Pope Benedict XVI

This week, Pope Benedict has been visiting Africa. No surprise when on the plane down to Cameroon, the pope fielded a few questions from the working press traveling with him. According to the Vatican News Service, here's what he had to say about condoms and HIV/AIDS:

Answering a question on the Catholic Church's approach to HIV/AIDS, considered by some as unrealistic and ineffective, the Pope said: "It is my belief believe that the most effective presence on the front in the battle against HIV/AIDS is in fact the Catholic Church and her institutions. ... The problem of HIV/AIDS cannot be overcome with mere slogans. If the soul is lacking, if Africans do not help one another, the scourge cannot be resolved by distributing condoms; quite the contrary, we risk worsening the problem. The solution can only come through a twofold commitment: firstly, the humanisation of sexuality, in other words a spiritual and human renewal bringing a new way of behaving towards one another; and secondly, true friendship, above all with the suffering, a readiness - even through personal sacrifice - to stand by those who suffer".

In a matter of hours, the HIV/AIDS establishment took out the heavy artillery against the pope's words, even as they misinterpreted his comments. Here's one example from the Voice of America:

French Foreign Ministry Spokesman Eric Chevallier voiced sharp concern over the consequences of the pope's comments, telling reporters that while it is not up to the French government to pass judgment on church doctrine, Paris believes such comments are a threat to public health policies and the duty to protect human life. Vatican Spokesman Federico Lombardi is defending the church's approach to AIDS. He says Pope Benedict is putting the emphasis on education. Lombardi told reporters in Yaounde that developing an ideology of confidence in condoms is not correct because it fails to focus on personal responsibility.

OK. Who's got the greater hold on the truth of this situation about condoms and fighting the spread of HIV? I've been following the HIV and the church story since 1994. So here are my five reasons why condoms are part of the problem:

1. People who have lots of sex with lots of partners do not use condoms consistently every single time.

2. The use of condoms creates a false sense of security for people who are most at risk of getting or transmitting HIV.

3. As the rate of HIV infection grows in a general population, it spreads much more quickly than condoms can be distributed.

4. Programs to distribute condoms for free to all parties are continually subject to political, religious, ethnic, and cultural barriers that blunt their effectiveness.

5. Government-supported efforts to promote condom use have the result (intentional or unintentional) of also promoting extra- or pre-marital sexual relations, also putting a population at risk of other sexually transmitted diseases.

Don't get me wrong. I think the ABC concept, Abstinence, Fidelity, or Condoms, is the real deal. Condoms do have a role to play. Unfortunately, condom use has become part of the problem and part of the solution.

Agree, disagree? Email me here.

Posted by Tim Morgan at March 18, 2009 | Comments (30)

Updated: Tuesday, Dec. 2, 5 p.m., CST

Inside a theater at the Newseum on Pennsylvania Avenue between the White House and Capitol Hill, Saddleback pastor Rick Warren praised President Bush for his commitment to fighting HIV/AIDS, malaria, and TB.

Eight years ago, who could have imagined that George W. Bush would receive such an award? Bush is now inside his final 50 days as president. This particular event didn't make the front page of the New York Times. In fact, the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day also didn't make many front pages around the country.

How is this possible when there are about 40 million people with the virus and the daily death toll is around 8,000 per day? If this daily carnage happened in one day in a single major metro area, of course, there would be wall to wall coverage, 24/7. (Maybe we need to re-label the virus as a terrorist plot.) A few years ago, when I last sat down to figure out the daily death toll, it was about 5,300 per day.

Bottom line: We are still losing this war against HIV even though it is no small miracle that the taxpayer-funded program, PEPFAR, has now surpassed the goal of having 2 million people on AIDS-fighting drugs. This new reality saves lives, reducing the number of orphans and helps build up the health care infrastructure.

The Monday celebration in Washington started with a period and ended with a question mark. The period is the 20-year period of time since the first World AIDS Day in 1988. Yes, the achievements in treatment, care, and prevention are historic and important. The level of cooperation between groups has rarely been higher. HIV activist David Miller now knows Jesus.

These are all really significant things.

