'I remember. Do you?': All-Ukrainian public event dedicated to AIDS Memorial Day 2005
30 June 2005
The Alliance in Ukraine and the All-Ukrainian Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS this year organised the fifth annual event dedicated to Ukraine’s AIDS Memorial Day. The theme of the event, which took place on May 15 in 40 towns and cities across Ukraine, was ‘I remember. Do you?’ and aimed to encourage tolerance towards people living with HIV/AIDS.
A memorial ceremony was held near the ‘Red Ribbon’ monument in Kiev and activities included concerts and theatre performances, roundtables, information fairs, ceremonies, meetings with medics and people living with HIV/AIDS.
Participants included international NGOs, Government representatives and the All-Ukrainian Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS. Participants of the ceremony made short speeches, commemorated those who had died with a minute’s silence and laid flowers on the monument. The Archbishop Mytrofan of Pereyaslov-Khmelnytsky held a ceremony for the dead near the ‘Red Ribbon’ memorial. The Reverend Metropolitan Volodymyr blessed the ceremony and blessed those who help people living with HIV/AIDS. Another ceremony and public prayers took place at Svyato-Troyitsky Ioniyivsky monastery.
Other events organised by the Network in Kyiv included:
- A forum of Ukrainian NGOs to discuss harm reduction and overcoming HIV/AIDS
- An exhibition of creative works by children living with HIV/AIDS
- Food deliveries to patients at AIDS centres
- Flower presentations to medical staff
Information fair and concert
An information fair on 15 May in Sheychenko Park, Kyiv, organised by the Alliance, the All-Ukrainian Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS and Kyiv City Centre for Social Services for Youth, allowed participants to find out more about the Memorial Day. Members of HIV/AIDS service organisations met with members of the public to tell them more about HIV/AIDS and their work. A particularly successful aspect of the event was the youth group concerts, especially those given by Anna Zakletska, Sergiy Havrylyuk and childrens’ group ‘Me mis’.
Making the most of the Eurovision song contest
The Alliance and the All-Ukrainian Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS took part in the event ‘Amuse yourself safely!’ organised by United Nations Development Programme. Volunteers distributed condoms and information to people at the Eurovision song contest in Kiev.
