Congressional Leadership Awards at DNC Honor Commitment to Fight HIV/AIDS

    Calls for Congressional Candidates to Support National AIDS Strategy



    DENVER, Aug. 25 /
EMWNews
/ -- Today, "Spreading Hope:

Congressional Leadership Awards in the Fight Against HIV/AIDS" luncheon

occurs during the Democratic National Convention at the Hotel Monaco in

Denver, Colorado from 12-2 p.m. The luncheon is sponsored by Global AIDS

Alliance. AIDS Action Council is an event supporter, particularly regarding

domestic HIV/AIDS issues. Both AIDS Action Council and Global AIDS Alliance

Fund will urge candidates for the U.S. Congress to sign a "Pledge to

Provide Leadership in Combating HIV/AIDS in the U.S. and Abroad" at the

event. The pledge calls for enactment of a National AIDS Strategy. AIDS

Action Council is part of a national coalition that has long-supported

creation of such a National AIDS Strategy.



    The event will be co-moderated by the David Munar, Chair of AIDS Action

Council's Public Policy Committee and Vice President for Policy and

Programs of AIDS Foundation of Chicago and Dr. Paul Zeitz, Executive

Director, Global AIDS Alliance Fund. Speakers at the event will include:

Actor Danny Glover, Chairman, TransAfrica Forum, Marjorie J. Hill, Ph.D.,

CEO, Gay Men's Health Crisis, Dr. Karambu Ringera, Founder & President,

International Peace Initiatives, Kenya, Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) and Sandra

Thurman, former Director, White House Office of National AIDS Policy. The

event also recognizes more than 25 Members of Congress who have been

leaders on domestic and global HIV/AIDS issues in the past two years.

Honorees expected to attend the event include: Representatives Donna

Christensen (D-VI), Sheila Jackson- Lee (D-TX), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Donald

Payne (D-NJ), José Serrano (D-NY), Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Senator Barbara

Boxer (D-CA).



    "AIDS Action Council supports the message of 'Spreading Hope:

Congressional Leadership Awards in the Fight Against HIV/AIDS,' and we are

particularly excited that Global AIDS Alliance's Congressional Pledge

includes support for full funding of both domestic and global HIV/AIDS

issues and for the creation of the domestic National AIDS Strategy," said

Rebecca Haag, Executive Director, AIDS Action Council. "We call on both

parties to enact such a strategy and to strongly support the needs of

people living with HIV in the United States and throughout the world."



    AIDS Action Council members and staff are available for interviews

including Rebecca Haag, Executive Director, and Ronald Johnson, Deputy

Executive Director. David Munar, Chair of AIDS Action Council's Public

Policy Committee and Bill McColl, Esq., Political Director, will provide

on-site interviews.



    Details regarding the creation of the National AIDS Strategy including

how to sign on are at: http://www.nationalaidsstrategy.org. For information

regarding the Congressional Pledge, including how to sign, please go to

http://www.globalaidsalliancefund.org.