Being Human Online

Being Human is all about helping those who are less fortunate. So please remember this the next time you buy any Being Human merchandise. The proceeds from our merchandise goes to help educate the poor. Don't buy fake Being Human goods and steal from the poor, buy original Being Human goods and help the poor

Being Human Anti Piracy by Salman Khan

Being Human is all about helping those who are less fortunate. So please remember this the next time you buy any Being Human merchandise. The proceeds from our merchandise goes to help educate the poor. Don't buy fake Being Human goods and steal from the poor, buy original Being Human goods and help the poor

Salman Khan speaks on 'World Autism Awareness Day'

 

 

Salman Khan speaks on 'World Autism Awareness Day'

Pin it (RED)

We've kicked off our first ever (RED)RUSH TO ZERO campaign giving you more ways to fight AIDS and be (RED) than ever before.

Love Pinterest? Tag your pin with #REDRUSH June 1-10 and show us how you're joining in to help deliver an AIDS Free Generation by 2015 - we'll include you on our (RED)RUSH TO ZERO board! Are you sporting your INSPI(RED) T-Shirt? Gaming alongside celebrities in The (RED)RUSH Games? Checking-in at Starbucks on foursquare? Pin a great pic and tag #REDRUSH. Get Pinning!

And we're off! 70 women drive across Europe for (RED)

Guest Post by Julie Brangstrup, founder of Cash and Rocket

I’ve had a lot of experience organizing rallies in the past. For the most part, they attracted male drivers attracted to smart, fast cars. It was fun but I started to think how great it would be to do away with the testosterone and need for speed and start a road trip for women to benefit women whose lives are limited by extreme poverty.

So, I decided to get a group of powerful women together – I wanted it to be a range of women from a variety of disciplines - business, the arts, finance. I wanted to name it after my son, Cash and my godson, Rocket. Despite the sound of it, it doesn’t refer to money and speed! This road trip is about driving for a cause. And when I heard about (RED) and learned of its focus on the 2015 goal of an AIDS Free Generation, I knew that was the cause to drive for. This goal hit home with me, as a mother of six, as it did for so many of the participants on this trip. A world where virtually no baby is born with HIV by 2015 - a world in which no mother has to pass on a death sentence to her child – this marks an incredible, and for me, an extremely sentimental milestone. And we can get there.

So on June 8th, the inaugural Cash and Rocket Road Trip leaves London for Monte Carlo with stops in Paris and Milan along the way. 70 women from the worlds of business, medicine, architecture, the arts, fashion driving in 35 (RED) and Cash and Rocket-branded cars. Most of them are fundraising – we need everyone’s support so please check out www.crowdrise.com/redtour to donate.

A huge thanks to all the women participating, the partners who have sponsored including Luxup, the Park Hyatt Group. Julien McDonald, David Morris and the (RED) partners.

So, here’s to 1,100 miles, 35 cars, 70 women, 5 cities, three and a half years to an AIDS Free Generation.

Jodie Kidd on the Cash and Rocket (RED) Tour

Guest post by model Jodie Kidd on her journey across Europe for the Cash and Rocket (RED) Tour, originally featured on Stylist Magazine.

June 9

'We left Paris at 8am. It was a beautiful drive out of the city and through the incredible French countryside and onto Geneva.

Along the way I was stopped for a routine police check up. They were so nice and asked lots of questions about the tour and what we were doing and I managed to get them to donate to the charity which I was really pleased about. They then wished us well for the rest of the trip.

I bumped into more police at a petrol station when I helped one of the girls who couldn't open her petrol tank. All 15 of the police tried and it was only me who could find the button to release it, which made me feel very smug. I also helped Lilly Becker when I saw her on the side of the road who was worried about her car, but it was actually just the air conditioning over heating!'

Continue reading the blog here: http://bit.ly/Ksmxul

New AIDS treatment number in Africa gives cause for optimism

Guest post by Erin Hohlfelder, ONE's global health policy manager

Progress in global development can often feel incremental; we celebrate a new road built or a new infection averted because effective, sustainable development is a long-term game filled with as many challenges as successes. But occasionally a statistic comes along that reminds us that in some cases, things are (to borrow a phrase from Charles Kenny) “getting better,” and fast. Today, to coincide with the 19th African Union Summit next week, UNAIDS released new preliminary data showing that there are now more than 6.2 million people on antiretroviral treatment across sub-Saharan Africa, up from 5 million in 2010. That number sounds even more beautiful in its rightful context: it’s a more than 100-fold increase in access to treatment for AIDS since 2002, when just 50,000 HIV-positive people in sub-Saharan Africa were on treatment.

