Convention Centre
21 November 2006
The event's beneficiary, @heart, is a Stellenbosch-based organisation
launched in April 1999 in response to the lack of supportive services to people
infected and affected by HIV and AIDS. In line with their vision, Chief
Executive Officer (CEO), Lynette Rademeyer-Bosman, says @heart respects the
gift of life and strives towards creating an environment of total acceptance
and support for people living with the virus.
A star-studded line-up of musical virtuosos and performance artists join
renowned musician Jimmie Earl Perry in honouring World AIDS Day at the Cape
Town International Convention Centre on 1 December 2006.
This year's World AIDS Day event, runs in conjunction with the Western Cape
Provincial Government, is intended to celebrate the good work and efforts
towards eliminating HIV and AIDS globally and places special emphasis on the
work done by the Africa Centre for HIV and AIDS Management and the Desmond Tutu
Tuberculosis (TB) Centre at Stellenbosch University.
Says Professor Jan du Toit, Director of the centre, "The Africa Centre for
HIV and AIDS Management presents a unifying theme for events and activities
taking place around the world under the World AIDS Day banner in a bid to raise
awareness about the growing numbers of people living with HIV and AIDS in South
Africa, the rest of the subcontinent and around the world."
"The partnership between these two Stellenbosch University institutions is
important. In fact it is crucial that everyone in the HIV and AIDS and TB
fields work together," says Professor Nulda Beyers, Director of the Desmond
Tutu TB Centre. "An HIV positive person with a compromised immune system is
much more vulnerable to contracting TB and so both diseases should be fought
simultaneously."
Under the theme "Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise!", the event reinforces the
goals of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) driven
World AIDS campaign to energise and support an effective and sustained response
to HIV and AIDS and appeals to governments and policy makers to ensure they
meet the targets they agreed to in the fight against the pandemic under the
United Nations General Assembly Special Session on HIV and AIDS (UNGASS)
declaration of commitment.
Western Cape Premier Ebrahim Rasool, the keynote speaker at event, welcomes
being part of this event. "Government together with its multiple partners
continues to provide a very successful HIV and AIDS programme in this province
and we must celebrate and acknowledge the contributions made by all involved.
However, the challenge remains to continue to expand our HIV and AIDS programme
to reach even more of those affected, especially in those areas where the
annual HIV and AIDS antenatal surveys indicate higher infection rates. In the
fight against AIDS there should be no competition. We must share information
and best practices so that the greatest benefits reach the greatest number of
people. In the same way we must work proactively with our medical and
healthcare workers to develop strategies to prevent infection. In this regard
one of the best weapons in our arsenal is testing and I call on our people to
get tested and to know their status."
Concert line-up
The initiator for the evening, Ruda Landman, is most noted for co-presenting
M-Net's in-depth magazine programme Carte Blanche for the past 18 years. But
she is no stranger to the World AIDS Day event or the cause of fighting the
pandemic. She has covered HIV and AIDS in her journalist capacity from all
sides, including the developing science and understanding, the arguments about
how to deal with HIV positive people, the orphans and how to care for them, the
difficulties companies experience in making policy and management decisions
around it.
Jimmie Earl Perry, producer of the gala concert, is also the director of
educational theatre and creative arts at the Africa Centre for HIV and AIDS
Management. A highlight of the concert is the launch of Perry's first
self-produced compact disc (CD), "Power of the Dream".
The album is distributed worldwide by Gallo South Africa. Perry's impressive
repertoire includes principal parts in numerous Andrew Lloyd Webber productions
such as Jesus Christ Superstar, Starlight Express and Cats, around the world
(even occasionally in German!). He was also an original cast member in Cameron
MacIntosh's Miss Saigon in Toronto and made several appearances in the
television court drama series 'The Judge' as well as the comedy series 'Kids In
The Hall'. This Unites States-born performer now lives in Stellenbosch and
locally he has featured in 'Laugh Out Loud', as well as the drama series
Orion.
Says Perry, "We have the power to eradicate poverty, HIV and AIDS and TB
from the most vulnerable and poor to those who are aware and have everything.
There was no doubt that using my gift of voice and the music and lyrics of the
songs on this CD could possibly motivate awareness in each of us to remake
ourselves and help humanity overcome so many desperate challenges."
Perry will be joined by a stellar cast of performance artists
including:
* Kat Dyson, a multi-talented guitarist, vocalist, composer and artist who has
worked with 'The artist formerly known as Prince' as a member of the New Power
Generation (NPG) and has performed alongside musical greats such as BB King,
Chaka Khan, Carlos Santana and Steve Wonder.
* DNA Strings, the popular instrumental group from Stellenbosch who won the
2005 GMT Award for best duo/group as well as the 2005 Tempo Award for best
contemporary band and best contemporary album. This year they were nominated
for the Tempo Award for Best Contemporary Group/Artist, the Vonk Award for Best
Instrumental Album and the Vonk Award for Best Group of the Year.
* Lize Beekman, one of South Africa's foremost singer-songwriters whose
composition "All the Same" deals with issues around HIV and AIDS.
* Dance for All Youth Company, the community-based project which seeks to
uplift children in underprivileged communities by providing the opportunity for
enjoyment and promotion of self-esteem through the medium of classical ballet,
African, Spanish and contemporary dance, musical theatre and jazz.
Tickets for the gala concert range from R150 to R200 and are available
through Computicket.
Venue: Cape Town International Convention Centre
Date: Friday, 1 December 2006
Doors open: 19h30
Event begins: 20h00
About the various organisations:
The Africa Centre for HIV and AIDS Management at Stellenbosch University
(http://www.aidscentre.sun.ac.za/) is an
institution for teaching, research and community service at Stellenbosch
University, under the umbrella of the faculty of Economic and Management
Sciences.
The aim of the Desmond Tutu TB Centre at Stellenbosch University (http://academic.sun.ac.za/tb/) is to conduct
original, basic and applied research as well as to provide education and
training to students and the community on all aspects relating to TB. They
furthermore facilitate the collaboration between the many researchers involved
in both HIV and TB, to ultimately contribute significantly to the control of
tuberculosis in Southern Africa, the African Continent and other global
communities.
The UNGASS declaration of commitment was signed by all 189 members of the
United Nations (UN) in June 2001. The governments of these countries committed
themselves to taking action on HIV/AIDS in the fields of leadership,
prevention, care and support, treatment, reducing vulnerability, as well as
human rights. The agreement by heads of state and representatives of government
to support the declaration of commitment on HIV and AIDS sent a signal from
governments that urgency would be needed to address the devastation of the
pandemic with leadership, honesty and action.
For further information contact:
Nicole Capper
Tel: (021) 461 9289
Cell: 073 148 3561
Email: nicole@mango-omc.com
Professor Jan du Toit
Director of the Africa Centre for HIV and AIDS Management,
Tel: (021) 808 3004
Cell: 083 626 3082
Amelia Burger
Wordworx, communication consultant to the Africa Centre for HIV and AIDS
Management
Tel: (021) 914 4336
Cell: 082 824 8440
Issued by: Department of Health on behalf of Africa Centre for HIV and AIDS
Management, Western Cape Provincial Government
21 November 2006
Source: Western Cape Provincial Government (http://www.capegateway.gov.za)
