The Truth... In Memory of Bruce Mullan

Bruce & his wife Catherine were one of the initial grieving families that came together to found "TOGETHER for Caring" which served as the foundation upon which they and the No Ky HIV/AIDS Care Region Coordinators built AIDS Volunteers of Northern Kentucky. I attended the Memorial Community Dinner on Tuesday Evening...

Subject: Re: [RainbowNews] Digest -AVOC "Rollin' On The River.8/29
Date: Wed, 18 Aug 1999 19:18:02 -0400
From: "Michael W. Connett" <mconnett@fuse.net>
Organization: "The Michael W. Connett-'LIVING' Trust"

How fortuitous that these two items appeared together!
One of the things that I have come to realize along my Journey is that the talents with which I was blessed (an ability to write/communicate) were given to facilitate my purpose or "calling" in this life to teach/educate. That was a real and truthful motivation for my decision to join The Christian Brothers upon my graduation from Newport Catholic High School. The real but less truthful motivation was my attempt to escape the intolerance of my family and society by finding a "Respectable" closet to reside in. That being said, here is the lesson I want to share with you:

"THE TRUTH ABOUT 'AIDS SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS'

IN GREATER CINCINNATI"

(ASO's-both professional and Community Based Organizations/CBO's)

In a nutshell it is this: that the same kind of very real TENSION (although largely unspoken) that exists between a smaller/less known organization and a larger/very well known one as cited in the article by Doug Ireland, exists between the Three major players in AIDS Services here. AVOC is the larger and more well known organization that like the HRC, operates primarily in one area/state, gets all the recognition and manages to raise the great majority of Community Based Funding. However, they have evolved into a Professional ASO under contract with the State of Ohio to administer case management, education and prevention activities - thereby trying to wear two hats at once as both a Professional ASO and a Volunteer-driven CBO. Conversely in the same geographic area yet another state, we have two existing organizations (AVNK-the CBO & NKIDHD AIDS Care Management Program-the ASO) that like the Oregon group are smaller and less well known, each wear only one hat and struggle to meet their clients needs in the shadow of AVOC who like the HRC only dispenses to them the scraps from their bountiful table. Case in point: For the last three years I have been trying to get assistance from the PAWS program for my faithful canine companion-Moses. This last Sunday, through the perseverance of my Case Manager-Vicki Simon and the defiance to AVOC's exclusionary preferences by the VOLUNTEERS that run the PAWS program, I was able to participate in the free Vet Care Event at the SCPA and get Moses caught up on the shots that he was a year overdue for. I am deeply grateful to all involved in making this event and my participation in it possible!!!

As Olympic Gold Medalist Greg Louganis says in his recent book - "For The Life Of Your Dog": "Dogs have always been important players in my life. Sometimes I think I may even owe them my life. Living with HIV, I have come to know personally and intimately the exquisite power of the human/animal bond. I don't need scientific research studies to tell me that when you share a special relationship with animals-in my case dogs-your outlook improves, you enjoy a more fulfilling life, and most significantly, you are better equipped to heal and fight off disease. There seems to be a direct link between the human/animal bond and the human immune system, and I have been a beneficiary of that link."

There is no doubt in my mind as well, that having Moses by my side the last 5 years is a major reason why I have been able to survive living with HIV. In talking to several of the PAWS volunteers, I learned that last Sundays Vet Care Day was made possible and organized solely through their efforts and the generosity of the Veterinary professionals who donated their time as well as the necessary vaccines and supplies. To my complete surprise and chagrin I learned that although the PAWS Program operates as a service under the AVOC umbrella, they receive no budget or direct financial assistance from them for their operation. Except in the case where a donation is made to AVOC specifically designated for the PAWS Program. Over the last eight years that I have been living with HIV, from the beginning in CincinNASTY and now in my native No. Ky., I have come to realize the inequities that currently exist. Although there exits this great disproportion between the amount of Community Based fundraisng received by AVOC from Northern Kentucky and the amount of programs and services then returned by AVOC to the Northern Kentucky clients, I have been ignored, muzzled or discredited when I have tried to be vocal and raise awareness about it. But AIDS is FAR FROM Being Over...Although there is no cure or vaccine in sight, people continue to be infected and then are living longer putting a strain on all the available resources. IT IS TIME for unnecessary strains on our resources like the one presented here, to be recognized and rectified!

With Best Regards & HOPE for the Future,
Michael

*********************************************

Though I am often reluctant to attend their events these days, this was one I could not miss as I will always remember AVNK as the Family that welcomed me back to No Ky two years after I found out I was HIV+ in 1991 –& yes, I always like to drop the fact that it’s the same year as the "Magic" started!
It made me think of Bruce & Catherine, Judy –my old St Bernard’s grade school teacher with an adopted gay son (whose wedding, Southern Food Service ala Me catered!), Gail, Alice and the many others whose names escape me ... I’m sure they’re on a card somewhere in the boxes and files thru-out The HIVe! Thankfully, my MOM went thru the trauma of my “official” Coming OUT back in 1978, so it was great to find a group that she could now take some comfort with. Wally, as well while he was still here...

