Some faith providers from kenya on the subject of Family Planning. So i think it is true what the first panel really emphasizes, that things are evolving and developing and this is an important moment to be exploring this further. And with this panel were eager to talk about it from the focus of the u. S. Policy perspective. And i think to begin with well turn to sandy thurman. Given your long involvement with hiv policy from the u. S. Government can you describe to us more about how pep far began partners with faithbased organizations and how that has evolved. Sure. Thank you. And thank you all for being here. It is interesting, the Faith Community has been a partner in response to hiv since the beginning of the epidemic both domestically and globally. So i think pet far was an out growth with faithbased organizations on the domestic side for a number of years. When we really began looking at the disproportionate impact of the epidemic in africa back in the late 1990s and early 2000,
Here. It is interesting, the Faith Community has been a partner in response to hiv since the beginning of the epidemic both domestically and globally. So i think pet far was an out growth with faithbased organizations on the domestic side for a number of years. When we really began looking at the disproportionate impact of the epidemic in africa back in the late 1990s and early 2000, it was a lot our interest and a lot of the pressure that was brought to bear on the u. S. Government and policymakers was from faithbased organizations who were on the ground in africa seeing the devastation that was occurring on the continent. So theyve been a natural partner for us faithbased organizations and faith backers have been a natural partner with those of us working in the hiv and aids response from the beginning. So when we began to expand the global perspective to focus on hiv and to put this in perspective, working in the white house, with the global aids budget had been 125 million a year f
But i think that our work, the work ahead continues to be the building of trust, the building of understanding, the building of what we call faith literacy and development, this literacy across the two communities. And i would like to just point out that the materials, all the materials for the conference, are available on the website of the joint learning initiative at www. Jliflc. Com. I commebled those to you commend those to you. Anita great. Thank you. Now well open the floor to questions. There will be people coming by with microphones and so please wait to get the microphone before you ask your question. Id like to you identify yourself and your organization before you ask a question. Well take three at a time and then well pose them to the panel. Weve got several hands up here. Questioner good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you so much for your presentation. My organization is hope for tomorrow. A u. S. Based organization although were also based in ken yafment thank you
Okay. Well i will ask each of you on the panel youve done such an amazing work. And, you know have given us so much to think about. I would like to hear from you in summary what you would like to see as next steps as a result of your work. Been that youve put so much effort into the research and the writing, and not necessarily relating to the piece youve written, but how you would like to see this play out, so jill . As someone academy and immersed in evidence, that is what im hinting at at the moment. And its similar to the comment about the lanset by having these papers in here signaling something in terms of the broader discipline. And ill give you an example. We hosted a conference on the Health Systems conference in cape town and there were 2,000 people there and there were only two faithbased conferences and it is a signal to the fact that these issues come up in conferences, we have separate conversations about faith and faithbased providers but they are rarely intergrated into
To be with us and then taking the flight right away back. Unfortunately, his airplane had mechanical problems and he was unable to make his connection in chicago. But we have two of Young American candidates. Well have a discussion about political activism. Theyll talk about their campaign. Well then breakdown to a discussion of political activism, how were active in your local communities and how we can learn from each other and how to best become active in our own communities and why thats important. To lead our conversation, we have with us mr. Ayoob. Thats fine. So i want to thank everybody for being here today. This is something that adc has not done previously but i think its critically important because as we talk about activism especially on issues of importance to our community, one of the things that really has been lacking has been an interest in members of our community in running for congress or Political Office of any kind but specifically younger members of our community