, over 20,000 scientists,
government officials and representatives of the pharmaceutical
industry, churches and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) as
well as community activists attended the biennial IAC, held in
Mexico City, 3-8 August. It was preceded by an ecumenical
pre-conference, "Faith in Action Now!" organized by the
Geneva-based Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance, of which the LWF is a
member. (736 words)

(A contribution by LWI correspondent Julia Heyde)

For more information on the ecumenical pre-conference theme
"Faith in Action Now!” or ecumenical involvement at the 2008
IAC, visit: http://iac.e-alliance.ch 


*        *          *

(The LWF is a global communion of Christian churches in the
Lutheran tradition. Founded in 1947 in Lund, Sweden, the LWF
currently has 141 member churches in 79 countries all over the
world, with a total membership of over 68.3 million. The LWF acts
on behalf of its member churches in areas of common interest such
as ecumenical and interfaith relations, theology, humanitarian
assistance, human rights, communication, and the various aspects
of mission and development work. Its secretariat is located in
Geneva, Switzerland.)

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