I knew that Catherine would be present and to my delight; so were Fr. Herman, Bob Keck & Alice... Sadly, many of the other old timers who have  also distanced themselves were not; especially Judy and Cathy Kunkel-Mains. I found it most interesting that in his opening remarks, President Mike Connolly remembered Bruce as "a pain in the ass" with whom he often locked horns! When I had the opportunity to speak, I explained my presence & why it was important to me by saying "as someone else Mike probably considers a pain, I couldn't, wouldn't have missed this opportunity to express my gratitude to Bruce & Catherine as well as the entire AVNK Family of yore..."

So, in honor of Bruce & I's kinship in locking horns; I'm gonna give y'all the 411 on our current TRUTH ABOUT 'AIDS SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS' IN GREATER CINCINNATI...

Our beloved AVNK, rather than living up to the hopes that they'd be the active and effective Non-Profit they were modeled after; has been morphed into "The ISQCCBE's AIDS Volunteers of Northern Kentucky" under the direction of current President Mike Connolly, who also happens to be the Treasurer & Webmaster for "The Court"! The evidence:

• AVNK has still not learned to do effective Public Outreach & FUNdRaising; relying on designation as an "Official Court Charity".
• They still have not restored their website nor embraced the New Social Media as urged by AIDS.gov & the National HIV/AIDS Strategy ( one of the things that I have "busted his chops about")
• Monthly Dinners & Events are no longer posted to public Community Calendars in local media.
• They have a substantial chunk of change in the bank they're sitting on; at a past dinner I heard Pres Connolly remark to my Case Manager that "We just don't have a clue what to do anymore..."

AIDS Volunteers of Northern Kentucky (AVNK) in Florence was founded in 1990 and seeks to understand and address the emotional, educational, social, spiritual and physical needs of the people living with HIV/AIDS and their families, partners, friends and caregivers in Northern Kentucky and surrounding communities. AVNK strives to raise public awareness of HIV/AIDS and related issues and promotes education, mobilization, prevention and advocacy. AVNK provides services including three support groups, a monthly dinner/social, healing weekends, respite care, emergency financial assistance, memorial services, outreach to minority communities and World AIDS Day services.

Charity Contact Information
Name: AIDS Volunteers of Northern Kentucky
Address: 314 War Horse Place
  Crestview Hills, KY 41017
Phone: (859) 261-2143
Web Address:  

BBB Wise Giving Alliance Comment                

Despite written BBB of Cincinnati requests in the past year, this organization either has not responded to BBB of Cincinnati requests for information or has declined to be evaluated in relation to the BBB of Cincinnati’s Standards for Charity Accountability. While participation in the BBB of Cincinnati’s charity review efforts is voluntary, the BBB of Cincinnati believes that failure to participate may demonstrate a lack of commitment to transparency. Without the requested information, the BBB of Cincinnati cannot determine if this charity adheres to the Standards for Charity Accountability. A charity's willing disclosure of information beyond that typically included in its financial statements and government filings is, in the Alliance's view, an expression of openness that strengthens public trust in the charitable sector.
The BBB of Cincinnati reports on national charities and determines if they meet 20 voluntary standards on matters such as charity finances, appeals, and governance. The BBB of Cincinnati does not evaluate the worthiness of the charitable program. 
*****************************************

"Board of Directors Meeting - Tuesday, October 25, 2011: The next ISQCCBE Board of Directors and General Membership Meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 25, 2011 at Trinity Episcopal Church in Covington at 7 PM. We will be electing the next Member at Large. Nominees are Dennis DeClaire and Ken Brawner. Come out and cast YOUR vote!!"
Ms Connelly couldn't wait for the AVNK Dinner to end & shuffled us all off. That's really sad that he's co-opted Trinity's generosity & support for AVNK into a meeting place for the Court!

To add insult to injury; I had announced our planning efforts for "World AIDS Day @ The World PEACE Bell" and the goal of connecting it to an AIDS Memorial Quilt Display that would run through the 1st Weekend of NATIONAL HIV/AIDS Awareness Month... In response, I was asked to keep them in the loop; yet when I gave him copies of Quilt Display Info & Application he proceeded to advise me that there wasn't enough time & it probably couldn't be done!

Well, I know better & working with the NAMES Project Foundation and several other CommUNITY RED Ribbon Partners; I'm Happy to report that it will be done! This ones for you, Bruce...







Now, we'll just have to wait & see...



The newly named mayor stands in front of the seat
he will occupy till December 2012 - RiverCity News photo



