[afro-nets] Launch: A biannual newsletter of poetry and HIV/AIDS

[Janet Feldman <kaippg@earthlink.net>]

Launch: A biannual newsletter of poetry and HIV/AIDS
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AIDS out of AFRICA
A biannual newsletter of poetry and HIV/AIDS

Today, we would like to announce the launching of a new newslet-
ter of Poetry on HIV/AIDS in Africa. The name of the newsletter
is AIDS out of AFRICA. AIDS out of AFRICA will be a bi-annual
newsletter appearing in June and December.

Mission
Our mission is to get AIDS out of AFRICA by providing a forum
where the people of Africa and their friends around the globe
can express their experiences on HIV/AIDS through poetry. We es-
pecially encourage those living with HIV/AIDS to tell their sto-
ries.

Our hope is that through poetry we shall expose that is hidden;
shine light where there is darkness; soothe the hurting; encour-
age that which is courageous; shame that which hurts; and love
that seem unlovable; and embrace our sisters and brothers in a
steel determination to get rid of this monster that has decided
to find a home in our people, AIDS Poetry Awards (APOA).

AIDS out of AFRICA will also establish annual awards for those
who have in the past year have been exemplary in articulating
the African experience of HIV/AIDS. Each year there will be ten
poems nominated for the APOA awards. Out of those nominees, the
final three recipients will be chosen. The First Prize will be
for US$ 100; the Second Prize will be for US$ 75; the Third
Prize will be for US$ 50. The winners will be announced on
World's AIDS Day.

Publication
AIDS out of Africa intends to seek and find a publisher willing
to publish a selection of poems out of this collection. Our hope
is that a publishing company (preferably from Africa) will rec-
ognize the value of recording the poetic voices testifying to
the daily struggle against HIV/AIDS by infected and affected Af-
ricans. So, if you are a publisher out there, we have an offer
you cannot refuse.

Background
If the millions of HIV/AIDS deaths that have occurred in Africa
were from war or famine, the disaster would have been a daily
staple of world news. But the millions of these deaths are not
from normal war. These millions of deaths are from HIV- the
deadliest virus ever known to the human race.

But because these deaths are not from a normal war, there are no
daily dispatches from the field by safari jacket correspondents.
On the rare occasion that this mother of all tragedies gets
space in the world news; it is just for a moment and the reality
of what HIV/AIDS is doing to Africa continues unimpeded. Daily,
thousands get infected with HIV and daily thousands die from
HIV/AIDS.

And Africa continues to cry for help.

Today it is the mother crying for a dead or dying child from
HIV/AIDS; yesterday it was a father crying for his dead or dying
wife of HIV/AIDS; tomorrow it will be a child crying of his/her
dead or dying mother of HIV/AIDS. This is the reality that many
households and communities face all across Africa.

These are cries none of us can ignore. Each day, the cries get
louder and louder as HIV/AIDS continues its unrelenting destruc-
tion like nothing else on this planet. These cries are a chal-
lenge to all of us, as a people and as human beings. How long
are we going to stand on the sidelines and watch our fellow hu-
man beings die. Africa needs all of us to get AIDS OUT OF AF-
RICA.

Spread the word, Not HIV/AIDS

Join and support your local HIV/AIDS organization.

The symbols of this Newsletter are:
MOUNT KILIMANJARO: representing the enormity and toll of
HIV/AIDS in Africa.
THE THORN TREE: representing the African determination to sur-
vive.
SUNRISE: representing a new day, a new beginning

To submit your entry for the inaugural edition of AIDS out of
AFRICA
Deadlines:
May 15th, 2004 and November 15th, 2004
The newsletter will be e-mailed between June 15th and 30th and
December 15th and 30th

If you would like to receive AIDS out of AFRICA newsletter, send
us your e-mail address. We shall be glad to put you on our mail-
ing list.

We encourage NGOs in Africa to send us their e-mails, so their
clients can have access to AIDS out of AFRICA newsletter.

You can submit your poems:
mailto:AIDSoutofAFRICA@aol.com

A web-site will be established within the next few months to fa-
cilitate access to the newsletter in Africa and around the
world. We shall keep you informed.

Thank you for lending your ears. Spread the word.
Keep on Fighting.
Mwaganu wa Kaggia
Editor
mailto:Mwaganu@aol.com