May all readers be in peace and happiness! And welcome all to Asian Interfaith Network on HIV/AIDS (AINA)’s first edition of AINA’s news letter.
AINA has been formed aiming at involvement of religious leaders and faith based organizations to evolve an effective response to the epidemic with support from non-governmental, governmental, international organizations, people living with HIV and AIDS and multi-sectoral organizations. AINA is to work together with people living with HIV and AIDS to build caring communities, ensuring promotion and protection of the human rights. However, AINA still needs to work to identify, strengthen and promote regional country level interfaith networks, to build capacity of faith and religious organizations and to create a supportive environment at country, regional and international level for faith based responses to HIV and AIDS.
October, last year I had attended Global Forum on Strengthening Partnership with Faith Based Organizations (FBOs) in Istanbul, Turkey, where FBO representatives were having opportunity to share valuable experiences and insight on partnership with the UNFPA to address Violence Against Women (VAW), Maternal Mortality (MM), HIV & AIDS, migration, and many other issues. It was a great time of hope that FBO is being recognized as having delivered crucial social services, and ability to identify and reach out to those in greatest need often during the most difficult times and in the most remote areas. The Forum had also launched UNFPA’s Global Interfaith Network on Population and Development.
With UN’s recognition and support, hope that AINA would joint hand with UN Agencies to work in fighting with HIV/AIDS problems effectively.