Changes save $1M for Covington

By Jeanne Houck Post staff reporter The city of Covington should save nearly $1 million annually in the way it operates because it has acted on 80 of 90 changes recommended in a 1999 study. Among the changes: Hiring another auditor to catch tax scofflaws, charging more for ambulance runs and getting into the solid-waste disposal business. Benefits • Methods recommended in the Scheper Report are reaping benefits for Covington. • They include dropping employees' birthday day off and dropping one personal day and refinancing Devou Park debt. That's according to Gerald Newfarmer, president of Management Partners Inc. of Cincinnati, whom Covington hired in 2000 to help implement recommendations made one year earlier by consultant Chuck Scheper, a Covington insurance executive. In a letter sent in June 21 to Covington City Manager Greg Jarvis, Newfarmer -- a former Cincinnati city manager -- said he'd compiled the information at Scheper's request. Mayor Butch Callery said he was pleased with the results of the changes, even though the city's estimated savings have fallen short of a $5 million annual figure bandied about earlier. "We worked hard, and it paid off," Callery said Thursday. "We wanted to compliment (Scheper) and show it was not for naught." ******************************* Covington officials to discuss issues The public is invited to attend the Covington City Commission's retreat today, but not to ask questions during the marathon session, Mayor Butch Callery said. The meeting was to run from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the new Drees Pavilion at the city's Devou Park -- a lot closer to constituents than commissioners prefer for the weekend event, which offers them the opportunity to discuss issues at greater depth than at the typical Tuesday-evening commission meeting. Among issues to be discussed were: • The Scott/Greenup corridor study. • The city's proposed tax amnesty program. • Legal updates on possible regulations of newsstands and public pay phones that are placed in the public right-of-way. • Enforcement of city building and nuisance codes; • An update on the city's new park rangers. • Riverfront West and the proposed Freedom Park. • An update on zoning for sexually oriented businesses. "The public won't be allowed to speak at that," Callery said. "That would defeat the whole purpose of the retreat. "We want to get through the agenda," he said. Anyone who has questions about the discussions can ask them at Tuesday's regularly scheduled 7 p.m. commission meeting, Callery added. All department heads were to attend today's gathering with the city commission, and give presentations of 10 minutes or less to open conversations on each topic. Officials in Covington and other Northern Kentucky cities used to hold retreats in Lexington until Howard Hodge, Covington's former housing development director, challenged the practice and the state attorney general's office agreed that Kentucky's open meetings law required meetings be in the city to be convenient to the public. Kenton Circuit Judge Greg Bartlett later agreed with the attorney general that Lexington was too far to be convenient, but disagreed that meetings had to be within the city's boundaries. Publication Date: 02-14-2004 Commissioners Jerry Bamberger, Alex Edmondson and Bernie Moorman finished first, second and fourth, respectively. Commissioner Craig Bohman is not seeking re-election. 5/19/2004 Looking back over the first half of 2002, here on The South Bank; I combed through recent news articles, commission minutes, transcripts of an online conversation with the current commission candidates... I have distilled all these headlines, sound bites and quotes into this simple list of KeyWords: Callous Obnoxious Vitriolic Insensitive Negligent Greedy Twisted Oppressive Niggardly (Yes, it is a word! Look it up!)

"What would our community look like if it were a really healthy place to live?" The National Civic League (NCL) posed this question to neighbors in hundreds oc communities across the country. This is how people everywhere responded:

• A clean and safe environment
• A diverse and vibrant economy
• A place that has good housing for all
• A place where people respect and support each other
• A place that promotes and celebrates its cultural and historical heritage
• A place where citizens and government share power
• A place that has affordable health care for all
• A place that has good schools
• A place that has and supports strong families

But we are moving away from this ideal. Many voluntary associations no longer have the influence or position in our communities they once had. For example, PTA participation has fallen dramatically, as has participation in Boy Scouts, Red Cross volunteers, labor unions membership, and civic clubs like the Lions and Elks. (Bowling Alone, by Robert Parker)

In the Gannet News "Mood of America" poll, 76 percent of citizens agreed, "there is less concern for others than there once was."

We must be careful not to over generalize, since some Northern Kentucky communities may not fit these trends fully, or even at all. There will always be crosscurrents and countertrends. A few communities may have high levels of interconnectedness and public participation, with few glaring social problems and plenty of resources. But these communities are the exceptions.

By and large, the quality of life and the social fabric of many Northern Kentucky communities are being threatened by these trends.

And there is no denying current social problems mirroring national trends, such as poverty, street violence, domestic abuse, drugs, racial/ethnic divides, urban sprawl and homelessness remain very much with us here in Northern Kentucky

How can Northern Kentucky address the Healthy Communities issues identified by the National Civic League?

Is the solution financial? Solutions often cost money, so, of course, more public funding to address local problems would be helpful. Support these efforts, but realize that in the present economic and political climate, success will not come easily and will cost each of us more than money. We need to understand there are no short-term solutions. We need CommUNITY Leaders who will engage, listen and translate the words into compelling long-term actions. Leaders who can then garner the support of government, private sector, faith community, public sector organizations and residents for the action plans.

President Bush, in his inaugural address said: "What you do is as important as anything government does. I ask you to seek a common good beyond your comfort; to defend needed reforms against easy attacks; to serve your nation, beginning with your neighbor. I ask you to be citizens. Citizens, not spectators. Citizens, not subjects. Responsible citizens, building communities of service and a nation of character."

Residents, along with the people who work, worship or have roots in a community need to be seen as an alternative resource, as someone with something important to share.

The task is to identify these alternative resources, then to coalesce and organize them, to plan, develop, implement, and sustain multiple community wide solutions. This will not happen all by itself. The structure for organizing and mobilizing community resources is generally not in place. A big plus is that people, 63 percent in one poll, believe that people are willing to pitch in and fix what is wrong in their communities, if they knew how. Mechanisms for involvement are rare, but do exist. Let us identify these processes and bring them into our communities.

America is the great democratic example, but because we lead there is no blueprint. America's greatness has been due to our ability, on the national, state and local levels, to find common ground. To large extent, it is our ability to reach consensus through civil discourse that has contributed to our greatness. Today, in our communities, neighborhoods, media and even in our legislative bodies, far too often, a difference of opinion is painted as evil, making constructive dialogue impossible.

