Reinventing the Red Ribbon
by Judith King - HIVAN Media Office
 November is Red Ribbon Month. Over the 20 year period during which the HIV/AIDS epidemic has taken hold of communities all over the world, this symbol of the scarlet loop has come to mean many things to many people, but to far too many, it still means very little. For those who have lost loved ones to AIDS or who are HIV-positive themselves, it is both a painful reminder of illness and death, as well as a catalyst for activism and transformation in the lives of the living. For some it signifies a warning, either of the fear born of loneliness and stigma, or of the need for awareness to live and love safely. However, for others, who remain distant from and dismissive of the struggle it represents, it is irrelevant and dreary.
As free individuals, we each have the right to hold our own perspective on the ribbon's message; but with the current magnitude of the epidemic in our own sub-continent of Africa, and the "Next Wave" rising to engulf Russia, India and China, one thing is certain: no-one in the world can continue to ignore HIV/AIDS. The Red Ribbon will endure as long as this disease syndrome scythes its way through our homes and hearts, and its message is nothing less than a call to arms.
Despite the stats, the sagas and the stalling, we have an arsenal of weapons against HIV/AIDS, and we can devise a powerful battle plan. We have gathered much knowledge about the tactics and targets of the HI-Virus, and using this intelligence, we can deploy both modern science and ancient wisdom to develop effective healing methods and products. As rapid as the spread of the HI-Virus may be, we have, by virtue of ever-advancing information and transportation technology, the means to spread accurate information about HIV and AIDS far and wide. However, what we need most of all now is the ultimate weapon - masses of troops of human beings equipped with the super-power of unconditional love, a compassion that knows no barriers and overcomes all obstacles, and the unfaltering courage to fight on.
As the global HIV/AIDS epidemic obligates us to close ranks and act decisively, the Red Ribbon is the badge of One Human Family, one we should honour through remembrance and relationship. It should not be a branding for "untouchables", but a symbol of empathic recognition. The colour red should remind and recharge us, and the loop should bind our fragmented societies to respond with the strength of unity. As the Sufi writer Ibn Hazim put it: "Love is an incurable disease - no-one who catches it wants to recover, and all its victims refuse a cure."
If love and the spirit of ubuntu are the best vaccine for HIV, what can you do this month to acknowledge, protect and comfort someone facing its effects?
Do you have an opinion about these views? HIVAN welcomes yours, and invites you to send your thoughts to our Webmaster at [email protected] for publication on this site, or alternatively to participate in our Discussion Boards by clicking here hivan.org.za/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi
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