Katharine Jefferts Schori's statement on World AIDS Day

Every time I hear Katharine Jefferts Schori speak, she mentions the importance of the UN Millennium Development Goals. Since one of those goals is to Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, I figured she would have something to say today...

"Words, words, words won't help us in our fight against the pandemic. Now is the time for action."

As people across the world pause to commemorate another World AIDS Day, my mind is drawn to these words, spoken by my brother Archbishop, Njongonkulu Ndungane of Cape Town, earlier this year at the United Nations High-Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS.

My purpose in writing on World AIDS Day, then, is not simply to add more words to a debate that is already long on rhetoric but short on action. Rather, I hope my words will remind Episcopalians that our voices –- if united as ONE –- can make a critical difference in the fight to rid the world of a pandemic that claims the lives of 8,000 of God's people each day, destabilizes entire regions, and keeps hundreds of millions of people living in extreme poverty.

On this World AIDS Day, I urge all Episcopalians to join the "ONE Episcopalian" campaign, a unique partnership between the Episcopal Church and ONE: The Campaign to Make Poverty History. By becoming a ONE Episcopalian, you can unite your voice with more than 2.4 million Americans who are working, ONE by ONE, to create a world free of AIDS and deadly poverty. You can sign up online at www.episcopalchurch.org/ONE, and it takes less than ONE minute.

Read the rest of Bishop Katharine's statement here. And click here to see pictures of her investiture service.

If you would like to get a ONE banner for your own web site, you can find the code here.



Alternate link for comments