In doing this work, the Boston Foundation developed "Seven Guiding Principles for a New Social Contract."

• Incorporate those directly affected by policies at the heart of dialogue and community building.
• Value racial and cultural diversity at the foundation for wholeness.
• Promote active citizenship and political empowerment.
• Build on community strengths and assets.
• Ensure access to fundamental opportunities and remove obstacles to equal opportunities.
• Support and enhance the well being of children and their families.
• Foster sustained commitment, coordination, and collaboration based on a shared vision and mutual respect.

We hear congress can't get anything done, or that government can't get anything right. We are a democracy; the government is a reflection of ourselves.

The task ahead will be long and is not easy, so it is important we get started. In the words of Bobby Kennedy: "The future does not belong to those who are content with today, apathetic toward common problems and their fellow man alike, timid and fearful in the face of bold projects and new idieas. Rather, it will belong to those who can blend passion, reason and courage in a personal commitment to the ideals of American Society."

excerpted from the "White Paper on Poverty in Northern Kentucky"



POZitively! Kentucky Unbridled Spirit...

"Give people a light and they'll follow it anywhere."

Greetings Mr. Connett,

At times I really enjoy the monotony of the rather dated disco playing on your website. However, I would like to turn it off as I am exploring your website. Please Tell how to get it to stop!

Interestingly Funny! Most savvy web-surfers know exactly how to turn it off, LOL! However, I've long received criticism about my sites & the music being dated. Mostly, I just brush it off; partly because there's usually nothing constructive offered and they are exactly what I designed them to be: a talking pictorial narrative of My Journey comprehendable to all ages... To illustrate, here's the rest of the comment:  At the moment I'm more in an Andrew Gerle mood. Perhaps you too might find these songs interesting.

http://www.andrewgerle.com/hear-songs.html

Lighthouses

Don't eat your friends

The little ChooChoo

This is what I love about the New Social Media & Marketing; it's a Whisper-Campaign gone viral and a Whisper-Campaign is simply Word-of-Mouth Marketing which is regarded as one of the Best & Least Expensive tactics! Since the majority of the tracks on my sites are not disco or necessarily dated, but present for the lyrics & easy listening I probably won't check out Andre Gerle's offerings...

Paying It Forward, Daily…

“Think of an idea to Change The World,

And put it Into ACTION…”

“I tried real hard, but nothing really happened. I think some people are too scared or something. I think, things could be different. I mean, the World’s not exactly s**t.

I guess it’s hard for some people who are so used to things the way they are, even if they’re BAD, to CHANGE. ‘Cause then they kinda give up. And when they do, everybody kinda loses.

It’s hard, you can’t plan it. You have to watch people more, ya know. Sort of keep an eye on them, to protect them, ‘cause they can’t always see what they need. It’s like your big chance to fix something that’s not like your bike. You can fix a person…”

“Trevor” in The Movie

High hopes for housing in Covington: Mixed-income units designed to appeal to all

The development is near Gateway Community & Technical College's new urban campus and is along transit routes, even within walking distance of Newport and downtown Cincinnati, he noted. So, "you could literally live there without a car, which would be another major savings, as far as just maintenance and insurance," Wolfe-Bertling said.
Despite the large difference in incomes, Wolfe-Bertling said, the units will be so similar that the only way neighbors will be able to tell which income category residents are in is if they tell each other.

BLOODYZBUB: So the first units will be available by Thanksgiving 2012. I bet the first arrest at the new units will be prior to Dec 2012. As a resident of the city, I'm actually pleased to see the new Zoo will be available so quickly. What I can't stop laughing about is the thought of someone actually paying rent with EARNED income at the new housing. Hey, here's an idea, let's make it mandatory for City Commissioners to reside at the new "upscale" housing. There is something terribly wrong with a society that is willing to demolish a housing project that was infested with drug dealers, bed bugs, and welfare champions (MULTI-GENERATIONS) only to turn around and drop over 20 Million dollars and build a brand new one on the same ground for the same parasitic organisms. The approving authority for this construction/expenditure should be absolutely ashamed. Well, what's done is done, might as well go ahead and spend a little more money and tack on a Methadone clinic to the new housing, make it a drive-thru.

astroyo: I don't disagree with you on anything because I too believe that fraud and abuse of the benefits needs to be dealt with. No objection to sorting out the truly needy from those that are taking advantage. It requires manpower and a structure to do so. The point I am making is that while you and others profess to be broadminded in how you relate to others (who agree with you, "common sense of revulsion") from all backgrounds, we also need to be cognizant of the knee-jerk reactions to this problem. There are needs and there are "wants". I agree with you that the benefits should be earned in some way and I don't disagree with the welfare reform that gave people a deadline in which to become employed, however, the recession may have thrown a kink in the system there. (Another reason to support a Jobs Plan.)

