November 25, 2005 Source: University of Toronto:
http://www.news.utoronto.ca/bin6/051125-1863.asp U of T marks progress, challenges ahead on World AIDS Day Philip Berger to deliver keynote speech
Nov 25/05
by Nicolle Wahl With new UN statistics reporting Nov. 21 that more than 40 million people around the world are living with HIV/AIDS, the commemoration of World AIDS Day seems timelier than ever. For the second consecutive year, the Faculty of Medicine’s Centre for International Health (CIH) is co-ordinating U of T’s World AIDS Day events Dec. 1 as part of the global movement to celebrate the progress made in fighting HIV/AIDS and the challenges ahead. More than 25 events will take place across all three campuses. The programs have been put together by various divisions; for example, at the Faculty of Medicine, various films and documentaries will be screened and organizers are planning a stationary bikeathon in the Stone Lobby. At the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of U of T, stairwells and elevators will serve as platforms for artwork and performance art. "It’s something to make you stop and think," said Judy Kopelow, the manager of strategic initiatives for CIH. (Visit http://intlhealth.med.utoronto.ca/index.php for a list of U of T’s World AIDS Day events.) The events will culminate in an evening program at Hart House, thanks in part to the alliance between CIH and Hart House’s social justice committee. The program will begin with a 10-minute original operatic piece, followed by a student presentation on various AIDS-related topics, such as gender, access to anti-retroviral therapies and the politics of developing countries, set to a backdrop of dramatic photographs and accompanied by a group of percussionists. Following the presentation, President David Naylor, who helped launch CIH in 2001, will introduce keynote speaker, Dr. Philip Berger. Berger is chief of the department of family and community medicine, medical director of the Inner City Health program at St. Michael's Hospital and a member of the Ontario advisory committee on HIV/AIDS. Earlier this year, he spent more than seven months as team leader of the Ontario Hospital Association’s AIDS initiative (OHAfrica Project) at the Tšepong Clinic in Leribe, Lesotho. "Dr. Berger’s commitment to the fight against HIV/AIDS is an inspiring example of the impact one dedicated person can have in what often seems to be an uphill battle," said Naylor. "My hope is that U of T’s World AIDS Day celebrations will inspire others to devote whatever time and energy they can to fighting this unprecedented epidemic." The evening will conclude with gahu songs, a traditional art form from Ghana and Togo that involves singing, dancing, drumming, drama and colourful costumes. Roughly 80 performers from the Faculty of Music will participate in a performance led by choirmaster Doreen Rao and percussionist Kwasi Dunyo. "At U of T, we have leaders that are known around the world for the work that they are doing in HIV/AIDS," said Kopelow. "The ability to mobilize the entire university community on World AIDS Day speaks to the potential for having a real impact."
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