International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - 17 December 2004
Marko Kokic in Lome
Homes normally filled with women and children in the town of Kpalime stand empty. No young children play in the courtyard. A cooking fire smoulders in a vacant home, a single wisp of smoke rises before the fire finally dies. Outside, the streets are still with only a few adults going about their business. But a walk th
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - 15 December 2004
Shanta Diaz Indian Red Cross counsellor and Priya Nair in Chennai
The man was sitting alone on his bed, covered with a shawl, his head between his knees. I went to his bedside and saw tears rolling down his face. I asked whether he would like to talk. He agreed to come out of the ward as he did not want anybody to hear. The man was a school headmaster. He had been suffering from tube
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - 5 December 2004
Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies around the world are attracting more volunteers by offering them more interesting and rewarding activities, according to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. In 2001, decreed by the United Nations as the International Year of Volunteers, the Internat
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - 1 December 2004
John Sparrow in Kunming
Travellers pour through the railway station of Kunming, capital of Yunnan province in southern China . In the morning rush hour, few pause to glance up at the posters graphically depicting the dangers of drug use and the threat of HIV/AIDS. As Liu Enyun passes them, though, they remind him of official estimates that th
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - 1 December 2004
Juan Manual Suarez del Toro
-- Making AIDS history I am proud to write to you today on behalf of the Governing Board and the Federation to mark World AIDS Day 2004 and reflect on the promises the Federation made to the world during the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on AIDS in June 2001. We are an organization that keeps its prom
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - 1 December 2004
This World AIDS Day marks the 10th anniversary of a commitment of governments to the greater involvement of people living with HIV/AIDS (GIPA) in the decisions that affect them. To mark the occasion the International Federation and the Global Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (GNP+) have conducted a joint project
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - 1 December 2004
Nahu Senay of the Ethiopian Red Cross
Tariku is the only employee of the Ethiopian Red Cross Society (ERCS) who is open about being HIV-positive. Stigma around HIV/AIDS is particularly strong and widespread in Ethiopia, and Tariku too kept his infection a secret from his colleagues for more than a year. Today, he feels that his courageous decision to be o
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - 1 December 2004
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies joined over 160 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) from around the world in signing up to a code of practice for those responding to HIV/AIDS. The document, Renewing Our Voice: Code of Good Practice for NGOs Responding to HIV/AIDS, was launched tod
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - 1 December 2004
Ten years after governments pledged to give people living with HIV/AIDS a greater say in programmes and policy decisions that affect them, an alarming number of countries have failed to put in place practical measures to achieve this goal, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the Glo
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - 30 November 2004
Solveig Olafsdottir in Swaziland
It is not long since Jane Dhlamini discovered HIV status, but she is adamant that that knowledge has kept her alive. Since testing positive last year, she has had access to both Red Cross programmes and social health services unavailable to her before. Today she is much more aware of how to minimize the impact of the v
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - 29 November 2004
Rosemarie North in Cambodia
In Touch runs a small business at her home in southern Cambodia , teaching women from her community how to sew. She s an energetic, cheerful mother of two sons, aged seven and 12, and she volunteers for the Cambodian Red Cross. But things haven t always looked so rosy for the 33-year-old. In 2003 she became sick an
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - 23 November 2004
The Millennium Development Goals will not be achieved without the engagement of communities, the kind of engagement through grassroots volunteers that is at the core of next year s annual appeal by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. In its appeal for 2005, the Federation is asking for
