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Take Action at the US Social Forum!

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Thursday, June 24, 2010
9:00 p.m.

2010 USSF Forum
COBO Hall, Plenary Session
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AIDS ACTIVIST PEOPLE'S MOVEMENT ASSEMBLY DIES IN FRONT OF THE GLOBAL ECONOMY PLENARY SESSION AT THE USSF

AIDS is still a crisis from Detroit to Dakar

Detroit, MI: People living with HIV/AIDS, Health GAP, ACT-UP Philadelphia, Philadelphia Global AIDS Watch Dogs (G A W D), NYC AIDS Housing Network/VOCAL, Gender JUST, Youth United For Change and other supporters will hold a die in at the 2010 United States Social Forum (USSF).

There are currently 33 million people living with HIV around the world, of that number about 13 million need immediate access to lifesaving AIDS medications in order to survive. Yet, less than 4 million people around the world have access to AIDS treatment. Recent studies have shown that access to HIV treatment is 93% effective in preventing the spread of HIV.

However, the United States and other wealthy countries have dramatically reduced their commitments to providing funding for universal access to treatment-despite global promises. The protest will happen on the week before the G20 meeting in Canada.

The global AIDS movement was born out of the civil rights movement of the late 1960's, the DE-institutionalization movement and gay liberation movement of the 1970's and the anti-apartheid movement of the 1980's. With the very direct root causes of AIDS-poverty, racism and homophobia- driving the epidemic, AIDS activists easily work across issue areas to survive. However, the USSF has illustrated how marginalized AIDS organizing remains even among the most progressive groups in the country. At the World Social Forum in Dakar in February of 2011, African activists will highlight how the AIDS crisis has ravaged their communities. It is necessary for those of us in the United States to get involved in the fight against global AIDS.

The AIDS Activist People's Movement Assembly is holding a die-in at the global economy plenary to increase visibility to this cross cutting issue. “If you are working on immigrant rights, you are fighting for people living with AIDS who come to the United States seeking
treatment. If you are working on housing rights, you are fighting for people with AIDS who die needlessly on the streets and in substandard shelters. If you are working on fighting global corporate power, you are fighting along side people living with AIDS who face powerful corporations who would rather see millions of people die, then relinquish a small portion of their enormous profits.”, said Yetta Smith, a member of ACT UP Philadelphia and a graduate of Health GAP's IMPACT project.

“AIDS needs to be addressed by all of us at this conference. It is not the sole responsibility of people living with AIDS to carry the burden of this fight for survival. We all must join the struggle.” said Charles Long of the NYC AIDS Housing Network/VOCAL.

The AIDS activists are asking USSF participants to join them for a condom conga line at the Leftist Lounge on Friday night to show support for the AIDS movement and to sign a petition calling for full funding for the global AIDS fight to President Obama.

For more information, go to www.takeanumber.org, actupphilly.org or nycahn.org!