In Sept 2010 Ved Vignan MahaVidya Peeth (The Art of Living), in partnership with UCO, the Karnataka State AIDS Prevention Society, HEROES Project, International Network of Religious Leaders Living with or Personally affected by HIV and AIDS (INERELA+) and Asian Interfaith Network on HIV and AIDS - AINA (India), UNICEF, and APAC-VHS to support a high-level interfaith summit ”Faith in Action, an Inter Faith Summit on HIV, 2010” organized by Art of Living on 27 -28, Sep 2010 at their Centre in Bangalore.
The summit sought to maximize the growing leadership potential of religious leaders from all faiths in the response to HIV and AIDS.The Summit was attended by over 400 inter faith Religious Leaders, delegates and VVIPs from the Government and other sectors, across India and from the Asia Pacific region.
This summit was a forum to provide a platform and an open channel of communication for religious leaders, Faith Based Organizations (FBOs) and many other groups to debate the issue and arrive at ways and actions to reduce the stigma and discrimination faced by people living with HIV, who are isolated from the mainstream. The outcome was a declaration signed by religious leaders from eight faiths committing to work on prevention of HIV, reducing stigma and discrimination and provide compassion and care for people livingwith HIV and AIDS
As a follow up to this meeting, Ved Vignan MahaVidya Peeth (AOL) along with its partners UNAIDS, AINA+, INERELA+ & HEROES Project met with National AIDS Control Organization (NACO, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Govt of India) to discuss how to further support and strengthen the FBOs contribution to the national response on HIV, on the 11th of Jan 2011.
It was felt that there be a document collated specifically with scientific evidence in religious scriptures which may be related to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support issues.
And to augment this, A two days working meeting to assess and adapt different religious scriptures on their respective approaches to illness and HIV is scheduled at The Art of Living International Centre, Bengaluru on the 12th and 13th of March 2011.
The Working Group Meeting will have
A. Interfaith Leaders/Scholars from representing the following faiths:
- Hinduism
- Christianity
- Islam
- Buddhism
- Jainism and
- Sikhism
B. People Living with HIV and AIDS
C. AOL FIA 2010 State Coordinators and
D. Resource Personnel/Facilitators from UNAIDS, NACO, IICA and AOL.