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - 22 November 2004
Fernando Nuno in Cotahuma
Pacha Mama seems angry with us, says mother of six Claudia Paz, using the name for Mother Earth name in her Aymara language. Community leaders in Cotahuma, a district in the outskirts of La Paz, thought the same when Bolivian Red Cross technicians showed them analyses of the water they consumed: 80 per cent of the sam
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - 20 November 2004
Statement delivered by Mr Raymond Forde, Special Representative of the Federation and President of the Barbados Red Cross Society, at the World Conservation Congress, Bangkok Chair, It is an honour for me to be able to be with you; IUCN members and other delegates at this Session. The challenge of identifying the best
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - 16 November 2004
General Assembly, New York Chair, The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is taking the floor under this item to, once again, underscore the importance of debates that focus on providing support to the most vulnerable people. The Secretary-General s Report [UN document A/59/312] on e
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - 8 November 2004
-- Statement by HRH Princess Margriet of the Netherlands , Vice President of the Netherlands Red Cross, at Eurofestation - Netherlands EU Presidency event, Maastricht Volunteer friends, friends of volunteers, Who cares? Everyone likes to make a difference. In fact, nothing is more rewarding than making a difference in
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - 7 November 2004
-- Keynote presentation by Dr Massimo Barra, International Federation Vice-President, at Eurofestation - Netherlands EU Presidency event, Maastricht It is a great honour to be present here today, both for me personally and as Vice President for Europe of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societ
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - 4 November 2004
John Sparrow
In Tashkent province, Uzbekistan , a bus travelling from Tajikistan to Russia aroused the suspicion of customs officers and, unhappy with the driver s answers, they searched it. Hidden inside was a consignment of heroin with a reported street value of US$ 9 million.
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - 27 October 2004
Jean-Jacques Kouoh in Yaounde
Celestine is barely 23, a student and the second of five children from a humble family from Yaounde. With her father having passed away and her elder brother unemployed, Celestine was expected to do her bit to contribute to the family s income. Her mother finds it hard to earn enough from her small business. To help ma
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - 26 October 2004
Sepolo Mofelehetsi, Lesotho Red Cross
Life has not been easy for 71-year-old Mamocapha Ts oeunyane since her daughter died in August 2000. Today, she has to face the hardship of looking after her four orphaned grandchildren. My daughter s husband died in 1998 and soon after his death my daughter and her children had to move in with me because she was very
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - 22 October 2004
Abel Hamutenya of the Namibia Red Cross
The Namibian Red Cross (NRCS) has teamed up with its Soul Buddyz to educate young people about social issues that affect them. The NRCS has decided to harness the potential of the local media to improve the welfare of young Namibians by launching a television series that deals with health and development issues. Soul
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - 20 October 2004
Felicita Hikuam* in Port of Spain
September 29 was a bright sunny day in Trinidad , one filled with lots of promise. The International Federation s office in the capital, Port of Spain , had just signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Caribbean Regional Network of People living with HIV/AIDS (CRN+).
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - 19 October 2004
Andrei Neacsu
Ogembo Oguonyo Dunga never worried about his old age. He figured his ten children, two daughters and eight sons, would be there for him. He lived on the Kenyan shores of Lake Victoria, where fish were plenty and farming always provided for him and his family. But the first sign of trouble came as catches from the lake
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - 19 October 2004
Today, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies marks the tenth anniversary of obtaining permanent observer status at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly. The status was qualified as the Federation s most important diplomatic tool , according to President Juan Manuel Suarez del Toro.
