The Approach of Churches and Church-Related Organizations to HIV/AIDS Programmes: Based on Case Studies in Ethiopia and Southern India

Master's Thesis from the year 2005 in the subject Politics - International Politics - Topic: Development Politics, grade: 1,4, University of Bremen, 25+20Online entries in the bibliography, language: English, abstract: The Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (hereafter, AIDS) pandemic has changed many parts of the world in just a short time despite efforts aimed at controlling it. Human Immunodeficiency Virus (hereafter, HIV)/AIDS is predominantly a sexually transmitted disease that causes illness and death. The groups most at risk are those between 15 and 49 years, often described as the sexually active, who are the most reproductive people in society and the backbone of the productive forces of any country. The particularities of this disease are not only the large number of victims, but alsothe suffering of those affected. AIDS is related to two deep dimensions of the human existence: sexuality and death. The impact of HIV/AIDS is multi-dimensional as the disease affects social, economic, political, psychological, cultural, ethical and religious areas. Additionally, the connection of sexuality and death is often linked to the questions of guilt and innocence, chance and causality. Wherever such deep dimensions of human existence are raised, religion may be called upon. The questions of the why and whereto are not purely questions of medical science but often involve transcendence and therefore religion. HIV/AIDS and the approach of churches and church-related organizations is a complex issue. In many countries,congregations and parishes are seen to be in the forefront of effective contributions to sexual education and prevention, especially in the form of care and support programmes. AIDS thus mobilizes churches as healing communities. On the other hand, churches are often accused of beinga sleeping giant, of promoting stigmatization and discrimination based on fear and prejudices, of reducing issues related to AIDS to simplistic, rigid sexual and moral judgements. [...]