The question mark is this: What will the Obama administration do? Well for the moment, we do have many encouraging words from world leaders, including UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon in support of the PEPFAR strategy.

But Obama in his own statement leaves us with this question from the Apostle Paul:

"If the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle?" President-elect Obama clearly calls for a commitment to "confront and defeat this disease once and for all."

Wonderful. But disease prevention must be front and center and that's where the tug of war over human sexual behavior and traditional morality is taking place. And, that's not over by a long shot.

Sunday, Nov. 30
Tomorrow, on Monday, Dec. 1, Saddleback Pastor Rick Warren and his wife Kay will be holding a Global Civil Forum to award President Bush for his efforts in fighting HIV/AIDS worldwide, especially through the PEPFAR program.

Here's a few words from the press announcement:

Dr. Rick Warren will present President George W. Bush with the first “International Medal of PEACE” from the Global PEACE Coalition in recognition of his unprecedented contribution to the fight against HIV/AIDS and other diseases during the Saddleback Civil Forum on Global Health, to be held at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. on World AIDS Day, Dec. 1.

At the Forum, Warren will engage both President Bush and Mrs. Laura Bush in candid conversation regarding past accomplishments and priorities moving forward regarding international health issues – including HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. President-elect Barack Obama will provide a video-taped message addressing the future of global health.

“No U.S. president or political leader has done more for global health than this Administration, which has raised the bar on America’s role and responsibility for providing critical humanitarian assistance around the world,” Warren said. “Over the past eight years, the President and Mrs. Bush have traveled the globe as they and their staffs have worked tirelessly to bring awareness and solutions to pandemics such as HIV/AIDS, and we are privileged to honor their efforts on World AIDS Day.”

The “International Medal of PEACE” is given on behalf of the Global PEACE Coalition for outstanding contribution toward alleviating the five global giants recognized by the Coalition, including pandemic diseases, extreme poverty, illiteracy, self-centered leadership and spiritual emptiness. The Coalition is a network of churches, businesses and individuals cooperating together to solve humanitarian issues through the PEACE Plan, an effort to mobilize 1 billion Christians to Promote reconciliation, Equip servant leaders, Assist the poor, Care for the sick and Educate the next generation.

During the Forum, Warren will recognize President Bush and his Administration for their implementation and success of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which has provided $18.8 billion since 2003 to combat global HIV/AIDS. Congress has recently authorized an additional $48 billion for ongoing efforts to address this pandemic as well as tuberculosis and malaria over the next five years.

“As my wife Kay and I have been implementing the PEACE Plan in 68 developing countries, we have seen firsthand many of the hundreds of thousands of lives that have been saved through PEPFAR and the President’s Malaria Initiative,” Warren said. “I hope that this Forum will show the American people that our global health programs represent more than compassionate humanitarian efforts, but are also a strong, prudent pillar of American foreign policy.”

The historic event will be appropriately held at the Newseum, a 250,000-square-foot museum of news, located at the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and Sixth Street, N.W., in Washington, D.C. Dedicated to offering visitors an interactive experience of how and why news is made, the Newseum will make news in and of itself by hosting this Forum, which will be the first original broadcast inside its 535-seat theater.

Click here for the live video feed. The event is scheduled to begin 10:30 a.m. Eastern time.

I expect to be there (provided the weather at Midway airport doesn't get much worse) and will give a full report late on Monday night or Tuesday, Dec. 2.

If you have thoughts about Worlds AIDS Day or the work of evangelicals against the virus, post them here or email me: tmorgan@christianitytoday.com

Posted by Tim Morgan at November 30, 2008 | Comments (28)

Hu Jia, who was among those named in our map of pre-Olympic arrests in China, was awarded the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought.

The European Parliament gives out the prestigious annual award. Their press release says:

Hu Jia is a prominent human rights activist and dissident in the People's Republic of China. He has embraced a wide range of causes, including environmental issues, HIV/AIDS advocacy and a call for an official enquiry into the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. He has also acted as a coordinator of the 'barefoot lawyers movement'.