As far as the realities being "ugly" they certainly are! I'm horrified by the lack of education and verbal skills that I witness in the streets from average Americans. And that is a judgment based solely on what I see and hear. I'm also upset by conservatives' stereotypical views of "liberals" as sentimental, fiscally-incompetent managers. This is not true as we have seen from the restoration of a budget surplus and cuts to government during the Clinton years. What I am still waiting to hear from all conservatives, is a workable plan on how to get people out "of the system". I have a few ideas on that which would shock Conservatives as well as Liberals but I am not going there on this topic. However, a structure for achieving financial independence should be created that is workable. But to begin there, we must have jobs first.
Meanwhile, I look forward to hearing the solutions that any of you conservatives have as a solution to the social problems of housing. What I hope we stop hearing is the name-calling, the bigotry, and the use of language that tears down a people, stereotypically with biases against them.

"If YOU Build IT, THEY will come..."

The South Bank

PRIDE Coalition

Working to create A Synergistic South Bank CommUNITY where “ WE seek and value opinions, viewpoints and perspectives from others to create solutions that are better than those that would have been created on our own” 

"True patriotism hates injustice in its own land more than anywhere else."
- Clarence Darrow

We're STILL Here! 2011 World HIV/AIDS Day

My name is Justin B. Terry-Smith I've decided to do this journal to hopefully save someone's life. I needed it for it is therapy for me and maybe hopefully for others as well. I call to your sense as human beings to send this out to as many people as you know, who knows?, it might save their lives even yours. Listen and Learn from my story.
"A man who won't die for something is not fit to live." Martin Luther King, Jr

"changing the names so that I protect people's identities. I received this e-mail from a woman I'm going to call Amanda. She and her son discovered he was HIV+ and this letter made me cry.......twice."
I also try to do the same here in The HIVe; and I have screwed up several times as I learned, along My Journey... If you get an e-mail from The HIVe and you are identified; it is because you have a public persona with relevance to our Cause and we want the public to know that you have been alerted!

Special AVNK Dinner To Honor Bruce & Catherine Mullan 8/25/11

PLEASE RSVP Bill Siller IF YOU PLAN ON COMING! Or if you have any questions.
*We are starting our gathering at 5:30PM to honor Bruce & Catherine Mullan for their foresight into the AIDS crisis and helping in forming AVNK. Mike Connley, AVNK President, will officiate the proceedings with various people speaking their gratitude for all they have done. Bruce recently died and Catherine plans to be there with her family and friends. We will continue with the dinner at 6:00PM.
Dinner will be at Trinity in Covington on Madison Ave., Tuesday, October 25, 2011 at 6:00PM.

Greetings Y’all!
http://www.mwcltonline.org/southbankHIVe/index.html
Once my neighbor ‘CrazyJack’ showed up with taters to fry, I missed the 1st Opportunity to kill 2 Birds with... a single hike up to the Police Chief’s CommUNITY Forum with a pit stop @ The MACC for dinner! Then after his usual tip & he left, I’d missed dinner and sat down to browse the net, found Justin’s Journal, which made me think of the Family that welcomed me back to No Ky two years after I found out I was HIV+ in 1991 –& yes, I always like to drop the fact that it’s the same year as the Magic started!


It made me think of Bruce & Catherine, Judy –my old St Bernard’s grade school teacher with an adopted gay son (whose wedding, Southern Food Service ala Me catered!) and the many others whose names escape me ... I’m sure they’re on a card somewhere in the boxes and files thru-out The HIVe! Thankfully, my MOM went thru the trauma of my “official” Coming OUT back in 1978, so it was great to find a group that she could now take some comfort with. Wally, as well while he was still here... Anyway, missed the Police Chiefs gig but caught a FB post earlier in which I could express my wonderment at CPD tactics...


So here I am, snug as a ... in The HIVe, NO wait, I don’t mean that kinda bug -I bought the stuff myself and sprayed and bb bombed the place in time for Kevin’s visit from St. Louis. Still waiting on him since he fell ill, but haven’t seen ANY unwelcome guests! Key is to keep spraying where eggs may have been laid and suckin’ it –with a vacumn! It’s fitting that I happen to take respite to remember on the eve of SPIRIT Day Around the World!

Discussing World HIV/AIDS Day with No Ky Health's Chief Educator, Bob Ford, this afternoon; he came up with this idea that could be incorporated in lieu of or conjunction with the CandleLight Vigil/March aspect that we'd like to include along with a Public Gathering/Ceremony at the World Peace Bell!

 

Personally; I want to let Catherine, Judy, Michael, Liz, Carl... and all of our HIVe Community on The South Bank in the Northern Kentucky HIV/AIDS Care Region from Covington, our Mosaic Capitol City – that this Year’s FOR YOU & In Memory of all the other UnAcknowledged victims of HIV/AIDS! The Link I started this was will lead you to the beginning of OUR Journey as I have chronicled it...

Shortly after AIDS Volunteers of Northern Kentucky was established; I tested positive in October of 1991 while living in Cincinnati. Then, AVOC -the model for AVNK's establishment with the hope that they'd grow into; guided me thru the first years as I began treatment, applied for every benefit & program I qualified for and made it possible for me to weather the devastation from losing my job @ Perkins after I disclosed my HIV status. In 1993; after I had secured my Social Security Disability Benefits and qualified for HUD/HOPWA/Sct8 Housing assistance, I returned to my roots on The South Bank and settled in the Covington neighborhood of Lewisburg. Once settled, I began to wonder what to do with the Rest of the Life I had left. Enter Bruce & Catherine, Judy, Rick... along with the AVNK Family to welcome me back & help me along My Journey. Like any family, we've had our ups and downs. I hope I will be able to attend the special AVNK Monthly Dinner & Soicial this coming Tuesday, but if I don't I just wanted to let y'all know how much you mean to me...

