Activists from across the country gathered at C2EA headquarters in Washington, DC to lay the groundwork for what is shaping up to be a historic Fall.

Eight HIV activists came to brainstorm and develop solid strategies in organizing eight separate caravans originating from all corners of the country and aimed at Oxford, Mississippi - the site of the first Presidential Debate. The main goal is to make sure that our next president - whoever he is - seriously addresses the AIDS epidemic in the US by developing and implementing a national plan to End AIDS in his first 100 days.

The week was used by the organizers - Greg Fordham (Norfolk, VA), George Kerr (DC Fights Back), Richard Wallace (Test Positive Aware Network, Chicago), Shirlene Cooper (NYC AIDS Housing Network), Marsha Jones (the Afiya Center, Dallas), Janet Johnson (Loon Lake, WA), Eric Bartley (Housing Works, NYC), Eric Bailey and Valencia Robinson (AIDS Action In Mississippi), and David Bond (Positive Vegas) - to solidfy the caravan routes, develop and implement outreach strategies, brainstorm on fundraising opportunities, and to polish off effective media packets.

All of these tools will be used to build participation locally, regionally, and connecting nationally through the caravans and to Mississippi where our messages will be delivered at the steps of our soon to President. "Sending this message to our Presidential candidates is important," says Housing Works National Organizer Larry Bryant. "However, it is just as important that this message is carried by people who are living with HIV/AIDS and those who represent this epidemic from across the country".

The caravans and contacts are as follows:
Seattle (WA), Spokane (WA), Butte (MT), Billings (MT), Rapid City (SD), Omaha (NE), Kansas City (MO), Springfield (MO), Jonesboro (AR), Memphis (TN), Oxford (MS)

SF/Oakland (CA), Sacramento (CA), Reno (NV), Salt Lake City (UT), Denver (CO), Witchita (KS), Oklahoma City (OK), Little Rock (AR), Memphis (TN), Oxford (MS)

Honolulu (HI), San Diego (CA), Las Vegas (NV), Phoenix (AZ), Tucson (AZ), Las Cruces (NM), El Paso (TX), Midland (TX), Abilene (TX), Ft. Worth (TX), Dallas (TX), Shreveport (LA), Monroe (LA), Jackson (MS), Oxford (MS)

Brownsville (TX), Corpus Chisti (TX), San Antonio (TX), Houston (TX), Port Arthur (TX), Lafayette (LA), Baton Rouge (LA), New Orleans (LA), Hattiesburg (MS), Jackson (MS), Oxford (MS)

Key West (FL), Homestead (FL), Miami (FL), Ft. Lauderdale (FL), Tampa (FL), Orlando (FL), Jacksonville (FL), Valdosta (GA), Tallahassee (FL), Pensacola (FL), Mobile (AL), Montgomery (AL), Birmingham (AL), Oxford (MS)

Virginia Beach (VA), Norfolk (VA), Hampton (VA), Richmond (VA), Petersburg (VA), Durham (NC), High Point (NC), Charlotte (NC), Columbia (SC), Augusta (GA), Atlanta (GA), Birmingham (AL), Oxford (MS)

Augusta (ME), Concord (NH), Boston (MA), Providence (NH), Hartford (CT), Albany (NY), NYC, Newark (NJ), Philadelphia (PA), Wilmington (DE), Baltimore (MD), Washington (DC), Charleston (WV), Columbus (OH), Indianapolis (IN), Louisville (KY), Nashville (TN), Oxford (MS)

Minneapolis (MN), Madison (WI), Chicago (IL), Springfield (IL), St. Louis (MO), Paducah (KY), Memphis (TN), Oxford (MS)

There is also a walking caravan through Mississippi from Jackson to Oxford being organized by AIDS Action In Mississippi.

For information about the national caravans and the contact nearest you, please contact the Campaign To End AIDS at 1877-END-AIDS or at info@campaigntoendaids.org.

The Campaign to End AIDS is hitting the road again and this time our destination is Oxford MS – September 24-26, 2008 - the site of the first National Presidential Debate for the Stand Against AIDS. AIDS activists from around the country want to make sure that people living with HIV/AIDS voices are heard as part of this election process and are engaging in a year long campaign to ensure that this happens.

(Pictured: Civil Rights legend and Mississippi native James Meredith with C2EA Outreach Co-chair Larry Bryant.)

Nine caravans travel different routes across the country raising awareness on issues like access to care, research based on science – not ideology, increased funding for prevention tools and an end to stigma. Caravans will begin in California, Washington State, Texas, Minnesota, Maine, Virginia and Florida

As those of you who have been following C2EA, we believe that the AIDS epidemic is not just a public health issue, it’s a social justice issue. To that end we are very happy to announce our partnership with Mr. James Meredith, Civil Rights Activists, for this project. “This is really the same issue that Dr. King was dealing with when he got killed: poor people” says Meredith. “ If the Campaign to End AIDS is successful, it will change everything by focusing on the conditions and the circumstances of the poor. This will be a thousand times bigger than the right to an education.”

