MEDIA ALERT| May 2002

African Religious Leaders Convene Assembly on Children and AIDS

WHO:

More than 120 senior-most religious leaders from across Africa, including Rev. Winston Njongonkulu Ndungane Archbishop of Cape Town, His Holiness Abune Paulos Partriarch Ethiopian Orthodox Church, and Sheikh Shaban Mubajji Mufti Ugandan Muslim Supreme Council. Twenty-five percent of all delegates will be women religious leaders. Confirmed keynote speakers include Dr. Kenneth Kaunda, former President of the Republic of Zambia; Carol Bellamy, Executive Director of UNICEF; and Steven Lewis, Senior AIDS Advisor to the UN Secretary General.

WHEN:

June 9-12, 2002

WHERE:

Intercontinental Hotel, Nairobi Kenya

WHAT:

On behalf of the Hope for African Children Initiative, The World Conference on Religion and Peace (WCRP) is convening an historic gathering of Africa's senior most religious leaders to discuss the impact of HIV/AIDS on children and to launch a continent-wide campaign to further engage religious communities in efforts to expand care and to reduce the stigma often associated with AIDS. Topics such as prevention, treatment, and institutional versus community-led care for orphans will be addressed from a theological perspective.

Notes to Editors:

• First pan-African, multi-religious meeting of its kind focusing on role of religious communities in responding to the impact of the pandemic on children;

• Senior-most African spiritual leaders will formulate strong message on children and AIDS and seek concrete support from the G7 leaders convening a few weeks later in Kananaskis, Canada;

• Delivery of a Plan of Action to combat stigma associated to HIV/AIDS, role of faith-based groups in context of Global Trust Fund implementation strategy

Background: Core partners of the Hope for African Children Initiative are CARE, Plan International, Save the Children, the Society for Women and AIDS in Africa and the World Conference on Religion and Peace (WCRP). WCRP, founded in 1970, is the largest international coalition dedicated to peace, which is composed of representatives from the world's main religions.