[Sri-news] World AIDS Day

[Susan Leslie]

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SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE INVESTING (SRI) NEWS
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Dear SRI-News Readers:
 
Today, December 1st, is World AIDS Day.

The UUA Committee on Socially Responsible Investing (CSRI) has been very
active in the efforts to engage corporations in assisting people with
AIDS and stop the spread of this deadly disease.  Since the AIDS
epidemic began twenty years ago, over twenty-eight million people have
died and an estimated forty-two million are living with HIV today.
Although antiretroviral medicines have dramatically extended life for
some, there is still no cure, no vaccine, and no short-cut to accessing
effective healthcare for the millions affected who live with poverty,
stigma, and little care or support.

CSRI and the UU Service Committee, through our participation with the
Interfaith Center for Corporate Responsibility (ICCR), are involved in
shareholder advocacy with corporations doing business in Africa and with
pharmaceutical corporations.  Dialogue and resolutions have included
asking corporations to conduct HIV/AIDS impact reports on their own
operations and the communities in which they do business.  This had led
to further steps including corporate-sponsored broad community education
about HIV/AIDS and the provision of free testing and anti-retroviral
drugs to employees and affected communities. See
http://www.uua.org/finance/sri/aids_corporate.html for a full report on
CSRI efforts.

Also see the special front page feature on uua.org: UUA President and
Congregations Mark Global AIDS Day with Witness and Action at
http://www.uua.org/.

President William G. Sinkford, recently returned from his trip to
Africa, is now in Washington, DC meeting with David Gartner, Policy
Director for the Global AIDS Alliance. The UUA is a member of the Global
AIDS Alliance <http://www.globalaidsalliance.org/>.

The Unitarian Universalist Global Aids Coalition is launching their Red
Ribbon Congregation program today. To find out more about this program
and about what UUs are doing to assist people with AIDS and stop the
spread of Global AIDS see our special feature at http://www.uua.org/.
You will also find lots of great resources for your congregation,
including for children.

We received the following information and resources from the Interfaith
Center for Corporate Responsibility HIV/Global AIDS Caucus:

http://www.iccr.org/news/press_releases/2005/pr_worldaidsday113005.htm
ICCR's World AIDS Day Press Release

http://www.businessfightsaids.org/site/apps/nl/content2.asp?c=gwKXJfNVJt
F&b=1008905&ct=1642365
Global Business Coalition Announces the Creation of a New Best Practice 
AIDS Standard for Corporate AIDS Programs

http://www.unaids.org/Epi2005/doc/report_pdf.html
UNAIDS State Of The Epidemic 2005
(All the latest statistics).

http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/news/hiv-aids/wad2005/index_wad2005
.cfm
Drug Companies Leave Kids With AIDS To Fend For Themselves, says MSF
(Includes a company by company chart with both branded and generics).

 

Susan Leslie
Director for Congregational Advocacy and Witness
Unitarian Universalist Association
25 Beacon Street, Boston MA  02108
(617) 948-4607; sleslie at uua.org
www.uua.org/justice
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