wfn.org | WCC's unique consultation on HIV/AIDS in Africa

["Sheila Mesa" <smm@wcc-coe.org>]

World Council of Churches
Press Release, PR-01-44
For Immediate Use
23 November 2001

World Council of Churches' unique consultation on HIV/AIDS in
Africa

International and African ecumenical organizations will develop
a coordinated plan of action to respond to the scourge of AIDS at
a World Council of Churches (WCC) "Global Consultation on
Ecumenical Responses to the Challenges of HIV/AIDS in Africa",
Nairobi, Kenya, 25-28 November 2001. The consultation will take
place in the Kenya School of Monetary Studies, Nairobi.  

"HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa is a plague of genocidal
proportions. No other calamity since the slave trade has
depopulated Africa as AIDS has", said Rev. Dr Sam Kobia, director
of the WCC Issues and Themes Cluster which includes the HIV/AIDS
work. "The economic social and spiritual consequences cannot be
over-emphasized. The churches in Africa consider HIV/AIDS to
constitute the biggest challenge to their mission and calling of
promoting life with dignity in sustainable communities", Kobia
said.  

African church leaders, ecumenical bodies, national councils of
churches and related non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have
met in Uganda, South Africa and Senegal since January 2001. Now,
in Nairobi, they will share the results of those discussions with
international ecumenical partner agencies to develop a joint plan
of action.  

"The Nairobi consultation is unique. For the first time the
churches of Africa and all the major ecumenical funding partners
from Europe and North America will draw up a coordinated plan of
action. We cannot waste time and we must not, for we have to
overcome the scourge of AIDS in Africa", said Kobia.  

The consultation of over 120 people includes sessions on
education, training and prevention, and care, treatment and
support for victims.    

The WCC staff person responsible for the consultation is Dr
Manoj Kurian.  

The Nairobi contact person, for media enquiries and interviews
is:
Ms Martha Mbugguss, Communication Director, National Council of
Churches of Kenya,
Telephone (++254 - 2) 217 760; alternative: (++254 - 2) 215 560
Email: ncck-dgs@nbnet.co.ke 

Contact number for Ms Mbugguss during the meeting at the Kenya
School of Monetary Studies is: (++254 - 2) 861 177 or 802 225 
Email: info@ksms.or.ke marked "for Martha Mbugguss at the WCC
meeting"

**********
The World Council of Churches (WCC) is a fellowship of churches,
now 342, in more than 100 countries in all continents from
virtually all Christian traditions. The Roman Catholic Church is
not a member church but works cooperatively with the WCC. The
highest governing body is the assembly, which meets approximately
every seven years. The WCC was formally inaugurated in 1948 in
Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Its staff is headed by general
secretary Konrad Raiser from the Evangelical Church in Germany.

World Council of Churches
Media Relations Office
Tel: (41 22) 791 6153 / 791 6421
Fax: (41 22) 798 1346
E-mail: ka@wcc-coe.org 
Web: www.wcc-coe.org 

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