International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - December 21, 2005
Raymond Syms, Trinidad
If you happen to visit the Caribbean island of Grenada and a young person in a Red Cross T-shirt suggests you ride the bus , don t take them literally. Unless, of course, you re at a bus stop. In fact, Ride the BUS is the title of an innovative campaign organised by the Grenada Red Cross to educate the public, especial
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - December 20, 2005
Raymond Syms
Facial expressions can reveal a negative response to HIV/AIDS. However, a relatively new campaign is using our most expressive body part to get a positive message across. The Nobody Has The Truth Written on Their Face. Protect Yourself. Use a Condom campaign - the Faces campaign for short - has been highly successful i
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - December 15, 2005
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is launching an appeal to cover long-term programmes for 2006 and 2007. The Federation is asking for almost 430 million Swiss francs (€ 278 million/US$333 million) to cover long term programmes in the field of health and disaster preparedness. These a
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - December 14, 2005
Morning-Star Rosario, Namibia Red Cross Society
About 100 kilometers north east of Malawian capital city Lilongwe, lies a sandy poverty-stricken village called Salima. It is here that Morning-Star Rosario, the Namibia Red Cross Society meets Sellina Alusi. An almost fifty year unemployed widow and mother of four, who despite having clear symptoms of HIV/AIDS and get
International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - December 6, 2005
Tapiwa Gomo, Bindura
A monthly food basket and a bag of seeds are making the difference for Neneyi Bzhami, a 40-year-old mother of four who has struggled against the odds for the past few years in Zimbabwe . Three years ago Neneyi lost her husband to AIDS. The following year, she tested HIV-positive and was bedridden for a month, unable to
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - November 30, 2005
On World AIDS Day, 1 December, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies urges governments to honour their promises to put in place legislation to outlaw discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS. This is no time to be complacent - we have not seen the worst of the HIV pandemic yet,
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - November 14, 2005
As the impact of HIV and AIDS continues to be felt among vulnerable communicates in Zimbabwe , the vulnerable groups themselves have taken the lead to improve their health and social status. The severity of HIV and AIDS on people s livelihoods prompted the Zimbabwe Red Cross Society to add food security and livelihoods
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - November 4, 2005
Tapiwa Gomo in Harare, Zimbabwe
I am old now, my body is now tired and I need rest. But I have no option but to continue working for my family, says Emilda Chionika, 54, of Bindura, north east of Harare. I am the only person, who can still work for my family, she says, while finding a place underneath a tree away from the scorching sun. Six o clock
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - November 4, 2005
Oksana Shved, Ukraine Red Cross
The slogan You can t get HIV/AIDS by shaking hands was taken to new heights in Ukraine recently, at the debut Red Cross International Arm-wrestling Tournament! Sportsmen against HIV/AIDS brought together arm-wrestlers from Ukraine, Belarus , Russia ,
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - November 4, 2005
Falko Siewert, German Red Cross in Seychelles
Here, says Roy Nibourette, 43, programme coordinator for the Red Cross of the Seychelles and presses the buttons on his mobile phone. This is the last tsunami warning that the Disaster Centre sent me by text message. There were several similar warnings in the last few weeks. And just as many times, they told us to rel
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - October 28, 2005
Tapiwa Gomo, Lilongwe
It is Friday evening and everyone has returned home after their day s work in the fields and gardens in Mchinji district in Malawi , near the border with Zambia . The chiefs messengers are moving across the landscape, informing villagers of an important meeting at the head chief s home. The next day, all roads lead
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - October 26, 2005
In reading the Secretary-General s reports and other relevant UN documents reflecting the items debated today, we believe that a lot has been accomplished since the Declaration of Commitment was adopted and the Special Session on Children convened. Both affected countries and donors, supported by the UN and other organ
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - October 19, 2005
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies today launched an appeal for 39 million Swiss francs (€ 25.3 million/US$ 30 million) to assist 1.5 million people in seven countries in Southern Africa for nine months. Due to the seriousness of the situation, 1.16 million Swiss francs have already be
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - October 7, 2005
Raymond Syms in Trinidad
For an hour and a half, two Saturdays a month, a youth-oriented radio station in Belize City, Belize that promises More Music on your Radio Everyday lowers the sound levels to allow for more serious talk. Taking control of the MORE FM 94.7 and 107.1 console, and sliding behind the microphones are enthusiastic members o
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - September 27, 2005
Elena Nyanenkova
European Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies have been urged to show a greater commitment in working with government, NGOs and all organisations involved in the fight against the spread of HIV and tuberculosis. The call was made by Anders Milton, president of the European Regional Network on AIDS (ERNA) when it met la
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - September 9, 2005
Varaidzo Dongozi, Information Officer, Zimbabwe Red Cross
It is Tuesday and Mary Tanda arrives at the house of a client who is living with HIV/AIDS. One of the first things she does is check to see whether the client has developed bedsores. When she discovers there are bedsores on the left side, she treats them. Then she shows the family members how to turn the patient to avo
