World AIDS Day 2007
On Friday, November 30, 2007, the New York City Community held its second annual World AIDS Day Celebration at St. Bartholomew's Church. The event underscored the often overlooked yet necessary component in the fight against HIV/AIDS—leadership. Leadership at all levels of society, from the grassroots to the highest elected offices, is integral to halting the spread of HIV. The speakers discussed the achievements of leadership to date and the challenges leadership is facing, in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
Over 300 people gathered at St. Bartholomew's Church. Above, they light
candles for all of us living with and affected by HIV, and for those who have
died of AIDS.
CNN’s Soledad O’Brien emceed the event.
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| Ban Ki-moon made his first public World AIDS Day speech as United Nations Secretary-General. | Petra Berrios, co-founder of Sisterhood Mobilized for AIDS/HIV Research and Treatment (SMART) |
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Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, President & CEO of the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria |
Supriya Banavalikar of The Hunger Project. |
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| From left, Krishna Stone, Assistant Director of Community Relations for Gay Men's Health Crisis; Supriya Banavalikar; Petra Berrios; Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and his wife, Yoo Soon-taek. | Krishna Stone leads a group of readers as Girl Scout volunteers help to light the participants' candles. |
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| Internationally acclaimed pianist, Angelin Chang, 2007 Grammy Award Winner for Best Instrumental Soloist Performance with Orchestra. | |
 Harambee (meaning "let us pull together" in Swahili) dance company entertained guests. |
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Organizers of this event include the United Nations, The Hunger Project, St. Bartholomew's Church, Gay Men's Health Crisis and the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria. It is co-sponsored by the amfAR, World Council of Churches, Riverside Church, EngenderHealth, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, MaAfrika Tikkun, the Population Council, Islamic Cultural Center, CHAMP: Community HIV/AIDS Mobilization Project, Student World Assembly and a growing network of organizations in the New York area.
Photos by: Sandra Kress and Jenna Recuber
For more information, visit www.aidsdaynyc.org.