Having already been arrested several times, he spoke to MEPs in November 2007 from house arrest via conference call during a public meeting of the EP Human Rights Subcommittee on human rights in China in the run-up to the Olympic Games. As a result he was charged by the authorities with "inciting subversion of state power" and sentenced on 3 April 2008 to three-and-a-half years in jail.

The prize puts China—which is reportedly pretty steamed—in the awkward position of having an internationally recognized lawyer in prison.

The U.S. State Department and other organizations are demanding Hu’s release: "We are deeply concerned about the imprisonment of human rights activist Hu Jia and have pressed the Chinese authorities for his immediate release on many occasions and at the highest level," State Department spokesman Gordon Duguid told The Age.

Although the European Parliament statement, the Wikipedia page, and reports by The New York Times, BBC, and others don’t mention it, Hu is a Christian and one of many Christian human rights activists fighting for human rights in China.

* * *

While one source listed Hu Jia as a Christian, he is a Buddhist, according to China Aid and others. My apologies.

Posted by Susan Wunderink at October 24, 2008 | Comments (1)

This afternoon, the Senate finally voted on the so-called PEPFAR reauthorization bill.

The Associated Press reports:

The Senate has approved spending $48 billion over the next five years to treat and prevent the spread of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria in Africa and elsewhere around the world.

The legislation more than triples the current $15 billion program that has brought lifesaving drugs to some 1.7 million people with HIV/AIDS.

The bill passed by a vote of 80-16. That sets up negotiations with the House on a final compromise. President Bush has been a strong advocate for the global AIDS program.

Also, I received in my email inbox, this news release from the Global AIDS Alliance:

Washington, July 16 -- Today the US Senate passed a crucial bill, backed by President Bush, that reauthorizes the US program on global HIV/AIDS while also authorizing much greater funding for programs to address tuberculosis and malaria.

"The bill is a tremendous achievement, and I commend Senators Biden and
Lugar, who authored the bill, and Senator Reid whose determination to
bring the bill forward was indispensable," said Dr. Paul Zeitz,
Executive Director of the Global AIDS Alliance.

"The amount per year, about $10 billion, is less than 1 percent of this
year's federal budget, and thas is a small price to pay for a program
that will save millions of lives and foster good will around the world,"
said Zeitz.

The bill, S. 2731, was approved by the Foreign Relations Committee in
March and was endorsed by both Senators Obama and McCain, but it was
then stalled by several Republican legislators. Today several hostile
amendments were defeated, and the bill was approved 80 to 16. The House
appears ready to approve the Senate version.

"Myths and disinformation were used by Senators Kyl, Bunning, DeMint and
others to try to undermine this bill, but in the end the truth won out,"
noted Zeitz. "This bill will expand American leadership on global
health and foster hope around the world. Once fully funded, it will not
only help poor countries but serve America's interests as well."

The bill lays out a five-year strategy for confronting AIDS, TB and
malaria, while authorizing, though not actually providing, a total
funding level of $48 billion for global health programs. The bill also
lays out a policy framework on such closely related issues as gender,
care for orphaned children, nutrition, and health care worker shortages.

This story will hit the front pages of newspapers tomorrow. Watch for an update soon.

Posted by Tim Morgan at July 16, 2008 | Comments (5)

Breaking news, Wednesday, July 9, on HIV legislation stalled in the US Senate for weeks. A source in Washington emailed me this afternoon, saying:

A few minutes ago [Senate leader] Reid brought it [PEPFAR reauthorization] to the Senate floor...He said he had 17 signatures on a petition in favor of the bill. He sounded very determined and insistent and fed up with the delays. Then [Senator] Kyl objected, so Reid has filed for cloture, which will be voted on Friday morning. We are very disapponted at Kyl's action. Every day, AIDS kills about 6000 people and infects another 7000, so delay is the last thing we need. Kyl's delays have hurt President Bush's leadership at the G8 Summit.

What does this mean?

Jon Kyl, the junior senator from Arizona, pretty much has sterling conservative credentials and a "solidly conservative voting record" in the words of the Almanac of American Politics. So what is his beef with the reauthorization of PEPFAR, perhaps the most relatively untarnished legacy program of the Bush administration?

