World AIDS Day

 

Did you know Dec. 1 is international World AIDS Day?

According to UNAIDS, World AIDS Day was established in 1988 and is the first-ever international day for global health.

 It is a day when people all over the world come together to not only show support for people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), but also remember those who have been lost to acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).

 For me, it is a day that is well registered at the back of my mind. Growing up in Uganda, I knew so many families who lost loved ones to this epidemic, and as a result, this subject was added to our education curriculum in schools so that our generation could do better. This day thus always reminds me of the collective and individual conscious efforts to keep the fight on so that the prevalence rate of those affected by HIV/AIDS goes down. 

My friend, Gigi Carter, like me, always commemorates this day. She says, “Having lost several relatives to HIV/AIDS in the ‘80s and early ‘90s, issues of HIV/AIDS have always been close to my heart. As an adult, I wear red as a tribute to the loved ones I have lost and commemorate World Aids Day to raise awareness about the disease and break down the stigma associated with HIV.” 

Her fervent hope is that the world will be AIDS-free as soon as tomorrow. You too can honor World AIDS Day so that together we not only control this epidemic but erase it completely. 

To start with this World AIDS Day, and throughout December, you can wear a red ribbon. The red ribbon is not only pretty but is a motif that can draw awareness to what HIV/AIDS is and how we can all unite together to fight it. 

The theme this year is, “Putting Ourselves to the Test: Achieving Equity to End HIV.” This year marks the 34th year since the first World AIDS Day was founded. Visit UNAIDS to learn about the different themes over the years that demonstrate a testimony of the great stride to combat the disease. I hope like me you will heed this call and find active ways today and every day to force an end to this epidemic. 

Ramadan- Arab Heritage Month

 April is National Arab-American Heritage Month, dedicated to honoring the heritage of Arab-Americans and their contributions to American culture. One of the traditions of Arabic-Muslim people is celebrating Ramadan, a month-long prayer and fasting activity on the Islamic calendar. It is estimated that more than 1.9 billion people globally participate during the month of Ramadan and for every 100,000 people in Washington state, there are 284 Muslims.

To gain a better understanding of the Holy Month of Ramadan, I interviewed my friend Sophie Nakamya and asked her how she observes Ramadan, what is the meaning of Ramadan, and, also, what are the different traditions celebrated during the month.

Sophie, a devout Muslim, says, “Ramadan is the best month in the Islamic faith.” It is embedded in the 4th pillar of Islam. "It is the month when Satan is arrested by Allah, and a month in which the Holy Qur’an was revealed to our beloved prophet Muhammad peace be upon him and when he received his call for prophecy."

Ramadan is marked by fasting and praying. Muslims are required to fast from sunrise to sunset with no food and water, and they must also abstain from physical affection, to fulfill the command of Allah. According to Sophie, this time is dedicated to remembering the Prophet Mohammed’s gift of prophecy, and in addition to the five times of prayer that earnest Muslims practice daily, during Ramadan, each day has a prayer theme. In addition, Ramadan is a month of brotherhood, and Muslims are required to perform acts of charity.

Sophie shares that Ramadan is special to her, as she not only prays the Taraweeh, which is prayed to thank God and ask for forgiveness, but in addition to worshipping her God, there are health benefits related to observing Ramadan.

“As I pray for Allah’s mercy for me and other people in the world,” Sophie says, “I’m usually more alert and my senses are particularly awakened. On top of that, by the end of Ramadan, I lose significant weight, which is good for my overall health.” 

I was curious about whether Sophie’s two girls, Bushra, 10, and Waliyyah, 5, participate in fasting. She assured me there are provisions for children.

“Islam has categories of people that have been exempted from fasting: pregnant women, the sick, the old, the young, those traveling, and any other special needs.”

However, they, too, are encouraged to participate in this sacred month through prayers and acts of charity.

“As a family, we gather together at Iftar when we are breaking the fast and we share more about the blessings of Ramadan then and how we can help the less fortunate,” Sophie adds.

Non-Muslims, Sophie says, can emulate the practices of Ramadan by setting aside time in their daily lives for religious meditation and reflection, as well as completing acts of service in benefit to others in their local communities. I believe it is a great discipline to practice that can help anyone, Muslims and non-Muslims, alike, look inward and be deliberate in focused reflection on the meaning of life, as well as express gratitude for the strength derived from the fast that then feeds the soul.

Incase you are not convinced,  my niece , eight year old Khaira Mayanja who is being brought up as Muslim adds,

" I have been taught Ramadan is not only about fasting , but as children we can learn   use this time to pray and help around the house and be good children." Her parents assured me that indeed through this season, we can  practice love for humanity demonstrating it through giving, forgiving  and patience. And to that I say , Amen especially as the world we live in needs more kindness.

Celebrating Womanhood - International Women's Day 2022

 One of the  astonishments I got when I first moved from Uganda to the west, was that March 8 went uncelebrated. Growing up, it was a big day, everyone took the day off. It was a leave day, a bank holiday, children didn't go to school, we even got quizzed on it in our social studies. And, we all knew it was the day we celebrated International Women's day.

Why was it a big deal? As you can tell from the name, women and girls were honored. We were taught about the struggle of many women dating as far back as the 1st World war who had fought for a gender-equal world. Eventually in 1975, the United Nations acknowledged March 8 as a day to credit the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. The colors purple for justice and dignity, green for hope, and white for purity were the colors chosen to honor this day.

