Back to most recent news releases • Browse archive: 2005 • 2006 • 2007 • 2008 • Email this story

Faith-based Organizations Are Key to Scaling Up Responses to HIV and AIDS

Rev. John McCullough and US Global AIDS Coordinator Ambassador Mark Dybul discuss a new guide on expanding collaboration with faith based organizations responding to HIV and AIDS. Photo: K. McNeely/CWS

February 6, 2007

The U.S. government must reach out more to faith-based organizations involved in HIV/AIDS work, according to Church World Service Executive Director Rev. John L. McCullough.

He was speaking at a recent meeting in Washington, DC, with U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator Ambassador Mark Dybul, where McCullough discussed CWS programs and advocacy around HIV/AIDS and objectives of the CWS Africa Initiative.

McCullough presented the Ambassador with Scaling up effective partnerships: A guide to working with faith-based organisations in the response to HIV and AIDS. The guide reviews the relevant teachings and structures of five of the major world religions: Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism, and how believers motivated by their faith have taken action to fight AIDS.

The guide also gives examples of current responses, potential obstacles, and provides case studies intended to give practical advice for initiating or expanding collaboration at local and national levels.

The guide was produced by Church World Service, Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance, Norwegian Church Aid, UNAIDS, and World Conference of Religions for Peace to inform staff of multilateral organizations, government agencies and embassies, and development partners. The lack of information is among major factors inhibiting scaling up existing faith-based projects and developing joint initiatives.

Scaling up effective partnerships is written by Steven Lux and Kristine Greenaway, with a forward by Norwegian HIV/AIDS Ambassador Sigrun Møgedal. The 132-page guide is available in English, French and Spanish. Copies of the guide are available online at: http://www.e-alliance.ch/hiv_faith_guide.jsp.

Ambassador Dybul reported that he has been not only thinking about how to reach out to faith-based communities, but acting as well. On World AIDS Day 2006, the Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator announced the first round of grant awards under the New Partners Initiative, a project of the President Bush's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). This first round of three-year grants will award up to $72 million, establishing new partnerships with 23 community and faith based organizations in 13 of the 15 PEPFAR focus countries. Grant awardees will provide a variety of HIV prevention and care services including care for orphans and vulnerable children, as well as counseling and testing.

According to Dybul, the true value of the faith communities' response is the deep understanding of holistic responses. Though government agencies might be able to see a problem with many facets, they are often unable to collaborate on an array of issues.

For example, a village might see an increase in the spread of HIV because there are many orphan-headed households, where the child taking the bulk of the responsibility has dropped out of school and may engage in risky behavior both out of a lack of education and in a desperate attempt to provide food and shelter for younger siblings.

Government agencies might be able to respond on one element such as reducing school fees so making it easier to for the child to go to school while other problems go ignored.

In contrast, faith-based programs such as the Giving Hope project help communities and church-related organizations respond to the many needs of orphans and vulnerable children. These programs ensure children the life skills they need to manage their own well-being and that of their families, and to participate in the social and economic development of their communities.

CWS Giving Hope projects are now going strong in Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya, under the direction seven implementing partners. The program is reaching a combined total of 5,365 households of orphans and vulnerable children--18,427 children mobilized into 361 empowerment groups.

Media Contact:
Lesley Crosson, CWS/New York, 212-870-2676;
Jan Dragin, 781-925-1526;

Back to most recent news releases • Browse archive: 2005 • 2006 • 2007 • 2008 • Email this story