December 10, 2004

"Walk a hundred miles in my shoes...": A National and International MARCH TO END AIDS * Washington, DC * May 1-2-3-4, 2005

AIDSVote.org and leading national and local AIDS groups invite you to a two-day planning and organizing summit for a national and international March to End AIDS that will kick off in mid-April 2005 and converge on Washington, DC for four days of action, support and prayer on May 1, 2, 3 and 4.

We call for a national resurgence of AIDS advocacy in the United States that highlights the work all of our communities are doing on the front lines of the epidemic to fight AIDS and care for those living with the disease, a resurgence that will work through and beyond this mobilization to build the power to ensure justice for our communities.

We call for a national march TO Washington, with groups of people living with HIV/AIDS and their families, neighbors, advocates, activists and care providers walking and traveling by caravan from their homes to our nation's capital, meeting with others and with local newspapers, radio and television stations along the way to demonstrate their resolve and the work being done in our communities to save lives and the need for more resources to do the job right.

We call for four days of action, support and prayer in Washington, including meetings with every member of Congress, the President and the Vice-President, mass marches, support meetings with PLWHAs from every corner of the globe, daily prayer meetings with members of Congress and community and faith leaders, and common demands for leadership from the U.S. government.

We call for unity and support among all communities struggling with this disease: communities of color, including African-Americans, Latinos, Asian-Pacific Islanders and Native Americans, immigrants from all nations, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, women, leaders of the faith communities and all religious denominations, students and youth, older Americans and the friends and family members of those living with AIDS and HIV, as well as all of the 50 million people now living with AIDS and HIV all over the world.

We call for action from our elected officials to end AIDS now by carrying out the domestic and global demands embodied in the AIDSVote platform, including a reauthorized and strengthened Ryan White CARE Act, protection of Medicaid, Medicare, welfare and Social Security disability benefits, new effective action to fight the global AIDS pandemic and assist orphans and vulnerable children, concrete steps to provide effective HIV care and prevention to all populations including an end to legal and other barriers to care for immigrants, targeted research for improved treatments, prevention methods and ultimately a vaccine, as well as a rededication to AIDS policies based on public health, real-world science, proven-effective interventions, and actual community needs.

We call on you and your organization to join us.

PLANNING AND ORGANIZING SUMMIT: JANUARY 4 & 5 * WASHINGTON, DC

Over 300 AIDS, community, advocacy and faith groups will be invited - to join us contact aidsmarch@aidsvote.org or call the National Association of People with AIDS at 202-898-0414.

Download a PDF version of this announcement.

The Housing Works AIDS Issues Update is reported, written and edited by Diana Scholl, David Thorpe, Phil Fox Rose, Christine Campbell, terri smith-caronia and Housing Works staff. Send your feedback, leads and story ideas to d.scholl@housingworks.org.

You can reach us by phone at 212-967-1500 x168, by fax at 212-868-4222, and by email at d.scholl@housingworks.org. Housing Works provides housing, advocacy and services to homeless people living with AIDS and HIV. Housing Works is the nation's largest community-based AIDS organization and the nation's largest minority-controlled AIDS organization.

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