Who We Are:
We are Unitarian Universalists united to journey with those impacted by HIV/AIDS. We travel as advocates and educators. We look for partnership. We move with compassion and respect in a multicultural world.
We were founded in response to a powerful address given by Stephen Lewis, UN Special Envoy for AIDS in Africa , at the UUA General Assembly in 2002. He faulted those of us in the West for sitting by while the devastation of the AIDS pandemic is causing millions of deaths every year, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa.
What later became the UU Global AIDS Coalition was originally founded as a Social Justice Action Group at First Unitarian in Portland , with three major goals: education, political advocacy and direct service. Our first major achievement was to initiate and pass an Action of Immediate Witness at GA in 2003 which commits UU's to speak out as a voice for liberal religion and congregations to become engaged to addressing global AIDS issues. Largely as a result, the UUA Advocacy Office now has an intern working half time on global AIDS issues.
From our base in Portland we have reached out to other congregations throughout the US and Canada. We now have a national board and UUGAC leaders have visibility in several cities in the US: here in Portland through the Portland Area Global AIDS Coalition, which is composed of nearly fifty action groups and is co-chaired by the chair of UUGAC; in Carbondale Illinois where UU's have taken a lead in several community programs; and in Newton, MA where UU congregations have formed a coalition of community groups to work mainly in Zambia. This is a powerful additional way for us to be seen as a force in the community on social and economic justice issues. Our newsletter comes out three times a year and reaches around 100 UU congregations directly and more through other distribution channels. We know of at least ten other UU congregations who are actively involved in programs to bring direct aid to those impacted by the pandemic. We are also proud that UUA President Bill Sinkford spoke out on World AIDS Day 2005 on global AIDS issues.
Please join our current Red Ribbon Congregations on our journey. Together we will help end the devastation caused by HIV/AIDS and on the way we will live our faith.
- We are called by our Unitarian Universalist principles to become active in responding to the crisis of HIV/AIDS, which has already killed 25 million, infected 40 million and will leave 40 million orphans by the year 2010.
- We are a network of congregations and individuals. Since our founding in 2003, we have worked to engage UU’s in addressing the impact of the global AIDS pandemic in three main ways, through education and outreach, advocacy and direct service.
- We endeavor to make our voice heard on the role of pervasive human rights violations in the spread of the epidemic. We speak out against the restrictions imposed by the religious right, which have succeeded in channeling funds from prevention initiatives to abstinence programs.
- Our Red Ribbon Congregation Program recognizes the work of UU congregations which model ways that UU’s can get involved.
- We work closely with the UU Advocacy Office and the UU United Nations Office to get out the word about global AIDS issues and involve UU’s throughout the US in grassroots advocacy.
We were founded in response to a powerful address given by Stephen Lewis, UN Special Envoy for AIDS in Africa , at the UUA General Assembly in 2002. He faulted those of us in the West for sitting by while the devastation of the AIDS pandemic is causing millions of deaths every year, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa.
What later became the UU Global AIDS Coalition was originally founded as a Social Justice Action Group at First Unitarian in Portland , with three major goals: education, political advocacy and direct service. Our first major achievement was to initiate and pass an Action of Immediate Witness at GA in 2003 which commits UU's to speak out as a voice for liberal religion and congregations to become engaged to addressing global AIDS issues. Largely as a result, the UUA Advocacy Office now has an intern working half time on global AIDS issues.
From our base in Portland we have reached out to other congregations throughout the US and Canada. We now have a national board and UUGAC leaders have visibility in several cities in the US: here in Portland through the Portland Area Global AIDS Coalition, which is composed of nearly fifty action groups and is co-chaired by the chair of UUGAC; in Carbondale Illinois where UU's have taken a lead in several community programs; and in Newton, MA where UU congregations have formed a coalition of community groups to work mainly in Zambia. This is a powerful additional way for us to be seen as a force in the community on social and economic justice issues. Our newsletter comes out three times a year and reaches around 100 UU congregations directly and more through other distribution channels. We know of at least ten other UU congregations who are actively involved in programs to bring direct aid to those impacted by the pandemic. We are also proud that UUA President Bill Sinkford spoke out on World AIDS Day 2005 on global AIDS issues.
Please join our current Red Ribbon Congregations on our journey. Together we will help end the devastation caused by HIV/AIDS and on the way we will live our faith.