Certainly, sticker shock and mission creep are legit concerns. But here's some op-ed commentary, published in the Tuscon Citizen:

Yet despite the program's widespread support and irrefutable success, Kyl and a handful of Republicans think the price tag of $50 billion over five years is too high.
It would be one thing for legislators thing to balk at expanding a program that had not delivered its intended results, but quite another to stop one that works.
PEPFAR works. PEPFAR has been a model of humanitarian assistance for all the world to see. Some call it the greatest triumph of American foreign policy since the Marshall plan.
In these contentious legislative times, the PEPFAR debate in Washington has been an exercise in compromise, with lawmakers putting humanity above partisanship.
Both parties in Congress and the White House have put aside differences over how the money ought to be spent because they place the value and potential of this program above partisan gain.
But as long as a group of recalcitrant senators continue to block this bill, they take away an opportunity for the United States to exercise global leadership and save countless lives.
Time is running out. Sen. Kyl must see reason and clear the way for PEPFAR's reauthorization to give the president more credible talking points in Japan.

Opponents of the bill have yet to persuasively explain their objections to this legislation or put forward a reasonable way forward. Senator Kyl and others who oppose PEPFAR own an explanation on why stalling this admitted expensive (and by the way successful) program makes sense.

Posted by Tim Morgan at July 9, 2008 | Comments (3)

Time for an update on the $50 billion bill before Congress to re-authorize the PEPFAR legislation.

There is a group of conservative US Senators holding up a vote in the Senate on the reauthorization of the bill for PEPFAR, the President's Emergency Action Plan for AIDS Relief.

A June 11 piece on Politico spells out the problem for the everyday reader:

President Bush’s program to fight HIV/AIDS is considered by Republicans and Democrats alike to be one of the unvarnished foreign policy successes of his presidency. So why has broad bipartisan legislation seeking to more than triple the program’s funding to $50 billion caused such a rancorous fight? Ask Sen. Tom Coburn, M.D. The Oklahoma Republican, along with six other social conservatives, has put a hold on the bill in the Senate, unless a provision is added to direct most of the spending toward treatment for HIV/AIDS rather than toward prevention and other priorities. Otherwise, Coburn said, “the vast majority of the money is going to get consumed by those wanting to help people with HIV, rather than [by] people with HIV.” Coburn argues that treatment of HIV/AIDS-affected individuals usually drops their viral load to the point where they will not infect other people, and thus, it’s “the No. 1 prevention protocol we have.”

Coburn is the junior senator from Oklahoma and one of the few MDs currently serving in Congress. As a conservative, a Southern Baptist, and a Republican, he otherwise gets good marks. For example, Family Research Council granted a 100 rating to Coburn for his 2006 vote record.

But, Coburn and others are taking lots of heat from the faith community that supports the current legislation. Some 36 organizations have signed on to a declaration to ask Senators to vote on PEPFAR and another measure to extend debt relief to the poorest nations.

One of the big reasons the political pressure is on now is that President Bush will be going to the G 8 Summit, which this summer will be in Japan. The Washington Post reported in early June that Bush hopes to pressure G 8 nations for follow through on allocating more money to fight the spread of HIV. If Congress has approved $50 billion in more spending, that might persuade other leaders that the US is in this fight for the long haul.

Actually, a growing concern is overheated, over-moralizing rhetoric. There's a new term on the net for this kind of approach. It is being called: Gersonism, after Mike Gerson, former Bush speechwriter. Read about that here.

Who's got the greater truth here, Gerson or Coburn?

Posted by Tim Morgan at June 12, 2008 | Comments (1)

In Washington this week, conservatives held a press conference on Thursday to call public attention to efforts in Congress to "radically" rewrite PEPFAR, President Bush's signature program to fight HIV/AIDS globally.

In their press statement, these conservatives said:

In his 2008 State of the Union, President Bush said:
"Our Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief is treating 1.4 million people. We can bring healing and hope to many more. So I ask you to maintain the principles that have changed behavior and made this program a success." Instead, the Democrats have decided to radically change or abandon the principles of this widely successful program. Their radical rewrite will pour billions into the hands of abortion providers with little or no regard for the pro-life, pro-family cultures of recipient countries. It also strips provisions that ensure priority funding for the highly effective abstinence and fidelity programs, which have reduced HIV rates in African nations that have implemented it. The Democrat proposal also strips the provision that forbids grants to groups that do not have a policy explicitly opposing prostitution and sex trafficking--a provision designed to combat exploitation of women in recipient countries.