This statistic is truly a global achievement. Progress achieved this rapidly is due to a unique coalition of actors and programs that have worked in tandem over the last decade to ramp up treatment, driven by the shared belief that anyone who is in need of AIDS treatment should be able to access it, wherever they live. Donor support for mechanisms like the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB, and Malaria and the US President’s Emergency Program for AIDS Relief, which both got their starts roughly a decade ago, have been key to the scale up across Africa. Many African governments also deserve much credit for enacting national AIDS programs, devoting increased political attention to the fight, and committing their own resources to treatment and prevention programs in the last decade. UNAIDS notes that South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Kenya led the way over the last year in driving up treatment enrollment, while many other countries including Botswana, Namibia, and Swaziland have already shown leadership by achieving high coverage levels.

As we approach the International AIDS Conference in just two weeks, we are constantly reminded that there is much work left to do in the fight against AIDS—still millions in need of treatment, and millions more who need access to effective prevention and care services. But as we set our sights toward a larger vision of “the beginning of the end of AIDS,” today’s news gives us cause for optimism. Progress is not just possible—it’s happening, and it must be sustained.

Explainer: A brief history of the International AIDS Conference

Guest post by Khai Tram, Research Assistant on the Global Policy Team at ONE

Q. What three-letter acronym describes a gathering of nearly 30,000 scientists, activists, policymakers and advocates working on HIV/AIDS? A. IAC

This year, the International AIDS Conference (IAC) will be held in Washington, DC, from July 22-27. While DC hosts a lot of conferences, the return of the IAC to DC is a really big deal. In 2009, President Obama lifted the long-standing travel ban on HIV-positive individuals entering the United States, which paved the way for the IAC to return to the US for the first time in more than 20 years. The IAC is the leading conference on HIV/AIDS, providing a forum for stakeholders to discuss where we are in the fight against AIDS, what we have learned, and how do we move forward. The theme of the conference is Turning the Tide Together, emphasizing both the promising scientific developments in HIV treatment and prevention as well as the need for a global commitment to change the course of the epidemic. Speakers at this year’s IAC include former President Bill Clinton, Michel Sidibe (UNAIDS), Ambassador Eric Goosby (PEPFAR), Bill Gates, Sir Elton John and Whoopi Goldberg.

The IAC has had a long, rich history from almost the very beginning of the AIDS epidemic. It has played many roles over the years. Some highlights from past IACs include:

Atlanta, 1985: The first IAC was organized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), and Emory University. More than 2,000 scientists and public health officials gathered in Atlanta to share information on the emerging new disease.

Photo caption: With HIV/AIDS rapidly spreading and killing, protests were numerous at the 1987 March on Washington. This ACT-UP coalition made a strong statement about governmental policies on the disease. The AIDS Quilt was also on display at the March; this moment was unforgetable. © Linda Hollingdate Photography

Washington, DC, 1987: The third IAC hosted more than 6,000 participants, garnering widespread media attention as discourse around the epidemic took a political turn. Protests and demonstrations took place after several controversial statements from figures in the US administration.

Vancouver, 1996: The 9th IAC, attended by 15,000 participants, marked a watershed moment in the history of the epidemic. In this year, researchers reported on successful studies of highly active antiretroviral therapy, which would transform HIV/AIDS from a fatal, incurable disease to a chronic illness that could be managed with proper treatment. Needless to say, the overall atmosphere in Vancouver among scientists and activists was of hope and excitement.

IAC Durban, 2000. Photo credit: Dipity.com

IAC Durban, 2000. Photo credit: Dipity.com

Durban, South Africa, 2000: The 13th IAC was also the first one held in a developing country, underscoring the magnitude of the epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa as well as the disparities in treatment access in the developing world. Just prior to the conference, 5,000 scientists and doctors signed the Durban Declaration, confirming the overwhelming scientific evidence that the HIV virus was the cause of AIDS at a time when AIDS denialism was rising up from within the South African presidency.

