Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1999. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
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The Miami Herald - October 24, 1999
Bea L. Hines - bhines@herald.com
In fact, a spiritual approach to HIV/AIDS can help the infected as well as the affected in many ways, said Marc Cohen, president of the United Foundation for AIDS. "This is a critical time in the fight against HIV in our community," he said.
So much so that Cohen and Nathan Katz, chairman of the Department of Religious Studies at Florida International University, organized a conference to be held from 1 to 5 p.m. today at FIU's North Miami Campus, 3000 NE 145th St., in Room 10 of the Kovens Conference Center.
Titled HIV/AIDS and Spirituality: An Urgent Dialogue, the conference will feature Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati, spiritual teacher and founder of Kashi Ashram and the River Fund, as the keynote speaker.
She will speak on the importance of Spirituality in the Comprehensive Disease Management approach to living with HIV for those infected and others affected by the disease and for those working in the HIV/AIDS spectrum.
"I'm going to tell the spiritual leaders of the community to open their doors to all people who have the HIV virus," Ma Jaya said. "It is time now for spirituality to come into play to help lead and embrace people who have fought the disease for so many years. It is time now for spiritual leaders to live up to the mark."
A spiritual approach to managing HIV not only helps reduce the level of stress; it also helps patients to understand more about living with HIV, Cohen said.
"It will also give those with HIV a place to go inside themselves to find comfort to live with the pain. Becoming more spiritual is not a cure, but it is healing from the inside out. It helps family members, as well, who have had difficulty in dealing with loved ones with the disease," he said.
Cohen said he and Katz came up with the idea for the conference because "we understand the tremendous need for urgent dialogue about the HIV crisis in Miami-Dade County."
According to Katz: "The power of the spirit to promote physical and psychological wellness is just beginning to be recognized in our society. Spirituality must become a regular aspect of treating diseases, including the dreaded HIV/AIDS epidemic."
About one in 20 of greater Miami's population is infected with HIV, making Miami one of the top three cities in the nation for HIV infections. Because of the seriousness of the situation, an HIV Crisis Response Team was created by Miami-Dade County Mayor Alex Penelas, Cohen said.
The conference will also feature several workshops. Presenters will include the Rev. Ken South, director of the AIDS National Interfaith Network in Washington; the Rev. Jerry Anderson of Miami's Episcopal AIDS Ministry; Rabbi Chaim Richter of Broward County's Jewish AIDS Network; Douglas Cantebury-Counts, who will discuss Psycho Spiritual Transformation;, the Rev. Marilyn Usher of Greater Bethel AME Church in Overtown, and Ma Jaya.
"We are expecting about 300 people at the conference," Cohen said, "but I hope they show up in busloads. That's how important this conference is. Spirituality is an important common denominator for all of us to share. The conference is open to all -- those who work in the field, family, friends and people living with HIV/AIDS."
The program will continue at 3 p.m. Monday at FIU's South Campus, when Ma Jaya speaks to interfaith clergy on the dialogue of religion and AIDS.
It's free. To register for today's conference, call FIU's Department of Religious Studies at 305-348-2186.
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