In addition to members of Congress, Saddleback church's senior pastor Rick Warren and author Chuck Colson attended the press event. A transcript of remarks are not available. But most if not all of these conservatives will speak out in favor of the controversial program designations that:

* 33 percent of prevention funding go toward programming that promotes sexual abstinence before marriage and sexual fidelity within marriage; and,

* The grant ban should be maintained on groups that do not have a policy statement opposing sex trafficking and prostitution.

The 33 percent represents tens of millions of dollars available for such programs, which liberals and others brand as basically a waste of money.

Critics of PEPFAR's existing prevention programs are turning up the heat rhetorically. Pamela Barnes, head of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS foundation said on Thursday:

Proposals to maintain partisan, ideologically-driven mandates that constrain countries’ abilities to respond to their own epidemics threaten the continued success of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR).

One sympathetic blogger notes:

The bottom line is that not providing people with what they need to protect themselves is a sin. The abstinence earmark skews the programs and gives short shrift to all the other prevention efforts that need to be undertaken as well.

Somewhat caught in the middle are organizations such as Physicians for Human Rights, which has laudably held out hope that a strong consensus can emerge involving evangelicals, health groups, and liberals for reauthorization for PEPFAR.

And, they are aiming for $50 billion, not the $30 billion that the Bush administration has asked for. This afternoon, PHR media coordinator/AIDS Campaign Katie Krauss released an exclusive statement to CT via email, which in part says:

We were surprised to see a great deal of controversy regarding PEPFAR reauthorization recently, and wanted to explain what we are after. We want PEPFAR to be a bigger program so that it can save more lives. It's already started at least a million people on HIV treatment.

Women
African women are especially vulnerable to HIV--more than 60% of adults in subSaharan Africa are women, and as many as 75% of young people with HIV there are women and girls. We want PEPFAR to really go after this problem and develop science-based programs (with local authorities and local NGOs that understand the culture) to solve it.

Integrating AIDS Services with Reproductive Health Services and basic health care
There is some money now to treat AIDS in parts of Africa, but no money for basic health care or for reproductive health services (NOT including abortion; it's illegal to use US tax dollars for abortion). So now there are clinics where women are dying in childbirth, when right next door women with AIDS get much better medical care. Our field nurses and doctors have seen this first hand and find it very frustrating. What is needed is one place where women can get regular health care and AIDS care—integrated health care. This would also help the many women who are too embarrassed to walk into an AIDS clinic, fearful they will be abandoned by their families if people find out they are HIV-positive.

Programs that prevent mother-to-child transmission and treat both mom and dad for HIV after baby is born. These are called Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission Plus programs. They keep both mom and dad alive (instead of just baby, as regular prevention of mother-to-child transmission programs inadvertently do), stabilize communities, and prevent untold misery.

Africa's health worker shortage
There is also a desperate need for more health workers—according to the World Health Organization at least a million more are needed. Many clinics operate with one or two health workers, who may be on call around the clock, every day and see 100 patients per day. Or there may be no health care at all because of the shortage. We want PEPFAR to train and retain at least 140,000 more health workers, and help build long-lasting solutions to this crisis.

Abstinence
In prevention, as always, we've supported lifting the abstinence earmark because the overwhelming evidence is that abstinence-only programs (for adults) don't work; see the 2006 report from the General Accounting Office that showed that they impeded effective AIDS prevention. Of course we support abstinence for kids.

For adults, we support a comprehensive approach where education about condoms, abstinence, communication, fidelity, etc. is available. In other words, provide all the information, and let the adult decide what will work best for them. [Much more research is needed to better understand what is driving the very high infection rates in subSaharan Africa.]

Saving lives by keeping up with the epidemic. If funded at $30 billion over five years, the US would be treating only 100,000 new patients per year, when millions of people will die without treatment. We want more money to expand HIV treatment (and prevention) to keep up with the pandemic.

