Twin Arts for the
twin arts of music & dance
Comment about the "AIDS WALL" from SAfAIDS the Southern African AIDS Information Dissemination Service
Thanks for sending me the correspondence on the AIDS Wall. This is a letter that we sent out to the press just before Xmas but was not picked up. The comments from those that facilitated the Wall do not change how we feel about it - ie that it was a good opportunity to present caring images of compassion for families living with HIV, but this was unfortunately not achieved. We would be grateful if you could post the attached letter on your discussion forum. thanks, and best wishes, Sunanda.
PS we did go back to view the wall again in a quieter time to confirm our first impressions and did not find them changed.
Dear Editor
We recently attended the unveiling of the AIDS Wall at the National Gallery of Art. Clearly, the production of the wall was a great opportunity for reflecting the reality of people's lives as they are affected by HIV and AIDS, to raise issues for discussion, to continue addressing the denial and "breaking the silence" around this epidemic. We applaud the creative efforts that produced this installation.
As depicted by the tiles of the wall, however, the primary emotion around the events and impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic is one of hopelessness. As one circles the wall, it is the images of wretchedness and grief, blame and stigma which strike the viewer; tears, despair and death. Messages of prevention, hope and positive living are there, yet only in the context of being ignored by people in the midst of debauchery and exploitation.
We at SAfAIDS, a regional HIV/AIDS NGO focusing on information dissemination, hope that the messages contained in this installation will spark discussion, incite outrage and inspire action. As other projects of this sort take root in communities throughout the country and the region, we would encourage more representation of the notion that we all have a part to play in responding to the epidemic and generating hope in our homes and communities. All children must have access to basic education, eliminating the need to trade sex for school fees.
We must all move away from demonising sex workers, truckers and sugar daddies and begin to talk to our children and partners about the vital importance of protected sex; condoms are one of the keys to slowing the pace of this epidemic. People living with HIV are not all wasting away in beds, waiting for death; they are part of our families and communities, and we must support strategies to heal our communities, to promote positive living through poverty alleviation, nutritional supplementation, psychosocial and spiritual support and destigmatisation of HIV and AIDS.
In Zimbabwe, there are over 150 NGOs responding to the HIV/AIDS epidemic through design and implementation of interventions, client services (advisory, counselling), information dissemination and research. The Zimbabwe National Network of Positive People (ZNNP+) and The Centre, for example, have years of experience promoting positive images of life with HIV and AIDS.
Behind every statistic, there is a human face with a story to tell, but not all stories reflect doom and gloom. Rather than reinforce raw fear amongst people, these organizations, among others, demonstrate the power of caring, positive living, support and compassion.
In order to effect positive behaviour change, our perceptions and attitudes regarding HIV and AIDS need to be readdressed through a review of myths, misconceptions and traditional practices. We must challenge negative cultural stereotypes and gender imbalances, and promote safer sex practices. The most important message is that an HIV positive diagnosis is not an immediate death sentence.
Reasons for hopelessness are numerous, as are the rays of hope.
The Staff at Southern Africa AIDS Information Dissemination Service (SAfAIDS)