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In Indonesia, interfaith religious leaders and people living with HIV have worked together since 1997 in the Interfaith Network on HIV/AIDS, which represents six faiths and seven organizations.
“The first recommendation was to continue these meetings of engagement between faith leaders, people living with HIV, and most-affected populations,” said Gracia Ross, programme executive for WCC Ecumenical HIV and AIDS Initiatives and Advocacy. “So we came to build on top of an existing partnership.” The existing partnership makes it more possible to implement joint actions.
The consultation, “Strategic engagement of civil society actors and faith leaders in the HIV response in Indonesia,” was conducted 19-21 October in Java. It was implemented with the support of Persekuttuan Gereja-Gereja in Indonesia, a national council of churches.
The consultation had the participation of Buddhist, Confucius, Muslim, Hindu, Christian faith leaders, and one representative of persons with disabilities.
“Participants decided to talk about HIV and disability, starting the conversation with the intervention of one faith leader living with a disability,” said Ross.
Participants asked support from the faith sector to promote adoption of prophylaxis pre-exposition (PrEp), which is available in the country—but communities do not receive information about it and therefore don’t access it.
“The same thing happens with the scientific research that is the foundation for undetectable—or not transmissible—HIV,” said Ross. “There is a perception that some authorities do not want to provide this information to people from the community even though it is a powerful tool to end HIV stigma.”
Stigma remains a reality in Indonesia as well, explained Ross. “Participants made a video with T-shirts with the message ‘End stigma!’ “
The existing partnership makes it more possible to implement the joint actions.
Persekuttuan Gereja-Gereja in Indonesia, a national council of churches.