Global Struggle

Stephen Lewis Inspires at GJ Conference

By Caitlin Glick, Student Global AIDS Campaign intern

When wandering through the campus bookstore early last year, I came across a book by a fellow Canadian that thoroughly discussed HIV/AIDS in Africa. I figured I'd read it, have a better understanding of the disease, and be able to apply that to my advocacy work in the future. I wasn't expecting this book, Race Against Time, by former UN AIDS Envoy, Stephen Lewis, to have the impact on me that it did. Mr. Lewis' book is very important in the fact that it humanizes the pandemic in such a way that one can't help but be outraged at the state of the world, and inspired to act.

When I first came to work at Global Justice, my co-workers let it slip that Mr. Lewis would be the keynote speaker at our national conference. They still laugh today at my reaction to the news, which I believe involved jumping up and down and screaming or something equally embarrassing. When the conference finally rolled around, I recruited other Stephen Lewis fans and we eagerly awaited his speech on Sunday morning. I'm not too proud to admit that I was there with my friends an hour in advance and of course, in the front row.

Topics of Discussion

For those who are familiar with Stephen Lewis' work, this kind of reaction is understood. For many, he has become a hero due to his unwavering stance on the fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa. In his speech that Sunday, he addressed all of the campaigns at Global Justice, and made it apparent how interconnected our missions all were.

In terms of child survival, Mr. Lewis touched on the fight against pediatric AIDS and how to draw more resources to the matter. He also discussed mother to child transmission and the lack of accessible preventative treatment for such cases.

When it came to the issue of trade justice, Mr. Lewis mentioned the efforts of the Thai government to issue a compulsory license for the creation of AIDS medication Kaletra at a reduced cost, and appalling lack of support the WHO showed the Thai government. He emphasized the role of intellectual property law in this fight, and how it had been completely disregarded.

When discussing AIDS, Mr. Lewis talked about the role of the United Nations, and what could be done to improve its part in the fight against the pandemic. He mentioned important updates from the field, like the role of circumsion and breastfeeding in contracting the disease. He promoted the idea of an international agency for women, and argued for the promotion of policy change within Sub-Saharan Africa, to ensure the correct facts and resources were going to the ill.

Methods for Effective Advocacy

Mr. Lewis also touched on a point that was just as important as all the facts and numbers of increasing deaths and infection. He mentioned a method for informed advocacy. This method was invaluable, as it spoke to why each and every one of the students in the audience was there. The first step, he told us, was to have a Òset of coherent principlesÓ from which we must never stray. The second aspect taught us that there were Òno sacred cowsÓ in advocacy-no one can be let off the hook. Thirdly, Mr. Lewis reminded us to have facts and documentation to support our argument, and give it validity. Lastly, Mr. Lewis told us to humanize the argument. Giving a human face to the fight against HIV/AIDS is exactly what Lewis himself did, and it made his argument so much stronger.

Inspired Hope

Listening to Mr. Lewis inspired everyone in the audience. He was angry at the international system, and he was saddened by the death and illness he saw everywhere, but he had hope. That hope is what allows him to keep going in this battle, and that hope is what he saw in the eyes of hundreds of student activists from all over the country, sitting in the audience that Sunday morning.