AIDS Conference in Vienna; Photo by IAS/Steve Forrest

AIDS Conference in Vienna; Photo by IAS/Steve Forrest

Vienna, 2010: The 18th IAC was held in Vienna in part because the organizers wanted to highlight the challenges of fighting the epidemic in the Eastern and Central Europe region. To this point, the Vienna Declaration was signed by more than 12,000 scientists calling on drug policies based on science, not ideology.

Check out the IAC website for more information and continue monitoring ONE.org for more information in the upcoming weeks.

Give Nelson Mandela the Ultimate Birthday Gift

Guest post by Malaka Gharib, Social Media and Blog at ONE

No one likes to forget birthdays, especially of people who mean a lot to us. So I’m here to give you a friendly reminder that it’s Nelson Mandela’s 94th birthday this Wednesday. It also marks Mandela Day, a call for people everywhere to take responsibility for changing the world into a better place, one small step at a time.

If you didn’t have a gift in mind, don’t fret — the Nelson Mandela Foundation has come up with a simple, brilliant way for advocates like you to celebrate Madiba during his special day: Pledge 67 minutes of your time to doing something good, in honor of Mandela’s 67 years of public service.

SIGN UP FOR THE MANDELA DAY PLEDGE HERE

If you need ideas on what to do with your 67 minutes, the Mandela Day website has some great ideas. Educate your family on HIV/AIDS (love this one — ONE and (RED)’s 2015(QUILT) is a nice place to start). Help a friend revamp their resume (particularly useful in this economic climate). Get in touch with global health organizations and see how you can help (like Rotary International and the Red Cross).

67 IDEAS ON HOW TO CHANGE THE WORLD

Once you’ve done your action, double the impact and share the pledge on social media. Who knows — you may inspire a few friends and family to join the movement.

Leave a comment on this post and let us know what action you plan on doing for Mandela Day. And don’t forget to keep an eye on ONE’s Facebook page, Twitter feed and blog this week for more ways you can celebrate Madiba’s birthday.

What a Difference 10 Years Can Make

The International AIDS Conference themed “Turning the Tide Together” closed in Washington, D.C., on Friday. Throughout the conference, we heard leaders in the fight recall how at the start of the millennium, few could have imaged we would begin to reverse the course of this disease in only 10 years, that seeing the end of AIDS would be possible in our lifetimes. Back then – just a decade ago – the tide was swiftly and increasingly moving in an awful direction. HIV/AIDS had already killed more than 20 million Africans and was threatening to take the lives of forty million more. Effective HIV treatment existed at the time, but only 50,000 people in sub-Saharan Africa had access to these life-saving antiretroviral drugs (ARVs). Jump forward to today and the new UNAIDS report, and we see 6.2 million people now have access to ARVs in sub-Saharan Africa, and 8 million people do around the world. Over half (54%) of the global need is now being met.

We also see strong progress in the goal to virtually end transmission of HIV from moms to their babies by 2015 and deliver the first AIDS free generation in more than 30 years. 2002 saw a peak in new infections among children, with an average of more than 1,500 babies born with HIV each day around the world. That number is now down to near 900, thanks in large part to an increase in access for pregnant mothers living with HIV. We are now reaching 57% with effective treatment to prevent transmission, up from 48% in 2010, and up from only 9% in 2004.

The Global Fund announced some momentous gains, as well:

– 3.6 million people living with HIV are now receiving ARVs under programs backed by the Global Fund, an increase of 600,000 since the end of 2010.

– 1.5 million HIV positive pregnant women have received a complete course of ARV treatment under
programs supported by the Global Fund.

– The Global Fund has now helped save the lives of 8.7 million people.

Yes, the tide is turning, and it has taken a massive and sustained collective effort of national governments, the private sector, non-governmental organizations, faith-based organizations, and individuals who have come together and are committed to ending the AIDS pandemic. There is still much work left to do, but with the announcement of this new data, we should take a moment to remember what this fight looked like a only a decade ago, celebrate the progress made since, and then recommit ourselves to helping deliver an AIDS free generation by 2015.

