WCC NEWS: Supporting parents dealing with HIV/AIDS impact

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World Council of Churches - News

SUPPORTING PARENTS DEALING WITH HIV/AIDS IMPACT

For immediate release: 29 September 2011

In a new book titled Parenting: a Journey of Love author Dr Fulata
Lusungu Moyo of the World Council of Churches (WCC) offers profound
perspectives on parenting, especially in context of HIV/AIDS in Sub
Saharan Africa.

Parenting: a Journey of Love (Link:
http://www.oikoumene.org/index.php?RDCT=eed9675bf848e3f1b99d ) is designed for 
parents and
guardians, enabling them to be a gender socializing institution for
children, especially in situations impacted by HIV/AIDS. This includes
improving their understanding of theological, ethical, spiritual and
social implications of HIV/AIDS, and the challenges to overcome stigma
with compassion. The book is one of the “Called to Care” workbook
series published by Strategies for Hope.

Parenting: a Journey of Love is one of Moyo’s several engagements with
gender and church issues. Moyo is the WCC programme executive for Women in
Church and Society (Link:
http://www.oikoumene.org/index.php?RDCT=426847d54d7b24227875 ).

Her work at the WCC focuses on accomplishing the contribution of women in
the ecumenical movement. In this workbook, she combines her personal
approach to parenting, along with the struggles of religious communities
dealing with HIV/AIDS and its impact.

“Being a parent is indeed a journey, from a distinct starting point
towards an infinite future, full of promises, but also beset by
uncertainties and dangers,” says Moyo in foreword to the workbook,
explaining the motivations behind the content. “The basic approach of
this book, which is written from a Christian perspective, is that the most
effective parenting strategy consists of what I call ‘modelling rooted
in love’,” she adds.


Bringing in a personal perspective

Parenting: a Journey of Love includes Moyo’s perspectives, based on her
own experiences. She says, “As a widow, who lost my husband to liver
cancer in 1999, and other family members and friends to AIDS related
complications, I had been trying to make sense of single parenting. In
this workbook, invited by ‘Called to Care (Link:
http://www.oikoumene.org/index.php?RDCT=27e82d89578945b7082f )’, and inspired 
by the World
Health Organization, I am sharing some of my own struggles.”

While Parenting: a Journey of Love is to be used by churches, faith based
organizations, NGOs and community groups especially in Sub Saharan Africa,
it can be adapted in other parts of the world. It is produced in English
and will be translated into French, Portuguese and Swahili languages.

The “Called to Care” publications are practical, action oriented,
participatory well illustrated and gender focused. These workbooks,
therefore, were used in some of the WCC programmes, shares Moyo, including
the Ecumenical HIV and AIDS Initiative in Africa (Link:
http://www.oikoumene.org/index.php?RDCT=557948fcf8b83d2b65aa ).

Parenting: a Journey of Love will be officially launched at the WCC Philip
Potter Library (Link: 
http://www.oikoumene.org/index.php?RDCT=53c2e9632883630ea36b ) on
Tuesday, 4 October 2011, 12.00 noon at the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva,
Switzerland, where Moyo will engage in an interactive discussion with
guests.


More information on the Women in Church and Society programme
(Link: http://www.oikoumene.org/index.php?RDCT=fa7d54e954f457ec5aad )


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 349 Protestant, 
Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 560 million 
Christians in over 110 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman 
Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit, 
from the [Lutheran] Church of Norway. Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.



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