The PEPFAR reauthorization is under active consideration at the committee level in the House and Senate. Billions of aid dollars and many lives hang in the balance within this bill -- which is likely to be among the few major pieces of legislation to move through Congress in this election year.

tmorgan@christianitytoday.com

Posted by Tim Morgan at February 8, 2008 | Comments (0)

My three children and I love to watch The Charlie Brown Christmas Special on video every December. It's hard to believe that was made in 1965. Charlie's question "Can any one tell me what Christmas is all about?" is a haunting one indeed.

That's not the only haunting question at Christmastime. Rev. Martin Ssempa, who I believe is one of Africa's most passionate church leaders in the fight against HIV/AIDS, has been published in a leading Ugandan newspaper, asking what can be done about sexual violence associated with HIV/AIDS.

Rev. Ssempa, who spoke at the first Saddleback HIV/AIDS conference, said:

This Christmas I am praying for the end of sexual violence in Africa. Last week the High Court in South Africa’s Cape convicted George Mugalula who killed his five year-old stepdaughter Aakifah Salie due to marital frustrations with his wife, also Aakifah’s mother, Faiza Salie. According to court documents, Mugalula was angered and tortured by his wife’s many affairs and secret work as a prostitute at “Paradise Penthouse”, a massage parlour in Cape Town. Apparently he thought that his wife was working in a night painterly but was shocked to discover that she was listed as one of the playgirls in Paradise Penthouse. This apparently triggered off his violent behaviour which in the end was directed at the vulnerable five year-old who bore the brunt of his traumatised love.

In some African nations, there's a persistent belief, promoted by 'traditional healers,' that sexual relations with a virgin are a cure for HIV/AIDS.

Rev. Ssempa notes:

We need the gospel to dispel the dangerously grotesque idea that sex with a virgin girl can cure HIV/AIDS. This prescription spread by African traditional healers in East and Southern Africa has multiplied sexual violence among virgin young girls and boys. There is a need to condemn this practice both by the perpetrators as well as the healers who perpetuate his dangerous idea.

Among quite a few health care leaders, there's a professional reluctance to address the false traditional belief systems that have arisen in addressing the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Traditional healers are often revered and feared figures in village life. The church has the moral authority to take on harmful beliefs and practices without demonizing the messengers.

At the end of his article, Ssempa points a way forward: Pray & Work.

This Christmas we need to pray and work for the victims of sexual violence that the peace of God will come to them. We also need to pray that the systems which entrench this evil will be broken. May the prince of peace bring a cessation of sexual violence in our land.

Merry Christmas!

Posted by Tim Morgan at December 24, 2007 | Comments (2)

Tomorrow, Dec. 1, is World AIDS Day, 2007.

Earlier this week, World Vision released a new survey that looks at the public's knowledge and opinion about HIV/AIDS in the G-7 nations -- the US, Canada, UK, France, Italy, Germany, and Japan.

World Vision held a press conference at the United Nations on Nov. 29. The organizaiton noted:

More than 25 years after HIV was discovered, one-third of the people in seven wealthy nations admit they know little or nothing about the global HIV and AIDS epidemic, and one-fourth believe the problem is “greatly exaggerated,” according to a survey released today by World Vision, the international humanitarian organization.

Ironically, 80 percent of the respondents believe their governments should do much more to help children orphaned by AIDS and AIDS-related illnesses around the world, but only 44 percent are willing to pay more in taxes to help fund prevention, treatment, research and care.

“This survey reconfirms what all of us on the front lines of the AIDS battle know — leaders must put a face on the pandemic because, for people to take action, AIDS must affect them in a personal way,” says Richard E. Stearns, president of World Vision, U.S. “While some of these survey results present daunting challenges, we can be encouraged with the finding that the more people know about AIDS, the more compassionate they are toward those directly affected by it.”