 There have been several themes over the year to celebrate the progress of women and this year's theme is, "Gender Equality Today for a Sustainable Tomorrow” with the hashtag #BreakTheBias being used for conversations on Social Media.

While reminiscing about how we paused to celebrate International Women’s Day, I am surprised that it is just a public holiday in a few countries. These are Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cuba, Georgia, Guinea-Bissau, Eritrea, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Nepal, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and Zambia. China and Madagascar have just the women celebrate the day.

Back in the day, we celebrated with different events that included conferences, festivals, parades, and exhibitions. Much as it is not a holiday out here, there are many different activities and events that one can take part in to commend women.

Living here now, I’m humbled that women’s rights are human rights which is not the case in many countries. I am grateful for the so many men and women who went before us to fight for gender equality. It is thus no wonder that the whole of March in America is Women’s History month and below are various resources you can use to champion women. 

https://www.womenshistorymonth.gov/

https://www.internationalwomensday.com/

https://www.unwomen.org/en/news-and-events/events/2022/02/international-womens-day-2022

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuoCQ2O09oI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XStJKw5L4M 

https://www.theyoungfolks.com/books/162582/march-2022-new-book-releases-celebrating-womens-history-month/

Honoring International Holocaust Remembrance Day

 The United Nations declared January 27 as International Holocaust Remembrance Day. This was an effort to not only honor the millions of Jewish victims of the Holocaust, but to also ensure that any such genocides are not part of the future.

Over the years, I have watched movies and read some articles on the Holocaust and, this is a worthwhile observance that we ought to embrace to work towards a unified world that champions diversity.

The dictionary defines embracing as, "accept or support (a belief, theory, or change) willingly and enthusiastically." Using that definition, we can embrace the International Holocaust Remembrance day by not forgetting, educating ourselves, and being involved in making a difference.

Moshe Katsav, Israel's president from 2000 to 2007, put it best when he said "The Holocaust is not only a tragedy of the Jewish people, it is a failure of humanity as a whole." Humanity can't afford to fail again and thus we need to oppose inequity, hatred, and indifference. To achieve this, the task for us all in our everyday lives, is to be mindful and intentionally do more for our communities.

So as the eightieth year since the Holocaust happened is honored this year, I hope you will join me in learning more about the Holocaust so that together we can discover more about the importance of human rights and how to overcome the challenges around inclusion.

One way to actively honor Holocaust Remembrance Day, is by listening to survivor stories to edify yourself and taking in the lessons to assess yourself of any unconscious bias. You can also join the conversation on social media by using the hashtag #HolocaustRemembranceDay to actively engage in the dialogue on how we can avoid contemporary day classism.

Below are some resources to get you started;

• Virtual Exhibition  of Portraits of Holocaust survivors
• The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
• United Nations Outreach Program on the Holocaust
• Stories of the Holocaust

We owe it to humanity to do better, to do our part. Happy reading!

Celebrating Desmond Tutu - Clergy and Human Rights Activist!

 

As the world celebrated Human Rights Month in December 2021, the iconic Human rights activist and Nobel Peace laureate, South Africa’s Archbishop Desmond Tutu died on December 26, 2021 aged 90.

 

As tributes came in from different leaders across the world, it took me back to a Pluralism school I attended in South Africa, July 2012.

True to the pluralism theme, there were 20 participants from different parts of the world from all walks of life. On one of those days of the 4-week long program, Desmond Tutu was the keynote speaker.

 

It has been some years, so I can't recall verbatim what his words were on the occasion. However, I remember that it was Nelson Mandela Day and the topic tabled that day was Reconciliation. At the end of the session, in a bid to escape the full hall of students, he happened to come out through the other end of an exit I and a couple of others had used. I usually hold back when expressing myself but in my excitement of being this close to the distinguished Tutu, I gathered the strength to ask for a photo to which he gladly obliged.

As his legacy is celebrated, a lot of what I learned back then has come back to me. The different discourses and personal experiences we shared during that winter school in South Africa all centered on the richness in diversity which helped me understand, appreciate and work on managing differences in myself and others.

 

Desmond Tutu was the central figure in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission whose aim was to bring together the perpetrators and victims of apartheid through forgiveness to enable all parties to heal. During this time, Archbishop Tutu was prominent for spearheading the notion that justice was not always "punitive in nature.” He worked tirelessly as an anti-apartheid fighter and it is no wonder he is described as South Africa’s ‘moral compass’. Below are some quotes that capture his work towards human rights, restorative justice, and peace. 

 

“Forgiving is not forgetting; it’s actually remembering-remembering and not using your right to hit back. It’s a second chance for a new beginning. And the remembering part is particularly important. Especially if you don’t want to repeat what happened.”

 ― Desmond Tutu

 

“Differences are not intended to separate, to alienate. We are different precisely in order to realize our need of one another.”

 ― Desmond Tutu

 

“Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.”

 ― Desmond Tutu

 

“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse, and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality.”

 ― Desmond Tutu (Foreword)

 

“Don't raise your voice, improve your argument."

 [Address at the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Houghton, Johannesburg, South Africa, 23 November 2004]”

 ― Desmond Tutu

 

 

Reading back on Desmond Tutu's work has revealed to me that it takes everyone to create a wholesome and inclusive environment that embraces differences.

 

The legendary Archbishop wanted to be remembered as a person who “loved, laughed and cried. I think these words encompass the core of humanity. I hope as we remember him, we will be voices that keep the torch burning continuing on the equity, diversity, and inclusion journey by learning, sharing, and being intentional in appreciating the richness of the diversity in our society.