The International AIDS Conference, from A to Z

Guest post by Erin Hohlfelder, Global Health Policy Manager at ONE

After experiencing my first-ever International AIDS Conference (IAC), I was struggling to think about how I could possibly recap all that I saw and heard over the past week. So, I decided to go back to basics and use the alphabet to walk you through some of my experiences.

“AIDS-Free Generation”: This was the rallying cry of Secretary Clinton on the first full day of the conference. She also committed to developing a road map by World AIDS Day that would show how achieving an AIDS-Free Generation would be possible.

“Beginning of the end of AIDS”: This phrase was on nearly every high-level panelist’s lips this year. Some believed it was a key aspirational target that was achievable, while others argued it was too soon to be using it with millions of new HIV infections still occurring each year. See what ONE thinks about this vision here.

Condomize! A campaign set up at IAC to promote safe sex. During the IAC, they handed out condoms on a scale reportedly greater than that of the Olympic Village. They had some of the most loud, fun, and engaging displays throughout the conference.

District of Columbia: Home to this year’s IAC, marking the first time that the IAC has been back on US soil in 20 years. DC Mayor Gray spoke at the opening session about the progress — including no child born with HIV since 2009 and a new policy allowing DC government employees to take time off from work to get an HIV test — made in combating the District’s own AIDS epidemic, which is the worst in the United States.

Eliminating mother-to-child transmission: One major pillar of ONE’s HIV/AIDS campaign work, this goal was cited often as one piece of the puzzle that was seen as achievable (although with debates ongoing about by when).

Financing: The key questions underpinning all of the aspirational phrases at IAC were “How much will this cost?” and “Who will pay for it?” Former President Clinton reminded us in his closing keynote that, for the first time, low- and middle-income countries are now paying for more than half of the AIDS response themselves — an under-highlighted accomplishment.

Gender: An important lens through which many argued we must do a better job of seeing our investments in AIDS, as women now make up more than half of the AIDS epidemic.

Hollande: In an opening video address, new French Prime Minister Hollande went on the record in support of the vision of the Beginning of the End of AIDS, the 15 million people on treatment target, and financing mechanisms including the Global Fund, UNITAID and an FTT. Merci!

Hollande on the big screen

Investment framework: Produced last year, the IF was designed to show how resources could be more effectively channeled and targeted to fight AIDS. This year’s IAC featured many sessions that studied and highlighted how the IF is being applied in country to produce better outcomes at lower cost.

Jargon: With sessions like “Community-based adherence support associated with improved virological suppression in adults receiving antiretroviral treatment: five-year outcomes from a multicenter cohort study in South Africa” — you’d better believe there was a lot of health and development jargon flying around!

Khai: my partner-in-crime from ONE, who spent most of his days at IAC focused on science, data, and financing (at will!). You can read his blog recaps here and here.

Lost (in the convention center): The sprawling location of the IAC this year made it difficult to find sessions and even more difficult to get a true sense of the community attending. Particularly with the Global Village buried in the basement, the IAC felt distinctly quiet this year.

Marginalized populations: A main theme at this year’s IAC was the need to do much better by marginalized populations (including men who have sex with men, injection drug users, and sex workers) in the AIDS response.

“Nothing about us without us”: another rallying cry heard repeated throughout the conference, especially related to “M” above.

Ownership: the topic of ownership of health outcomes and programs was a common one. As in the financing discussions, much was made about how affected countries could and should take greater responsibility for their own pandemics, and how donors could help facilitate this transition.

Pre-exposure prophylaxis: one of many (relatively) new interventions discussed throughout the week, surrounded by many questions: how and when to use it, how to implement it in the field, how to finance it relative to other prevention interventions.

Quilt: the AIDS Memorial Quilt was out on the National Mall all week, and a number of panels were hanging in the main session room, serving as a poignant and personal reminder to all IAC attendees of the toll this disease has caused in three decades.

R&D: Many, including Bill Gates, were quick to remind us that if we want to talk about the end of AIDS, we have to double down on investments in research and development — particularly focused on a vaccine and eventually a cure.

Sex workers: Although this group was largely unable to attend the IAC because of travel restrictions, they still managed to make their presence known through a satellite conference in India and a number of vocal protests throughout the week

Turning the Tide Together: the theme for the conference, uttered approximately 47,352 times at last count.