Meanwhile on the West Coast, Saddleback church's Rick Warren and his wife Kay were hosting their Third Annual Global Summit. That ends today followed by the Youth Summit at Saddleback tomorrow (Dec. 1)

In a press statement, Pastor Warren noted:

"People are asking, 'How many people have AIDS?' – but that is the wrong question; rather, we should be asking, 'Why should anyone have AIDS?'" Dr. Warren said. "You are God's plan to bring relief to this pandemic. There are some things in this world that I don't have hope for, but I believe in the depth of my heart that HIV/AIDS can be stopped, because it will only take one thing – real leaders," Dr. Warren added.

Together, the Warrens outlined five traits of real leaders that parallel the objectives of the conference, to develop leadership that is aware; accumulates knowledge; are advocates and activists; and are available. Using the model of a three-legged stool, they reiterated that to end AIDS, leadership is needed in all three sectors – public, profit and parish – at the international, national, church, city, business and individual levels.

"When it comes to AIDS, it is not enough to just have tender feelings in your heart – caring for people with HIV isn't enough," Kay Warren added. "We must also be activists, which involves an intentional plan in your heart for good and for change. We have a call from God to raise our voices – do not wait for perfect conditions."

So here's the big question:

Granted a few prominent evangelicals have stepped up to the activisim plate against HIV. But I cannot cite one example when I've heard of local (non-mega) evangelical church put a Sunday-long emphasis on HIV ministry. Have you? Is HIV outreach a true priority for evangelicals, or what?

Posted by Tim Morgan at November 29, 2007 | Comments (5)

In times past, we've written about "The Bono Effect" -- how megarock star Bono launched the DATA organization a few years back and then toured America, motivating Bono-loving evangelicals (and others) to jump into the global fight against crushing debt, HIV/AIDS, global poverty, and on behalf of fairer global trade with Africa.

Initially, I'll confess I had heavy skepticism about "the Bono effect" until it was staring at me across the table inside a Wheaton restaurant in 2005. I was having lunch with an local evangelical leader whose life was transformed by his personal activism against HIV in Africa. He dated that new commitment to Bono's high-profile visit to Wheaton College. Who knew?

Now for the update:

We need to take a look at "The Laura Bush effect" and how it's having influence on US policy, the American public, and our profile overseas. It's a no-brainer that Mrs. Bush is likely to retain her high approval ratings in opinion polls for years to come.

Recent opinion polls show that her ratings are about twice that of President Bush (unless, of course, you are polling Albanians). MSNBC's Chris Matthews explored the Laura Bush model in a recent program.

This week, First Lady Laura Bush will be in the headlines, especially in the foreign press, as she makes her third trip to Africa.

She's visiting the region the experts call SSA, or sub-Saharan Africa. She and daughter Jenna are stopping in Dakar, Senegal; Maputo, Mozambique; Lusaka, Zambia; and Bamako, Mali. The trip ends on Friday.

The focus is on HIV/AIDS through PEPFAR, anti-malaria efforts through the President's Malaria Intiative, and the Millennium Challenge campaign to reduce poverty.

If you're not overly familiar with these programs, welcome to the club. The amount of news media attention around these programs can be measured by an eye-dropper.

But the reality on the ground is that real money is saving real lives in some of the most desperate parts of Africa.

During my last trip to Rwanda, I visited a remote medical clinic on the shores of the stunningly beautiful Lake Kivu. During my previous visit to that same clinic more than one year earlier, there was a building, chronically ill patients, trained medical staff, but no ARV drugs, and precious little equipment.

The clinic operated on hope and prayer.

By the time I made my second visit, the situation had changed largely due to PEPFAR, faith-based organizations, and cooperative government leaders in Africa.

This regional success story of how faith-based groups partner with the Bush administration inside Africa has been spun beyond recognition. The programs are not perfect by any means. There are lots of frustrations on both sides, insiders tell me, but people living with HIV actually do take their meds and care for their kids.

So back to square one: What is the essence of "The Laura Bush Effect"?

Let me suggest three elements:

1. "Presidential Dog Whisperer." My three kids love that dude, Cesar Millan, the Dog Whisperer. Could it be that Mrs. Bush is taking her cues from Cesar? That calm assertive stance works wonders even at the White House. Mrs. Bush's use of "soft power" on a focused agenda is impressive.