OCvg: Why this is Important!? OUTREACH Covington

IMHO; We need to have our own OCGA! However; I am still a bit put off by the Term Occupy, how abt to show our Comprehension & Solidarity we substitute it with OUTREACH & we'd have OCvgGA!? We can start the Conversation this Monday evening @ "Come, Remember, Respond" A Northern Kentucky CommUNITY Event for Hungry and Homeless... Hosted by the NoKy Hungry & Homeless Committee at "The MACC"!

OUTREACH Covington General Assembly We need to all realize and agree that if We don't know how to live With Each other, We're all gonna perish together! Maybe I'll bump into y'all @ WhineFest! I'll have free Condoms & Literature from NoKy HIV/AIDS Care Coordinators...

"When the drumbeat changes The DANCE Changes"

It's been a great week! No Ky Forum, Southbank Partners, Riverfront Commons, RiverCenter Ribbon Cutting, NoKy Wine Festival, BarMonet Saturday Strippers... However, this Admin still has work to do...

Our goal for 2011, the 30th Year of the HIV/AIDS crisis is to produce similar events on The South Bank:

The 2011 "30th Anniversary" World HIV/AIDS Day & National HIV/AIDS Awareness Month Planning Committee has been Established! Kisses to Ms Tyese Rainz, Dj LargeMarge, Garth, Robby & BarMonet for helping us make the announcement & get the ball rollin'..."The Millennium Odyssey... A National Awareness Revival & Crusade Against AIDS & Discrimination" In Loving Memory of Matthew Shepard, Ryan White, Michael Dorobek, Arthur Ashe, Bobbi Campbell, "Bambi"...: and all those who have gone before us and their time..., especially Those UNACKNOWLEDGED AIDS Victims...

Divert 20 % of International AIDS relief money to help American PLWHA

I write to you today as a fellow American, and one of 1.2 million Americans living with HIV/AIDS, and with a solution to the AIDS crisis occuring right here in the United States. The soulution is simple: divert 20 % of International US AIDS relief money to help Americans living with HIV/AIDS. Under PEPFAR (Presidents emergency plan for AIDS relief, inacted in 2003 under George W Bush) we send billions upon billions every year for overseas intitatives such as money for the Global Fund, UN AIDS, and other international intitiatives.

On the 30th year of the AIDS epidemic our country is facing a perilous time in the fight against HIV/AIDS. You Mr. President have an opportunity to END AIDS as we know it while you are in office, however; today we are approaching 10,000 Americans waiting to receive lifesaving HIV medications (this number has grown from 99 people in June 2009). We are facing public health crisis, unseen since the epidemic began. The weak economy has crippled state and federal budgets that pay into ADAP; the government program that provides life-sustaining antiretroviral drugs to people with HIV/AIDS who cannot afford them. In addition, prevention initiatives and other supportive services such as HOPWA funds have dried up in communities across the Nation.
Further, many states have employed cost containment strategies, such as reduced formularies, lowered eligibility levels, client cost sharing, or program enrollment caps. These strategies have dis-enrolled individuals who would have previously qualified (ref: nastad.org).
Without reliable access to the medications, which cost patients in the AIDS Drug Assistance Program an average of $12,000-$15,000 a year, people with HIV are more likely to develop full-blown AIDS, transmit the virus and require expensive hospitalizations, and die.
Mr. President, your administrations immediate intervention along with Congress is needed to avert countless and needless American deaths.
Earlier in the year CDC guidelines were changed suggesting those newly infected begin treatment earlier, rather than later. Further, On May 12th, 2011 the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill led an international study that shows early treatment with antiretroviral therapy prevents HIV transmission. The result of the study was that those taking ARV were 96 percent less likely to pass on the disease than those who didn’t take ARV. This critical new finding convincingly demonstrates that early treatment of infected individuals can have a major impact on the spread of the epidemic.
As we are being told in national, state, and local campaigns to get tested and to know our status; in the same breath, those testing positive are being told they cannot be helped. People are sent away with their name on a wait-list to receive antiretroviral medicine, and HOPING they will be called. These are Americans with no insurance or inadequate insurance that cannot afford the highly expensive drugs. These are Americans laid off from their job and who have to choose between paying for food or for life saving medication. This is not the American way
In the 80’s our government did nothing to recognize the AIDS problem. It wasn’t until individuals, while watching dozens upon dozens of friends and loved ones die, and they themselves on the brink of death that a movement began to recognize AIDS and to demand treatment and services for those infected. If full funding for ADAP and other vital HIV/AIDS services is not restored then we WILL have flashback to the 80’s; people dying. This time, not because we have no medicine to treat the disease, but because we don’t have the funding to do so.
Mr. President, you re-authorized the Ryan White care act on October 30th, 2009. I watched on July 14th, 2010 when you talked about the National HIV/AIDS strategy (a speech that spoke to me profoundly). I listened encouraged, hopeful, and with enthusiasm. The strategy set ambitious goals of reducing new infections by 25 percent over the next five years; getting treatment for 85 percent of patients within three months of their diagnosis; and increasing education about the virus, even in communities with low rates of infection. You said you were committed to focusing the public's attention on ending the DOMESTIC HIV epidemic.
Without immediate action on behalf of your administration and congress we will not meet the above goals, and people WILL die without these medications. Action is needed now in order to avert deaths, and an impending public health calamity with widening health disparities in communities across the country.
The undersigned and I ask that your administration work together with congress to re-double efforts in order to live up to your commitments set forth in the re-authorizing of the Ryan White Care act and speaking on the implementation of the National HIV/AIDS strategy.
Mr. President, I voted for you in 2008, because I knew you were a man of character, and someone who I thought would keep his promises. While I know you’ve been met with a less than cooperative house and senate, a bold response to be presented on this crisis is needed! Ads have been running by AHF (AIDS Healthcare Foundation) asking “What has the President done about AIDS” with an image of you walking away with your back turned. I know you are better than this! I still believe you are a man of character, and I am hopeful you will live up to your promise on re-focusing the nation’s attention on the domestic HIV epidemic.
Until there is a cure we must make sure every American living with HIV/AIDS has access to life saving medications and supportive services. Instead of sending every dime of 7.2 billion Divert 20 % of International AIDS relief money to help American PLWHA!?

