50,000 Young People Dance to Celebrate Achievements in Pushing Back HIV and AIDS
AMSTERDAM, Nov. 7 /PRNewswire-AsiaNet/ --
- Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Kofi Annan and Nafis Sadik Support Global Initiative Dance4Life
On the 29th of November, fifty thousand young people will make a worldwide statement against HIV and
AIDS. Connected live via satellite, young people in 19 countries will dance in unity and solidarity as
ambassadors for Dance4Life. These young people want to inspire companies, politicians, artists and media
to join them in committing to push back the global spread of HIV and AIDS.
Famous artists and DJs give up their time to perform during this worldwide event. Tickets are not for sale.
The young people, also known as Agents of Change, have earned their entrance ticket by actively
committing themselves to Dance4Life. By 2014, the year before the Millennium Development Goals must be
realized, Dance4Life aims to have involved at least one million Agents of Change.
The language of young people
More than 33 million people are living with HIV or AIDS. People under 25 years old account for half of all
new infections. Dance4Life involves this young generation and raises their awareness of how they
themselves can push back the spread of HIV and AIDS. Dance4Life does this in schools with a personal,
interactive and emotional approach, using the language of youth, their media, icons, music and dance to
connect with them.
Challenging taboos
Dance4Life empowers young people to take action themselves and to challenge taboos around sex, HIV
and AIDS. Inspired and informed during the schools projects, young people initiate their own prevention,
awareness raising and fundraising actions. For example, they fundraise for HIV and AIDS projects, approach
community leaders, write letters to politicians, organize exhibitions or do volunteer work with HIV positive
children.
Nineteen countries
Originating in the Netherlands, the initiative is now active in nineteen countries: Germany, Ireland, Kenya,
Mexico, Moldova, Netherlands, Russia, Serbia, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Spain, Tanzania, Turkey,
Uganda, UK, USA, Vietnam, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
"Dance is freedom, dance is exhilaration, dance is life. Young people deserve care, protection, condoms.
Please don't let them dance alone". Archbishop Desmond Tutu
SOURCE: Dance4Life
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