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - 21 September 2004
Roy Probert in Algiers
There are many buzzwords in the Red Cross Red Crescent. Since the 5th Pan African Conference in Ouagadougou among the most important for National Red Cross and Red Crescent Organisations have been Social Mobilisation Everyone agrees that it is one of the Red Cross/Red Crescent s strongest selling points, and one that m
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Cresent Societies - 13 September 2004
African Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies today reaffirmed their commitment to scaling up their work in the fields of HIV/AIDS, health and food security, in particular by making better use of their network of volunteers and working more closely with their governments and partner organisations. The Algiers Plan of Ac
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Cresent Societies - 10 September 2004
Andrei Neacsu and Tapiwa Gomo in Algiers
The 6th Pan-African conference got underway in Algiers with call from Federation President Juan Manuel Suarez del Toro for profound reforms to allow national Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to address Africa s most challenging problems. Today I am asking African National Societies to show determination and take al
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Cresent Societies - 8 September 2004
With Africa facing the combined threats of HIV/AIDS, hunger and preventable diseases, which are all too often compounded by conflict, poverty and inadequate health services, the two million Red Cross and Red Crescent volunteers throughout the continent provide an unrivalled network to address these urgent challenges, t
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Cresent Societies - 7 September 2004
Roy Probert in Algiers
Representatives of Africa s 53 Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies meet in Algiers over the coming six days to assess how to better utilise their network of 2 million volunteers to address the continent s many challenges. The 6th Pan African Conference of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies brings together not only a
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Cresent Societies - 23 August 2004
Raimond Duijsens in The Hague
For the third consecutive year the Netherlands Red Cross participated in the Amsterdam Canal Parade. This parade of boats through the city s historical centre is the colourful highlight of the capital s annual Gay Pride week. With its participation the Netherlands Red Cross highlighted its support to HIV/AIDS projects
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Cresent Societies - 28 July 2004
Alejandra Arauz in Panama
You are at sea, and you see an SOS signal from another boat. When you reach it, you realise it is about to sink. There are 13 passengers and crew on the stricken vessel, but your boat can only hold a total of seven people. On the sinking boat are a variety of people, including the wife of a famous world leader and moth
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Cresent Societies - 20 July 2004
Rosemarie North in Bangkok
On Friday July 16, Kathleen Fergusson-Stewart left the 15th International AIDS Conference in Bangkok with new confidence and a plan for the future. The International Federation s HIV/AIDS officer and representative of the Red Cross Caribbean AIDS Network, said the conference had given her a new appreciation of the valu
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Cresent Societies - 16 July 2004
Rosemarie North in Bangkok
A code of good practice is needed to focus work in HIV/AIDS, participants said at a session at the XV International AIDS Conference in Bangkok on Wednesday. They were commenting on a draft Code of Good Practice for Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) Responding to HIV/AIDS, a joint initiative hosted by the Internatio
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Cresent Societies - 14 July 2004
Now, more than ever, it is vital that the plethora of non-governmental organisations working in the field of HIV/AIDS adopt a coherent approach, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said today. With a major international AIDS conference taking place in Bangkok, the Federation, which is h
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Cresent Societies - 13 July 2004
Action to reduce the harm associated with injecting drug use is a proven success and governments should adopt a more informed approach to the issue, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said today. Current attitudes towards injecting drug users are directly impeding efforts to prevent th
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Cresent Societies - 12 July 2004
Tapiwa Gomo in Harare
Although HIV/AIDS treatment has been available in Zimbabwe since 1998, it was not accessible to the general public until March 2004, when the government launched its anti-retroviral therapy road map in major hospitals in Harare and Bulawayo. This comes at a time when the International Federation is looking into ways of
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Cresent Societies - 12 July 2004
Rosemarie North in Bangkok; pictures by Christopher Black
Red Cross and Red Crescent figures at an international AIDS conference have warmly welcomed an opening speech by United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, in which he emphasised the role of women and girls in stemming the spread of the virus. Opening the XV International AIDS Conference in Bangkok, attended by 20,00
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Cresent Societies - 12 July 2004
Discrimination by doctors and nurses is undermining efforts to combat HIV/AIDS in the Asia-Pacific region, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the Global Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS said today. A new study by the Asia Pacific Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (APN+)