Thank you for taking the time to read my letter, to review the signatures and comments left on this petition and for your immediate attention and leadership on this crisis! I look forward to a positive response.

Respectfully yours,Kevin Maloney, “Voices of unity strengthening community”

Michael "SoBankQueenBee" Connett, 20 Year Veteran/Survivor

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Free meal, service honors homeless

COVINGTON - With a goal of helping those in need and drawing attention to the number of people who struggle with homelessness, Madison Avenue Christian Church in Covington is once again hosting the annual Northern Kentucky Homeless Awareness Event on Monday, Oct. 17 at 6 pm. The evening starts with a memorial service, which is followed by a cookout and celebration.
"There are so many homeless people who die each year due to weather, crime and hunger," said Chinna Simon, pastor of Madison Avenue Christian Church. "We read the names of all those who have died through the year and remember them."
Vicky Bauerle, the event organizer, said although they use this time to reflect on those who have died, they use this opportunity to let others in similar situations know they are not alone.
"We want people who are homeless to come and we want those who are not to come as well," she said. "We want everyone to eat together and have a conversation."
Representatives from service agencies will be available to connect with those in need, but Bauerle said the goal of the event is to treat everyone to a meal and some respect.
"Everyone wants to be served and cared for," she said.
The free meal will consist of hot dogs, hamburgers, soups and according to Bauerle, anything else that shows up. Partnering organizations donate all the food.
The meal is free to everyone and there will be games and activities for children. Everyone who attends is welcome to a bag filled with things like socks, gloves, toiletries and rain ponchos.
Simon explained that the memorial service is moving but then the cook-out allows everyone to give thanks for the volunteers and celebrate the lives that have been touched.
"We invite everyone to come and get involved," he said. "The need is great with this economy, but the more people get involved, it allows us to grow our programs."
"The joy people receive by volunteering, they cannot receive in any other way," he said.
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http://www.facebook.com/SouthBankHIVe

Cheese with that Whine...

The Jacob Price projects were torn down, and are being replaced, under the federal government's Hope VI program, which aims to break up large clusters of public housing so that the poor can be better integrated into the community of people with better-paying jobs, and so there is less of a stigma attached to where they live.
"The units will be indistinguishable," Wolfe-Bertling said. "So whether you're living next to another market-rate tenant, or affordable-rate, or public-housing tenant, unless they inform you of that fact, there'll be no way to know that."

hoboitch: Explain to me how this is REVITALIZATION.
Amazing! So much for doing away with the concentration of low-income families in a single area.
While the JP homes were not luxurious, they were better than many current properties for rent in Covington and surrounding areas. These buildings were built as solidly as any. Now, they are gone, and Covington, especially Mr. Wolfe-Bertling, sees a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.

JohnLAT41015:not trying to be rude. honest. i guess this housing concept was thoroughly researched, but why would someone who could pay full price live somewhere where others don't? what would their reward be for living with others who don't have as much invested in their living area? maybe i'm just dense.

Ya think!?

gitsinshiggles:safe sanitary and clean housing for over 70 years?? OMG ROTFLMAO!! I remember in the 1980s and 90 when Cov Police refused to go there becuase they were too afraid after one of Covington's Finest got their cruier turned over by a gang of dope dealers! This place should have been bulldozed long ago and make way for high scale urban housing

Within weeks, construction on streets, sewers, electrical lines and other development is to begin, with work on more beautiful housing units in a greener setting to start during the first quarter of 2012, Wolfe-Bertling said.

The $20.8 million project will have 120 new units, about 1/3 of them renting at "market rates" - basically about the same as someone would pay for similar units in Northern Kentucky. For those there will be no income restrictions. Another 1/3 will rent for "affordable" rates, to families earning 60 percent or less of the area's median income. The rest will rent at "public housing" rates, to those families earning 30 percent or less of median income.

"The development will all be rentals," Wolfe-Bertling said.

Among the 120 units will be eight single-story, handicap-accessible "senior cottages" that will be available to senior citizens who used to live in the neighborhood who wanted to be "part of the apartment community, yet separate," Wolfe-Bertling said. Those homes will be close to Greenup Street, so residents will be close to bus lines.
YES! I Am…

...R U 1 2 ??

