WCC News: On World AIDS Day, focus on how churches can “Let Communities Lead!”

A prayer and reflection on World AIDS Day, observed each year on 1 December, focused on the theme “Let Communities Lead!”  Photo: Marianne Ejdersten/WCC 01 December 2023 A liturgy developed by the World Council of Churches (WCC) and Lutheran World Federation reminded us that the world can end AIDS, with communities leading the way. Rev. Dr Kenneth Mtata, WCC programme director of Public Witness and Diakonia, offered a reflection that noted how communities can take the lead in HIV response. “In this theme, we see that emancipation and the agency of affected communities are interconnected,” he said. “Emancipation involves liberation from social, political, or economic constraints.” The agency of communities refers to their ability to act independently and make choices, Mtata noted. “Emancipation often empowers affected communities, fostering their agency by providing opportunities for self-determination and challenging systemic injustices,” he said. “By extension, we affirm that those affected by HIV and communities who are most vulnerable to acquiring the infection are in the best position to provide leadership and show the way to overcome the HIV pandemic.” Members of affected communities can speak with credibility on their conditions, Mtata continued. “The Denver Principles manifesto, written in June 1983, launched the self-empowerment movement for people living with HIV, asserting that those who have HIV have a fundamental and inalienable right to participate in decision-making that significantly impacts their lives and survival,” he noted. “The church should continue to go to the villages and townships where the most vulnerable groups are.” Photo: Marianne Ejdersten/WCC See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 352 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches 150 route de Ferney Geneve 2 1211 Switzerland