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - August 24, 2005
Arzu Ozsoy in Izmir
Youth from 130 countries learned more about HIV/AIDS while participating in Universiade, an international sporting and cultural festival, in Turkey in August 2005. Universiade is the world s second largest sports event after the Olympic Games, arranged by the International University Sports Federation every two years i
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - August 15, 2005
Varaidzo Dongzi, Zimbabwe Red Cross, and Tapiwa Gomo in Harare, Zimbabwe
The head of the International Federation s Africa Department has expressed concern over the living conditions of the displaced people in Zimbabwe s transit camps. After touring Caledonia farm near the capital, Harare, Richard Hunlede called for urgent action before the situation deteriorates further. The main objective
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - August 2, 2005
Marie-Francoise Borel
The International Federation and the Senlis Council, an international drug policy think tank, are joining efforts to advocate for global drug policy reform. The two organizations have just signed an agreement to collaborate on issues related to drug policies and communicable disease, and more specifically, on vital que
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - July 26, 2005
Geneva, Harare - The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has launched an appeal for 2.48 million Swiss francs ( 1.59 million euros, US$ 1.91 million) to assist the Zimbabwe Red Cross Society (ZRCS) as it gives humanitarian assistance to thousands of people made homeless by the government s
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - July 13, 2005
Tapiwa Gomo, in Durban, South Africa
It is late on Friday afternoon when we arrive in Richard s Bay in Durban, South Africa . The purpose of our mission is to visit Red Cross projects in KwaZulu Natal. In the early evening, we are taken around to familiarize ourselves with the area before visits begin in the morning. As we pass through Slovo village, a
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - July 7, 2005
Maude Froberg, in Kobe, Japan
26-year-old Ena Kano is in a hurry. During the 7th International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific (ICAAP) held from 1st to 5th July in the Japanese city of Kobe, she moves quickly through the crowd of researchers, activists, politicians, HIV-positive people and representatives from different countries and organ
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - July 6, 2005
The world has turned its attention to Africa this week, giving the continent a priority which the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies applauds. We have been particularly impressed by the energy and vigour of the awareness-raising campaign in the Live 8 concerts, and by the determination of
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - June 15 2005
Geneva, Johannesburg - The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has expressed concern about the future viability of some states in Southern Africa if all stakeholders do not rally to protect and support orphans and other children made vulnerable by HIV and AIDS. The International Federation
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - June 9, 2005
Abel Hamutenya in Windhoek
The Namibian President, Hifikepunye Pohamba, officially launched the Namibia Red Cross Society s HIV and AIDS Action Now booklet in Windhoek on 3 June. The head of state said the HIV/AIDS pandemic had touched all communities in the country, and its deadly march continued to affect Namibians of all ages. This means that
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - June 8, 2005
Rosemarie North in Yangon
In Myanmar s eastern Shan state, in the golden triangle between China , Laos and Thailand , people were getting sick. No one knew why they were getting sores on their skin and wasting away. Maybe it had something to do with people leaving their mountain villages and cr
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - June 2, 2005
Dr. Tim Bray* in Delhi
National Red Cross and Red Crescent societies in South Asia have received a major boost with initial funding confirmed for the biggest International Federation AIDS regional programme outside of southern Africa. Initial funding has been received for the CHF 15 million five-year HIV/AIDS programme which encompasses the
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - May 31, 2005
Ilmira Gafiatullina in Bishkek
Risk reduction and health emergencies, as well as the need to strengthen the position of Central Asia s national Red Crescent societies in their relationships with partners were at the top of the agenda when Juan Manuel Suarez del Toro, President of the International Federation, visited to Kyrgyzstan last w
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - May 30, 2005
Asta Ytres
Testing positive for HIV changed my life, but it did not break me, explains a young Jamaican woman to a group of Red Cross youth volunteers. Now I tell my story to help others, she adds. In Trondheim, Norway , a middle-aged man speaks to another group of youth volunteers. It is hard to live with HIV, he says. I am h
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - May 25, 2005
Raymond Syms
Trinidad and Tobago Red Cross volunteer Sheila Ramberran hopes to share what she has learnt about mother-to-child transmission of HIV with her community and church. But for now the single mother of two, a volunteer with the southern branch of the Trinidad and Tobago Red
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - May 24, 2005
When the HIV pandemic is finally contained, the Red Cross Red Crescent volunteers will have mobilised a key part of the response. Their work, and that of the communities in which they live, is central to our message today. This contribution was acknowledged in the Declaration of the UNGASS on AIDS in 2001, as we all co
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - May 18, 2005
Joe Lowry and Elena Nyanenkova
It s a dynamic week in Kiev. Up to half a million visitors are converging on the city by the Dnieper River for the annual Eurovision song contest. And as Europe and Ukraine come closer in geopolitical terms, the International Federation and Ukrainian Red Cross are ensuring that the hundreds of millions who watch the co
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - May 18, 2005
