news
In Memoriam: Barry Busch, AIDS Warrior
Barry Busch, an activist living with HIV who fought fiercely and tirelessly for justice, died Wednesday July 11, 2007 in Chester, Pennsylvania.
Barry believed passionately in the importance of challenging this country to deliver on its obligations at a local, national and international level. This passion was part of everything he did, from organizing people with HIV and their allies to fight for access to medical marijuana in Pennsylvania, to fighting the names-based reporting of people with HIV, to demanding justice for people with HIV living in sub Saharan Africa. Barry was well known among organizations working in the U.S. to increase access to marijuana for medical use, launching the American Spirit campaign to win legislation to permit medical use of marijuana in Pennsylvania.
CITY'S RYAN WHITE PLANNING COUNCIL RESTORES FUNDING FOR PROJECT TEACH Photos at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/riekhavoc/sets/72157594578001937/ ACT UP commends the Planning Council for voting to restore funding to the grant category which funds Project TEACH to last year's levels. AIDS is a crisis in communities of color, and Project TEACH effectively works with people of color to educate people living with HIV/AIDS and their families about the disease. The diverse crowd of 150 people we brought to the meeting today were instrumental in getting a new resolution passed.
Philadelphia- Two weeks ago, the city's Ryan White Planning Council voted to cut funding for Project TEACH, one of the Philadelphia's most respected HIV programs. Project TEACH has taught thousands of HIV+ African Americans and other people with HIV in Philadelphia how to stay healthy and help others get live-saving information. Because HIV is a growing crisis amongst African Americans and other People of Color, on Thursday, March 8th at 2pm, over 100 members of ACT UP Philadelphia will storm the meeting of the Philadelphia HIV Planning Council, and demand that funding for Project TEACH be fully restored.
On the eve of World AIDS Day, rally at local Democrats' office for full funding to fight AIDS at home and abroad. Join ACT UP Philadelphia in asking Casey, Fattah, and others in the new Democratic majority to step up and stand up to Bush for people with HIV.We demand:
- $2.6 billion for the Ryan White CARE Act, the life-line for people living with AIDS in the US. The CARE Act has been largely flat-funded since President Bush came into office, even as the number of HIV infections has continued to climb.
- $8 billion to train, retain and sustain enough healthcare workers in Africa to achieve universal access. Without a significant new investments in the health workforce in Africa,current investments such as the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief will not succeed.
At this year’s G8 Summit and again a the UN in June, the United States committed to support universal access to care, prevention and treatment for all in need by 2010. So far, the U.S. has not launched or proposed any new programs to meet this goal. “The new Democratic majority has an opportunity to do what Republicans have not: keep their word and honor the U.S. commitment to achieve universal access to AIDS treatment by 2010,” said ACT UP spokesperson Jose DeMarco.
Dear Friends,
On behalf of ACT UP Philadelphia, I am writing to request emergency support for direct actions around the upcoming United Nations General Assembly Special Session on AIDS report back (UNGASS) in the amount of $500.00. Five years ago, the United Nations had this rare, high level, multi-nation conference to plan how to curb the AIDS pandemic. Member governments laid out goals to reduce the rate of HIV and to increase access to AIDS related treatment. As you can imagine, few of those governments, including the United States have reached their outlined goals. Worse yet, our government has exported it’s harmful form of HIV prevention which ignores scientific based actions and relies on ideology driven abstinence only prevention methods. In addition, rather then making nationwide progress, our government has more and more people living with AIDS dying while on waiting lists for the insurance program that covers the astronomical cost associated with treating AIDS. So rather than expanding access to healthcare, we are moving backwards and other countries are following suit.
In 2001, when UNGASS came to NYC, there was a multi-national media blitz and stories about the struggle to fight AIDS was on the cover of every paper. Many groups were asked to weigh in. Many were unprepared. ACT UP Philadelphia is organizing 500 Philadelphians and others living with HIV/AIDS to seize the moment and tell the world just what’s its like to be living HIV+ people domestically and globally that are not receiving treatment and medication. We are organizing and mobilizing our power base. Many of who are living with HIV/AIDS or at risk for HIV.
By bringing people living with HIV/AIDS to this historic meeting and action, people will be able to empower themselves to be political and speak truth to power. It is a rare opportunity that people with HIV/AIDS can hold world leaders and our own government responsible for doing far too little too late, while their have been 15 million dead from aids, and 25 million new infections since the last UNGASS meeting five years ago.
Specifically, ACT UP Philadelphia is requesting support for a large scale march and direct action on May 31st, the opening day of this historic event. This march is being planned by a large coalition, including ACT UP Philadelphia, ACT UP NY, ACT UP Philadelphia, African Services Committee, Gay Men’s Health Crisis, Positive Health Project, VOCAL-NY Users Union and scores of other grassroots organizations.
Funding will be used to cover the cost of transportation to the march, sound, stage equipment, propaganda, and outreach materials, Our total estimated budget for the mobilization of over 8,000 people is $25,000. We are receiving support from each of the coalition member organizations and are seeking support from North Star Fund, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Nathan Cummings Foundation and Bread & Roses Fund.
Our buses cost $1100.00 each that includes a lunch for protesters and a small tip for the bus driver. Any support that you can lend would be deeply appreciated.
As always, ACT UP Philadelphia leaders are available to speak with you in greater detail about this proposal.
Thank you for your time and support. My contact information is at the bottom of this message.
Jose de Marco
Dear colleagues,Most of you know we have been working hard since Jan 1 to line up supportfor a new initiative to train, retain and support enough health workers indeveloping countries to respond to the AIDS crisis that is wreaking havocaround the globe.There are a few more endorsements coming in, but a truly stellar array ofamazing groups have come through and contributed an extremely strong show ofsupport!By Friday -- World Health Day -- we should hit at least 350 - we are rightnow at 343. Can we do better?
