Articles

HIV and local churches: Is funding always good and how can it be done better?

Many local churches are involved in excellent HIV and AIDS initiatives in their communities. Often these are small ministries run by churches in very impoverished circumstances and more could be done with external funding. However, there are risks to be managed.

The vital question is, ‘how can external funding help scale up excellent local initiatives without having a detrimental effect on the actual ministry and the church which is engaged in it?’ One workshop at the Ecumenical pre-conference to the IAC in Mexico in August examined a funding process that is in being developed to do just this.

This workshop was facilitated by two Micah Network members, iThemba AIDS Foundation and Samaritan’s Purse UK, together with their partner in Nairobi, Centre for Urban Mission.

To read more download the full article below

HIVLocalChurches_LizLing.pdf 30.53 kB

'Pros' & 'Cons'- A Bible study on sex, drugs and harm reduction

This article was written by Dr Ditch Townsend, The Leprosy Mission Director for South East Asia.

Ditch Townsend Bible Study (pdf, 239.14KB)

Tackling HIV and AIDS with faith-based communities

The AIDS pandemic in Africa is devastating the continent. The institution of marriage does not appear to be protecting women - in some countries rates of infection among married women are higher than those among unmarried, sexually active women. Recognising that unequal gender relations are a driving force behind the AIDS pandemic, this article explores the position of local evangelical churches in Africa with respect to gender relations and sex, and the implications for HIV and AIDS. Based on desk and field research carried out by Micah Network member Tearfund UK, the findings indicate that these churches were largely silent on the issue of gender and sex, or were reinforcing traditional values which contribute to HIV infection. In a number of countries, the church seems to have failed to provide leadership to young people, especially young women, facing huge pressure to be sexually active. Strategies for responding are outlined.

This article first appeared in Gender & Development Volume 14, No 3 "Faith Communities" published by Routledge/Taylor and Francis for Oxfam. See www.informaworld.com.

Tackling HIV and AIDS with faith-based communities (pdf, 84.05KB)

Declaration of Human Rights and the Prevention of HIV & AIDS Related Stigma and Discrimination

Micah Network member the Jubilee Centre in partnership with PACT Zambia and USAID recently held a HIV & AIDS policy analysis workshop in Kabompo, Zambia. The participants of this workshop which included members of local government, faith based organisations and non-government organisations developed a declaration on the protection of human rights and the prevention of HIV & AIDS related stigma and discrimination.

Declaration on the Prevention of HIV & AIDS Related Discrimination (Word doc, 40.50KB)

Personal Identity in Grace, Public Identity in Law – Reading The Apostle Paul’s Letter to the Romans during an HIV Epidemic

This article is written by Greg Manning, Harm Reduction Advisor of the Australian International Health Institute.

Personal and public identity (Word doc, 23.08KB)