2. The Power of a Passionate Mom. There is a model that is emerging of an alpha couple who rule a nation state and govern its mood and culture by example. (JKF and Jackie were one manifestation of what I'm talking about.) This model seems particularly evident in the 2008 presidential election cycle, in which the candidates' spouses have the ability to move public opinion toward or away from a candidate.

Mrs. Bush has sharpened her public profile in recent months and the public likes what it is seeing. This trip may establish her credibility beyond 2008 as a passionate activist with a global focus.

3. First Lady as Educator in Chief. Education seems to be at the core of Mrs. Bush's competence as a leader. So not only does the public witness her engagement with educational issues, they also see a person who expresses her values.

En route to Senegal, a pool reporter shared this information about Mrs. Bush as she spoke to the news media aboard their 757 aircraft:

THE FIRST LADY TALKS:
Highlights of the first lady's talk, which lasted just under 10 minutes, standing in the aisle, speaking with reporters seated on either side toward the rear of the aircraft: (see White House transcript but these are taped remarks):

"I think we're going to have a very interesting trip. It's going to be a difficult trip, just because it's so much travel. We're going, obviously, from the west coast to the east coast and back to the west coast of Africa before we come home. And we're busy in every stop, with a lot of different programs that we want to see that both address AIDS, malaria, clean water, education. And so those will be the four focuses of this -- of the trip.

"I hope you have on your comfortable shoes,'' she said. "We'll work hard for the week.''

She said the purpose of her visit is to "let the American people know about what they're doing, through their taxpayers' money, to try to make a big difference in Africa, both in eradicating malaria, trying to reach and treat as many people as possible and avert as much infection as possible with HIV/AIDS.'' This includes a visit to a PlayPump in Zambia, a water-pump driven by children's playground equipment -- part of a project that the first lady had announced last year in conjunction with the Case Foundation, helping to pay for these pumps.

"It lets girls and boys go to school, because they're not having to spend all day walking to a water well a long way away and carrying water, sometimes contaminated water, back to their villages,'' she noted, calling this "a really fun part of the trip, to see these merry-go-rounds.''

What's the most challenging part of the trip?

"The most challenging part, really, is going to be this travel, I mean, the long distances for us to have to fly between places, and then to try to do as many things as we can possibly do in every stop... The schedule is filled, no down time, except for when we're on the plane.''

Asked about her confidence in the Senate approving the first year of the new series of global AIDS funding -- now that the House has approved the first stage of the new $30 billion commitment the president is seeking:

"Yes... I think that there is large bipartisan support for this, and that people on both sides of the aisle see it as beneficial, obviously, for the people in Africa, and the other countries -- Asia, Vietnam and Haiti that are also targeted with AIDS with PEPFAR funds.

"I think the Congress will support this for those two reasons -- first that it's an obligation, many people see it as a moral obligation for the United States because we are affluent... also as being beneficial for our country and letting people around the world know what Americans are really like.''

This is her third trip to Africa.

"This is an important piece of American foreign policy, frankly, the way we reach out to countries all over the world. Not just Africa but everywhere in the world we have very active programs going on in Central and South America, as well, and in Asia, as well.

"I think they represent not only the generosity of the American people, but also the efficiency and the accountability piece of the American government, as well, ways for us to be able to make sure our tax money is used in a way that helps the most people, that has the furthest reach, that's the most effective.''

At the White House summit on Malaria, she said, the U.N., UNESCO, UNICEF, the World Health Organization, USAID and the World Bank had all come together, she noted. The Millenium Challenge Corporation has worked with governments, too -- infrastructure, roads, water, schools.

The African governments involved are working to "try to be the most effective, to try to stretch the money the furthest so that the most people get help,'' she said. "That's also an important piece -- and another reason that I think the Congress will support this funding, because they know that we're trying to be as efficient and effective as we possibly can with this funding.''

Tomorrow, Mrs. Bush arrives in Zambia. CT correspondent Isaac Phiri will be filing a report later in the week about her time there. It's a hot zone in the war against HIV, malaria, and chronic poverty.

Watch this space for Isaac's dispatch from Lusaka.

Posted by Tim Morgan at June 26, 2007 | Comments (3)