December 1st is World AIDS Awareness Day

As of 2011, 65 million people have contracted HIV, and AIDS has killed 25 million people. It’s easy to see those numbers and not bat an eye, but take a second to mull this over: every single one of those numbers was a person with a father, mother, family. They had hopes and dreams and plans for their lives, but AIDS cut them down before they even had a chance.

On December 1, 2011, millions of people around the world will be coming together to fight back.

World AIDS Awareness Day is an effort to combat common myths about HIV/AIDS, educate about the realities behind the disease, and foster greater awareness about how you can help.

On December 1, SFU will be hosting the 4th Annual Commemoration of World AIDS Awareness Day in the Saywell Hall Atrium. Starting at 10 AM with welcoming addresses, there will be a “Living Library” from 11 AM to 2 PM where guests will be available to answer all questions and relate personal experiences. There will also be a sexual health workshop at 2:30 PM. If you’d like more information, you can check out theirfacebook page.

If you’re not able to make it up to SFU Burnaby on December 1, there will also be events running simultaneously at Carnegie Community Centre near Downtown Vancouver. Check out the Vancouver AIDS website for more information.

If you’d like to get more involved after attending these events, you can volunteer with Vancouver AIDS. The World AIDS Day website also has a page on how you can Act Aware.

AIDS has stolen the lives and dreams of millions, and millions more are forced to live with this disease every day. Getting involved doesn’t have to involve PhDs in science to find the cure—it can mean standing in solidarity with those affected, educating yourself about the realities behind HIV/AIDS, and attending one of the many events on December 1. Collectively, we are stronger than HIV/AIDS. If we fight together, we can win.