In 1966, James Meredith embarked alone on the March Against Fear, a 220 mile walk from Memphis Tennessee to Jackson Mississippi. The March was intended to encourage African-Americans to register to vote and make an impact on elections. Now 42 years later, Meredith lives in Jackson, MS and is lending his support to another Mississippi March, The Stand Against AIDS, organized by C2EA. In addition to eight caravans the caravans traveling across the country, in the ninth caravan AIDS Activists in Mississippi will reprise Meredith’s walk going from Jackson to Oxford, MS. Once arriving in Oxford, C2EA will host a town hall meeting on HIV/AIDS, have a Rally to End AIDS and visually depict the importance of addressing the HIV/AIDS epidemic both domestically and globally.

One of C2EA’s main priorities is to demand that the United States develop a national strategy to end AIDS. The US requires that countries receiving PEPFAR (President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) dollars have a strategy with measurable outcomes to address the epidemic in their country, yet the US does not have such a plan.

To get connected with a Stand Against AIDS caravan, or host an event along a caravan routes with Stand Against AIDS contact: Larry Bryant, 1-877-ENDAIDS, or bryant2@housingworks.org

To sponsor an AIDS activist on one of the caravans, make checks payable to Campaign to End AIDS and mail to Campaign to End AIDS c/o Housing Works, 727 15th St., NW, 2nd Flr, Washington DC 20005

There are young people across the country emerging from the fading cold and of winter and dusting off their fundraising kits. No, not the Girl Scouts... It's the C2EA Youth (scouts?)! The application process is in full swing for the 4th Youth Action Institute to be held on the campus of University of New Mexico in Albuquerque June 25 - 29, 2008.

This will be YAI's first gathering west of the Mississippi since its first in '05 on Colorado State University's Ft. Collins, Colorado campus. The following year was in Chicago and last year's was in Raleigh, North Carolina, at the North Carolina State University.

"New Mexico is a culturally rich and geographically beautiful state," says, New Mexico resident and member of the C2EA Youth Caucus, Kahlo Benevidez. "Native American and Hispanic culture pervade every city in the state in one form or another. Here, you will find a culturally diverse and friendly community willing to share its values, traditions and customs and a stunningly beautiful landscape. The beauty of New Mexico and the openness of its people
do justice to its nickname 'The Land of Enchantment.'"

Kahlo and the rest of the YAI staff and faculty will be welcoming this years group and sharing experiences and developing skills in grassroots organizing, public health, advocacy, anti-stigma, and direct action. In all, over 200 youth representing communities all over North America have shared ideas and succeeded in goals developed at YAI. This year will be no different.

Who Can Come?
Absolutely everyone (between the ages of 16 and 26) is encouraged to apply, regardless of past experience working on HIV and AIDS issues. If you’re passionate about working to end AIDS, then you qualify. C2EA especially encourages people living with HIV and AIDS, women, and people of color to apply.

How To Apply?
The attached application (below, in English and Spanish) must be received by 6:00pm
on March 15th. It can be faxed, mailed, or emailed to the number and address below:

CAMPAIGN TO END AIDS
YOUTH ACTION INSTITUTE 2007
c/o Charles Long
57 Willoughby Street 2nd Floor
Brooklyn, New York 11201
(347)473-7451 oce
(646)942-1934 cell
(347)473-7464 fax
long2@housingworks.org

You will be notified of your acceptance by April 1. Travel arrangements will be made by YAI staff after confirmation of acceptance.

YAI Application eng.

YAI Application esp.

June 25-29, Albuquerque, New Mexico; YAI is a summer-long opportunity for young people ages 16-26 to come together and learn from each other and from experts
about everything from working with the media to organizing young people to taking action to end AIDS.

June 27, New York, New York: NAPWA is celebrating it's 25th Anniversary as the voice of more than 1.3 million Americans living with HIV/AIDS. Join government and community leaders to honor NAPWA's history and leadership in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Proceeds from the event will benefit NAPWA and Village Care of New York, a not-for-profit organization serving older adults and persons living with HIV/AIDS.
Purchase tickets online at http://www.napwa.kintera.org/25thanniversarynyc.

June 27; The National Association of People with AIDS (NAPWA) started National HIV Testing Day (NHTD) in 1995. Every year, local organizations across the nation engage with communities to promote early diagnosis and HIV-testing. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that more 250,000 of the 1.6 people living with HIV/AIDS in the United States are unaware of their status.
http://www.napwa.org