STRATEGY CONSULTATION ON CHURCHES AND HIV/AIDS IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE

15-18 December 2003
St. Petersburg, Russia

MEMORANDUM OF INTENTION

PREAMBLE

We who represent Christian churches and church-related organizations are committed to building up a compassionate community, which responds to the needs of society in the midst of the AIDS epidemic. We have gathered to address the emerging HIV epidemic in Central and Eastern Europe. We believe that people with HIV/AIDS are loved and accepted by God and are equal members of our community. People living with HIV/AIDS can contribute fully to their communities and we are committed to welcoming them into the full life of our churches.

We are committed to ensuring that our communities are fully informed about the reality of this crisis and are equipped and willing to act in a way to prevent the spread of this disease and to support and sustain those who are affected by HIV/AIDS. We will work with civil society and governmental and local institutions while striving to be grounded in Christian values and ethics.

We will strive to empower the people of our communities to make responsible decisions based on ethical behaviour and to avoid risky practices with special attention paid to groups that are especially vulnerable.

Even though we may have different approaches to certain issues, we are united in the fundamental belief in the sacred worth of human beings and that the Gospel mandates that we love and respect all people regardless of their circumstances.

PREVENTION

The political, social and economic changes in Central and Eastern Europe throughout the last two decades have made certain population groups vulnerable to HIV/AIDS. We resolve to focus our church-related HIV/AIDS work on the following groups:

1. Children and youth, including those who are orphans and/or homeless/street children
2. Women
3. Children born of HIV-infected mothers
4. Prisoners
5. HIV-infected and affected persons
6. Drug users

We will continue to assess the needs of other groups that may also be vulnerable to HIV infection.

The battle against the HIV/AIDS crisis is a battle for the dignity of life. It calls us to use all effective means of prevention within a context of Christian ethics.

CARE

Many people infected by HIV carry additional burdens in the form of other illnesses, poverty and economic hardship, imprisonment, stigma and social exclusion. As Christians, we are called to care for and support all those in need regardless of social status, religion, lifestyle or health condition. The inclusion of those who are infected with or affected by HIV in this care is part of the Christian vocation.

STIGMA AND DISCRIMINATION

Persons living with HIV/AIDS are often severely stigmatized and subject to various forms of discrimination. As Christians, we believe all human beings are created in the image of God and therefore have intrinsic value and dignity. Any form of stigmatization or discrimination perpetrated against human beings violates this divine image and is therefore a sin. We believe as Christians that all people are called to resist this offence against God-given human dignity anywhere it occurs.

GENDER

We acknowledge that unequal gender relations in our communities make girls and women increasingly vulnerable to HIV infection. This is further enhanced by recent changes in society that have led to the exploitation of women as sexual objects. We must show a willingness to take action to deal with these complicated issues.

We must dare to focus more on the rights of women and children and the particular issues of sexual coercion and domestic violence. Each woman and man should have a shared responsibility to prevent the spread of HIV within his or her family, community and society. We must also focus on the role of men and masculinity in HIV prevention.

ADVOCACY

We will advocate for the right of every person to be protected from HIV infection. We will equally advocate for the human rights, dignity, and full participation in society of all persons infected with or affected by HIV/AIDS. We will promote full access for HIV-infected persons to appropriate health care, pastoral care and psychosocial support. We will promote openness and honesty surrounding all issues connected with the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

This meeting was made possible with the financial support from Christian Aid, Christian Interchurch Diaconal Council of St. Petersburg, Norwegian Church Aid and the World Council of Churches.

Participant organizations
Armenia Round Table; AROBO "Rasvet”; Belarus Round Table; Christian Interchurch Diaconal Council of St. Petersburg; Caritas St. Petersburg; Coordination Committee for Interchurch Aid in Ukraine; DanChurchAID; Diakonia Agapes, Albania; Ecumenical Humanitarian organization, Serbia & Montenegro; FinnChurchAid; Interchurch Organization for Development Co-operation, Netherlands;“Kamen”Pskov- Russia;, “Maria” Mothers Against Drugs, Volvograd, Russia;"New Beginning" Murmansk, Russia; Norwegian Church AID; Novoe Vremja, Ekaterinburg, Russia; Petrozavodsk Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church; Philanthropy, Humanitarian organization of the Serbian Orthodox Church; Russia Round Table ( Russian Orthodox Church); United Church of Christ, USA; UMCOR Armenia; UNAIDS-Moscow; World Council of Churches; World Vision, Armenia.

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