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Cresent Societies - 9 July 2004
Hout Cheng Chhay, Cambodian Red Cross and Rosemarie North in Phnom Penh
Hour Sina wanted to kill herself when she tested positive for HIV in December 2003. What kept her going was the thought of what would happen to her five children, the youngest of whom is four years old, and the two children she took in after two of her brothers died of AIDS. I was very angry with my husband because he
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Cresent Societies - 9 July 2004
A key factor in getting millions of people in poor countries onto antiretroviral treatment (ART) will be the access to communities and households provided by Red Cross and Red Crescent volunteers, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said on the eve of a major international HIV/AIDS conf
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Cresent Societies - 23 June 2004
Let me start my intervention with two personal memories. The first one directly refers to my first visit to your Country, more than 25 years ago, when I came here to meet and speak about the problem of drugs with Professor Zdenek Kreyci, director of the Hygiene and Epidemiology Department at the Olomouc University. Th
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - 21 June 2004
Tapiwa Gomo
The International Federation and National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies have been building on an agreement with International Olympic Committee (IOC) to promote sport as a key tool in the battle against HIV/AIDS. A meeting in Johannesburg from 17 to 18 June, also attended by representatives of the United Nations
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Cresent Societies - 17 June 2004
Sport can play a unique role in the fight against HIV/AIDS, especially among young people, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said today, as a milestone meeting between the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the International Federation, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AI
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Cresent Societies - 17 June 2004
Fernando Nuno in Corrientes
Que hora son, mi corazon...What time is it, my heart...? The music of Manu Chao sounds in an old kiosk on a crossroads 1,000 kilometers north of Buenos Aires. If the bus does not come today, we ll have to walk to the soup kitchen, says 17-year-old Nico to a group of young people living in Barrio Esperanza, on the outs
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Cresent Societies - 15 June 2004
Chair, It is my pleasure to address you as representative of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and as Chairman of the Federation s Health and Community Services Commission and in that capacity as an observer to this meeting. The Red Cross network consists of 189 national Red Cross and
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Cresent Societies - 15 June 2004
Leigh Daynes of British Red Cross in northern Uganda
Concy Lamwaka lives in fear. Tens of thousands of Ugandans like her have been forced from their homes and off their fertile land by 18 years of bloody and unpredictable conflict between the Ugandan army and the armed militia, the Lord s Resistance Army. Concy arrived at the Rackoko camp for displaced civilians in north
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Cresent Societies - 3 June 2004
Clare Finnigan of the British Red Cross in Kibungo
The genocide made Rwanda a nation of orphans as a generation of parents was killed. Young families were left to fend for themselves without the practical support and love of their mothers and fathers. The responsibility of keeping the family unit together fell to the eldest surviving child. But as children themselves t
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Cresent Societies - 2 June 2004
Saleh Dabbakeh in Cairo
Youth, the role they play in the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and the problems they face was the focus of the 9th Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in the Mediterranean. Inaugurated by Mrs Suzanne Mubarak, president of the Egyptian Red Crescent and first lady of the country, the conference d
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Cresent Societies - 30 May 2004
We are certainly in the right place today to talk about HIV and AIDS. We need to start by personalising the risk and the impact of AIDS. AIDS is not someone else s issue, it is my issue and it is your issue. Africa may be hardest hit continent at the moment, but in this globalised world what happens to our brothers and
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Cresent Societies - 19 May 2004
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies welcomes the opportunity to address this Assembly, and to pledge its support to reduce global mortality from major preventable diseases. An estimated 13 million preventable deaths continue to occur each year and most of these deaths are in children in
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Cresent Societies - 19 May 2004
Rosemarie North
Farida Mutiarawati needs a whole new vocabulary to talk about sex. You expect her to know all the words - she is a former vet who now lectures in reproductive health at the University of Indonesia . But now as a telephone counsellor at a new Red Cross HIV/AIDS programme in East Jakarta, Farida, 41, has had to absorb en
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Cresent Societies - 18 May 2004
Chair, The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is operational in over 180 countries of the world through its member Red Cross and Red Crescent National Societies which have their structures extending down to the community level. The Federation has ample experience in working with the commun
