Statement from Interfaith Forum to the 9th ICAAP

Interfaith Forum ON THE 9^th ICAAP August 8, 2009

Statement from Interfaith Forum to the 9^th ICAAP

Bali – August 7^th- 9^th, 2009

“Working together to empower people”

We, 160 men and women of faith, from 20 countries, with various roles and responsibilities in religious communities and organizations from Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Shinto, met in Bali on the 7^th- 9^th August, 2009, to strengthen Faith-Based responses in meeting the challenges of HIV in Asia and the Pacific[1].

We are committed to united and coherent action among our varied faith communities to face up to HIV and AIDS in our region.

People living with HIV have reminded us during our meeting that our communities still need to know more about HIV and we are committed to delivering the necessary information and overcome indifference associated with ignorance and existing attitudes, which contribute to stigma and discrimination. We will continue to build our religious capacities to speak personally and in public about HIV without judgment and without increasing stigma.

We are committed to building on the provision of care and support and information and raising awareness in our communities. However we realize that this is not enough. It is not enough to equip people with information without making it possible for them to use the information to protect themselves and their communities. It is not enough to provide care, support and treatment for a select group of people without struggling for access to treatment for the many who are currently unsupported.

We asked ourselves:

• How can we de-construct our cultures for the well-being of all?
• How can we re-form our laws and public policy?
• How can we interpret our religious teachings, which are clear about the unity of humanity and our inter-dependence and responsibility to each other so that we overcome destructive attitudes about ‘them and us’.

In response to these questions:

• We held sustained discussions about human rights and injustice and violence related to gender throughout our meeting.
• We discussed the devastating impact of the criminalization of drug use, and lack of quality services for male and female drug users. We will join in and advocate for the review of laws, cultures, policies and regulations that facilitate the transmission of HIV, and exclude people who are living with HIV from the workplace and from access to health care.
• We are confident we can change ourselves. We will listen to people from all walks of life and we will read and apply our sacred texts for the empowerment of communities. We are determined that our beliefs about overcoming stigma and discrimination will be reflected in our lives as individuals and as communities of faith.

We also began a regional discussion about HIV and tourism.

The value of sharing wisdom within this international, multi-cultural, multi-lingual, multi-religious network is clear to us. We will strive to include more people in our networking, both within our own national borders and throughout our regional context.

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[1] This conference was co-organized by AINA (Asian Interfaith Network on AIDS in Asia), Indonesian Interfaith Network on HIV/AIDS (INTERNA) and the Local Organizing Committee of ICAAP, in partnership with broad coalition of national, regional and international organizations.