Education and discussion have been the vehicles of choice for this class. More than any disease in the world, the stigma and misinformation surrounding HIV and AIDS have increased its spread and limited protection, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. Both those with AIDS and those without receive equal treatment in education, because AIDS affects everyone – particularly in Namibia. The Class of 2006 lives out the belief that the spread of AIDS can be halted and reversed when everyone participates in the education and discussion process. The Class of 2006’s success in HIV/AIDS education and discussion have come primarily through three channels: continued partnerships, a conference, and a documentary series.
The partnerships forged by the Class of 2006 have been a model and a blueprint for all subsequent classes. Out of the four Pericleans-In-Residence that the class sponsored, three were HIV/AIDS experts.
- Dr. Philippe Talavera came to campus on October 2003. Originally from France, he moved to Namibia to fight against HIV/AIDS. He is the Director of the Red Ribbon Campaign and Head of the Ombetja Yehinga Organization. He works with youth and students to spread awareness and education and provide a support network for all affected by the disease. He has produced a documentary and short films in collaboration with the students, with a target audience of adolescents. He made three public lectures at Elon about gender issues, the role of the global community, and the role of the Elon community with HIV/AIDS. He also made radio appearances, spoke with administrators, and visited GST 110 classes.
- Anita Isaacs arrived at Elon in Fall 2004. As the Director of Lironga Eparu, she works to help HIV positive individuals live positive lives. She actively shared her story with the Periclean Scholars cohort, at campus-wide forums, and at several radio interviews. She also recorded interviews for a Class of 2006 documentary.
- Lucy Steinitz served as Periclean in Residence in Fall 2005. She is the Co-Founder of Catholic AIDS Action and the Senior Technical Officer for Faith Based Programs. She has been living and working in Namibia to address the HIV/AIDS pandemic. She provided lectures to many classes at Elon, including my own GST 110 section. She reached out to many Elon students, students at Alamance Community College, and students at the Synagogue Religious School in Greensboro, NC. She was able to create huge paradigm shifts in the way Americans viewed Namibians’ behavior as related to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and she created many new advocates for change. Lucy and Periclean Director Dr. Arcaro have been co-teaching SOC 376, “The Global Impact of HIV/AIDS”, an online course at Elon, since summer 2006. Through these classes, over $2,000 was raised to go to Namibian OVCs (orphans and vulnerable children) in the “Saving Remnants” program.
The class also worked with the TKMOAMS NGO in Oshakati (Tate Kalunga Mweneka Omukithi wo ‘AIDS’ Moshilongo Shetu, translated Our Mighty Father help us stop the AIDS pandemic in our country). In early 2011, the Periclean Scholars Alumni Association sponsored a bicycle program to help TKMOAMS continue its HIV/AIDS outreach in the broader community.
Second, the Class of 2006 was the first class to hold a conference – the Future Leaders Summit on HIV/AIDS in Windhoek, Namibia. The conference brought together Elon University, Polytechnic of Namibia, and the University of Namibia, was sponsored by the American Cultural Center of the US Embassy in Namibia and Family Health International, and was covered by CNN International. The summit highlighted student research and enabled information sharing. It invited experts to offer a deep understanding on various dimensions of HIV/AIDS-related issues. The summit strengthened the power of both the Namibian and American democracies and strengthened university partnerships. It empowered attendees and created lasting networks. The conference brought a lot of redeeming value to the HIV/AIDS fight, and the channel of learning itself has been replicated by the Sri Lanka group.
Finally, the Periclean Scholars Class of 2006 created a documentary series to educate both targeted segments and the general public about HIV/AIDS in Namibia. The documentaries are available for anyone to order and continue to be used as a tool for education in the United States, Namibia, and around the world. Please watch this introductory video, “Maturisa Ehinga” (translated “We are fighting AIDS”), which includes information (and links on the page) about all four documentaries in the series. http://org.elon.edu/fightingaids/about_maturisa_ehinga.html In addition to this documentary series, the class also created the script for “Testing Posi+ive”, which addresses the issues of fear of getting an HIV/AIDS test and abuse toward women. The film is now in use during Elon’s freshman orientation, as well as groups around the world.
Before I conclude, I have to include a graph to project the future of MDG 6 in Periclean program beyond Namibia.
Clearly, the HIV/AIDS epidemic greatly affects Zambia. While in Zambia, I visited an OVC compound developed by Habitat for Humanity. During the May-June 2011 build, the group built housing for people affected by AIDS. Work on this front should continue to progress with future builds, as it will multiply the benefits of the work in Zambia.
The HIV/AIDS war will be won on two fronts: the scientific front and the educational front. As we come closer to a cure on the scientific front, we must continue to see parallel progress on the educational front for the science to have an effective impact. Myths about HIV/AIDS, its transmission, and its cures must be dispelled through proper education in communities around the world. The Periclean group’s efforts in Namibia – a country highly affected by the AIDS epidemic – and in future groups show that the program continues to do its part on MDG 6.
This is reason #15 to support Periclean Scholars: help achieve Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 6, combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases.
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