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Cresent Societies - 7 May 2004
The President of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has urged Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies worldwide to work with their governments to step up their efforts to combat stigma and discrimination and take active measures to promote tolerance and respect for cultural diversity. I
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - 4 May 2004
Estelle Neethling, South African Red Cross
It is not every day that a princess comes into the homes of the people living with HIV/AIDS in Cape Town s sprawling Khayelitsha township. But last week, Princess Astrid of Belgium visited a number of South African Red Cross (SARCS) projects in the desperately poor township. The princess, President of the Belgian Red C
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Cresent Societies - 13 April 2004
John Sparrow in Tajikistan
Farmer Abdualim Alimov has stood by helplessly as, over the past three years, five of his children have died. Today he is desperate. The remaining five are ill as well. So is he. So is his wife. Unless something dramatic changes soon the whole family will perish. The cause: tuberculosis. The Alimovs are not the first i
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Cresent Societies - 6 April 2004
John Sparrow in Beijing
The world remains short of safer blood. Although much progress has been made in increasing the global supply, many people in developing countries do not have access to it. The good news was tempered by a worrying fact when experts gathered in Beijing this week for a global conference on how to increase and effectively
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Cresent Societies - 17 March 2004
Chair, It is a great honour for me to take the floor for the first time in this Commission since the accreditation of a Permanent Observer for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to the United Nations Offices in Vienna. It is also particularly valuable that this first occasion should be
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Cresent Societies - 17 March 2004
Committed advocate on HIV/AIDS issues and a Red Cross leader in southern Africa, Razia Essack-Kauaria, has joined the board of the Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria. She will represent non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from developing countries for one year. Essack-Kauaria has an impressive track record
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Cresent Societies - 17 March 2004
Denis McClean
If the World Health Organisation s challenge of putting three million people living with AIDS on life-saving anti-retroviral therapy (ART) by 2005 seems daunting, then spare a thought for the Namibian Red Cross and its partners as they try to provide delivery mechanisms in one of the most inhospitable places on earth.
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Cresent Societies - 5 March 2004
Anthony Mwangi and Andrei Neacsu
Ever since HIV/AIDS was declared a national disaster in Kenya , there has been a consolidated effort among many organizations and individuals to adopt a common front, with the fight against stigma and discrimination being placed centre stage. Where in the mid-1990s, representatives of various religious faiths in Kenya
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Cresent Societies - 26 February 2004
Gabi Bacin in Uruguay
A summer camp organized by the Uruguay Red Cross and a non-governmental organization is providing a moment of relief and happiness to children living under double weight of HIV and poverty. As soon as Karina arrives at the beach, she puts her towel around her like a cloak and stands facing the wind, pretending that she
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Cresent Societies - 25 February 2004
Chair, It is a particular honour for me to be able to address the Economic Commission for Europe, and to be able to link aspects of the Commission s work on economic conditions in Europe to the work being done by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to combat the crippling effects of the
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Cresent Societies - February 24, 2004
Asta Ytre in Kingston
All aboard for a free bus ride and to learn more about HIV/AIDS while you re there! On February 2004 and as part of Safer Sex Week, Youth volunteers from the Jamaican red Cross used a few hours of their Valentines Day to promote safer sex through condom use and abstinence among bus travelers in Kingston. Free bus! Down
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Cresent Societies - 26 January 2003
Andrew Macalister in Suva
In the lush green countryside 25 kilometres northeast of Fiji s capital of Suva, a 29-year-old Fijian villager is building a house for his wife and baby daughter. But it will not just be a roof and four walls. It will also be a house of hope. For this young man and his family are HIV-positive, and have been pushed out
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Cresent Societies - 21 January 2004
Pekka Reinikainen in Mombasa
Ruth Musiego was visibly proud of having a house – a room with one glassless window and a door each. She is an official tenant obliged to pay 1,500 Kenya Shillings (approximately 20 US dollars) each month for five square metres of space. Not an easy task for a mother of two with no job. Ruth recently bought two doz
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Cresent Societies - 5 January 2004
Claire Finnigan, British Red Cross, Rwanda
An estimated 8.9 per cent of adults in Rwanda are living with HIV/AIDS, according to UN figures. The Rwandan Red Cross is implementing a series of HIV/AIDS programmes with support among others, of the British Red Cross, to lessen the isolation that many feel. Misara Mukamutara is 44 but looks 30 years older. She is in
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