UNAIDS data: New data from UNAIDS shows that there are now 8 million people on treatment around the world. Unveiling this was one of the brightest spots in the conference, demonstrating that the 15 million people on treatment goal by 2015 (previously seen as quite a stretch) is actually possible with the right level of continued investments.

Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision: Another key prevention tool that was widely discussed in a number of technical sessions and that was oddly protested outside of the convention center.

World Bank: It was a big week for the World Bank, with new President Jim Kim returning home to his previous community (AIDS activists) and delivering a series of powerful remarks. The Bank also hosted a debate with the Center for Global Development that provided intelligent back-and-forth over the merits of AIDS financing and an outburst of tweets online.

XDR-TB: OK, the X was a tough one… but HIV co-infection with TB was on the radar at this year’s IAC, with advocates from RESULTS to Whoopi Goldberg to stuffed mascots leading the charge.

Youth: Though the conference itself never felt particularly “youthful,” there was at least great lip service to the importance of involving youth in programmatic decisions and of providing better prevention services for youth. Nigerian teenager Ebube Taylor (whose story Michel Sidibe featured in our World AIDS Day report last year) stole the show with her remarks on a panel focused on PMTCT, and — bonus Y! — Yvonne Chaka Chaka also recorded a video message for ONE members.

Zzz: what I had to do all weekend once the IAC wrapped up, to make up for my lack of sleep during the week!

Can’t get enough of the International AIDS Conference? Read our previous articles on the ONE Blog here.

Cómpralo. Únete. Actívate.

'Hola' and 'Adios' mean so much more with the latest special edition collection of innovative smartphone products and services in over 15 Latin American countries from our proud partners (TELCEL)^RED and (CLARO)^RED.

To help fight for an AIDS FREE GENERATION by 2015, Claro and Telcel have committed to donate $1 million per year over the next four years to help support Global Fund HIV/AIDS programs in Africa and Latin America. The Telcel and Claro (PRODUCT)^RED mobile devices were designed to give wireless consumers throughout Latin America a chance to join forces and help fight for an AIDS FREE GENERATION.

(CLARO)^RED and (TELCEL)^RED products are available at any Telcel or Claro retailers throughout Mexico and Claro's Latin American countries as well as Sears and Sanborns in Mexico.

In addition, Telcel, Claro and the Carlos Slim Foundacion are putting (RED) on the map in Latin America through community events such as the recent 'La Carrera 5 y 10 KM (TELCEL)^RED.' It was great to see so many people turn out to support and raise awareness for (RED).
The power to fight AIDS in Latin America through your mobile device is here. Cómpralo. Únete. Actívate. Check out your nearest Claro and Telcel stores today and found out more at www.claro.com/red or www.telcel.com/red

The year 2015:

The year 2015: it's kind of a big deal. It could mark the first AIDS FREE GENERATION being born in over 30 years. We can't think of a better way to count down to 2015 than with the all new (TOURNEAU)^RED Special Edition watches. With every purchase of the (PRODUCT)^RED watches, Tourneau will contribute 15% of the retail price to the Global Fund to help fight AIDS in Africa.

Inspired by Tourneau's TNY series, the two limited edition Tourneau (PRODUCT)^RED timepieces feature styles for both men and women. Displaying (RED)'s signature color and the highest quality of Swiss craftsmanship, the watches are available throughout Tourneau stores in the United States and online.

Start the countdown to an AIDS FREE GENERATION today. Visit www.tourneau.com/red for more details.

Every Minute, a Young women is newly Infected with HIV.

Hunger Crisis in the Sahel – Make a Donation Now.

Millions are struggling to find their next meal right now in the Sahel region of West Africa. We need your help to target the most vulnerable – young children and pregnant or nursing mothers – with nutritious food for the next 100 days.

• Your donation of $50 can give a woman nutritious food for the next 100 days.
• Your donation of $100 can ensure both a mother and her child have enough to eat for 100 days.

With the lean season upon us now in West Africa, your contribution couldn’t come at a more critical time!



Make a donation today by filling out the form to your right or clicking on the PayPal Checkout button below.