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies will stage the European launch of its global anti-stigma campaign called Come closer... to coincide with the Eurovision Song Contest in Kiev, Ukraine , this week. European Red Cross Societies have asked performers at the Eurovision competition to supp
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - May 13, 2005
Jose Tomas, Mozambique Red Cross
Having HIV or AIDS is not the end of life but a new beginning, says Andre Julai, a 42-year-old father-of-four, from the Catembe district of the Mozambican capital, Maputo. For the past fours years, Julai has been living with HIV. I was living without hope because I was afraid that I would die soon. But so far I have m
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - May 11, 2005
Roy Probert in Geneva
The International Federation and World Health Organisation have signalled their intent to step up their collaboration in key health sectors in a joint cooperation letter signed at the opening session of a Red Cross Red Crescent health forum in Geneva. The letter, which follows on from a number of regional agreements be
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - May 10, 2005
As governments and health experts prepare for the World Health Assembly next week, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies is calling on decision-makers to give civil society a greater role in combating the world s major health challenges. To highlight the Red Cross Red Crescent successes i
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - May 5, 2005
John Sparrow in the Ili Valley
Around Saslikh Lake, in the far western Chinese city of Yining, children play among discarded needles and syringes. Drug users favour this place, its winding parkland trails offering privacy for their habits and innumerable escape routes when the police occasionally raid. Yining is located in the Ili Valley, 60 kilomet
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - April 21, 2005
Spreading the light of science and the warmth of human sympathy . These were the words used in Paris in 1919 by the founders of the League of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Under this slogan, the International Movement of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, which I have been involved with since the age of eight, ha
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - April 21, 2005
Allison Ali and Elizabeth Sagastume
Exclusion and social division feed the HIV epidemic. Discrimination is not protection. It merely separates us from the power of humanity that we all need to respond effectively to the HIV epidemic, said Bernard Gardiner, manager of the International Federation s global HIV/AIDS Programme at the global launch of phase
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - April 20, 2005
Too few countries have met the commitment they made in the 2001 UN Declaration of Commitment on HIV/AIDS, to enact legislation to protect people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) and groups vulnerable to HIV, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said today as it launched a third phase of its
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - April 15, 2005
Roy Probert in Geneva
The Red Cross Red Crescent s growing global involvement in road safety was an important theme in some of the successful projects to be funded this year by the Empress Shoken Fund. Also prominent was the promotion of health and humanitarian values in vulnerable communities and the training of volunteers. Nine programmes
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - April 11, 2005
Cristina Medina in Quitos
You may think it won t happen to you that it only touches dirty people. You feel invulnerable? Who can assure you of that? There is always death in the Russian roulette. And if you test positive? What about that? What will you do with your life? The song lyrics are stark. They tell young people that they can be direct
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - 8 April 2005
Statement by Ms Joy Muller, International Representation Officer, at the UN Commission on Human Rights, in Geneva
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, working through its member National Societies in virtually every country in the world, attaches the highest priority to addressing the vulnerability of children. The work of our National Societies is well-known, but we believe there is a need for fre
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - April 6, 2005
Tapiwa Gomo in Harare
After serving for more than 32 years as a volunteer for the Red Cross in Zimbabwe , Joseph Ndala, 52, is still filled with zeal and energy. He has no plans to retire. It s the passion to serve human life that keeps me going, says Joseph. He thinks the experience he has accrued during all those years should not just go
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - March 17, 2005
We join all other delegations which have welcomed Louise Arbour to her responsibility as High Commissioner for Human Rights. Her work is, of course, well-known to us all, and we at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies look forward to maintaining a strong working relationship with her and
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - March 8, 2005
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies congratulates the Commission on the decision that there should be a thematic debate concentrated on the twin themes of community capacity-building and preventing HIV/AIDS and other blood-borne diseases in the context of drug abuse prevention. These ar
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - 2 February 2005
Tapiwa Gomo
The Angola Red Cross Society and the country s main organisation representing people living with HIV/AIDS, the Luta Pela Vida Association, signed a cooperation agreement on in Luanda 26 January that will see the two organisations working together to improve the lives of people living with HIV and AIDS and orphans in th
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies - 20 January 2005
Elena Nyanenkova
The Red Cross in the former Soviet state of Moldova is helping teenagers in the tiny, isolated country to come to terms with new realities. Since independence, the country of four million people has seen ongoing frozen conflict and spiralling unemployment which has led to the emigration of hundreds of thousands of its
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