Michael Wallace Connett

The HIVe @ Seminary Square

October 3^rd, 2004

JUNE 5, 2011

Greetings!

This October, in the 30th year of this grotesque calamity, marks the 20^th year of my personal Journey through AIDS. More than 20 years and 20 million deaths since the first AIDS diagnosis in 1981, almost 38 million people (range 34.6 – 42.3 million) are living with HIV. AIDS is an extraordinary kind of crisis; it is both an emergency and a long-term development issue. Despite increased funding, political commitment and progress in expanding access to HIV treatment, the AIDS epidemic continues to outpace our response. No segment of humanity has been spared. The epidemic remains extremely dynamic, growing and changing character as the virus exploits new opportunities for transmission. This last year was our worst year ever, with 5 Million New HIV Infections (Prevention failures) and 3 Million Deaths (Treatment failures). As AIDS Quilt founder Cleve Jones said in 2001; “Our hearts may be filled, but there are only two emotions worth expressing at this perilous time: GRIEF and RAGE. Grief for the millions who have died and are dying. Rage at the indifference, greed, and stupidity that permit this grotesque calamity to continue.”

Indifference, greed and stupidity are also the three major ingredients in the American recipe for what has come to be known as AIDS Complacency. A Cultural phenomena against which every major player in the fight against it has warned us continually for as long as I can remember. Indifference which is rooted in the arrogance that it can’t happen to us, only “the right people”; mainly gays. Greed fueled by the profits, jobs and paychecks from the new industry and bureaucracy it spawned. Stupidity that feeds the intolerance, discrimination, stigmatization and demonization that prevents us from using every means available to prevent future infections as well as diagnose, treat and care for those who already have been.

“We need leaders everywhere to demonstrate that speaking up about AIDS is a point of pride, not a source of shame.

There must be no more sticking heads in the sand, no more embarrassment, no more hiding behind a veil of apathy. Leadership means respecting and upholding the human rights of all who are vulnerable to HIV/AIDS…”

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan

2004 International AIDS Conference Opening Address

Michael W. Connett, Grantor/Trustee

%The Michael W Connett LIVING Trust

315 W 7th Street - Suite #2 * Covington, KY 41011 -1391

mconnett@fuse.net * 859-261-4481

Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought.- Albert von Szent-Gyorgyi

New Rights for

Tenants and Landlords

Uniform Residential Landlord – Tenant Act

K.R.S. 383.500 – 383.715  

Do you know a bad Landlord (i.e.: A Landlord who doesn't give a damn about the Housing Quality Standards, the behavior of tenants, the maintenance/appearance of the properties or anything else BUT their financial bottom line.)?? Either through personal experience as a tenant or resident of a neighborhood one owns property in, or through word-of-mouth?? CHANCES ARE, YOU DO!! Especially if you or someone you know are on a low, fixed income and qualify for a HUD/Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher. Unfortunately, due to the problems inherent in those programs, bad landlords continue to thrive in the system and prey on its participants; The Majority of which (57% according to the HUD web site) are either Senior Citizens or the Disabled. Having been exposed to such individuals in the past; I have decided to combat this problem and advocate for tenants rights through my web presence and Home Page. Let me hear from you about your experiences. Hopefully, together, we can do something to at least bring some attention to this problem, if not actually achieve solutions.

"In the great majority of cases, a landlords decision to not rent through the Section 8 program is nothing more than subtle but effective discrimination against a perceived class of tenants!"

On the other Hand; there are those landlords who do rent through Section 8 and do so with only with their lowest-cst cost and lowest-quality units and indifference to exploiting desperate, vulnerable people for their own gain!!!

Myths & Misconceptions

Just what are those damn, pesky HQS's (Housing Quality Standards)??? As best I can determine, there are no basic differences between HUD's and Covington's minimum requirements for HQS. But it is only when a unit is made available through a HUD Voucher, is it held to any accountability to those standards. Aren't all residential renters entitled to that same minimum protection and safeguard???

PROPOSAL

Originally authored April 1997

To: Covington City Commission

Covington Housing Department

Covington/Kenton Co. Housing Authority

No. Ky. Housing Coalition

No. Ky. Legal Aid Society

URLTA Participating Cities

From: Michael W. Connett,

Concerned Citizen & Renter

Coordinator, Central Lewisburg Neighborhood Watch

Member, Lewisburg Neighborhood Association

RE: The Slumlord Eradication Act - An Addendum to the Uniform Residential Landlord-Tenant Act (KRS 383.500 - 383.715)

Authors note: While the focus of this proposal is aimed at and speaks to conditions in Covingtons residential rental property market; it is equally relevant to all cities, as well as agencies concerned, with residential rental property. For this reason, it is being widely distributed for your thoughtful consideration.

In the wake of the hoopla of the recent Covington Housing Fair - where the city attempted to put its best foot forward in an effort to convince people that it's a great place to live - it is imperative that I bring to light a major obstacle to an aspect of this effort that currently exists.

As 1 understand it; from the city's Housing Development Department, not only was the focus on home ownership but also on increasing the occupancy of the numerous residential rental units in the city. In Covington - as in most cities, renting residential property is a Business which requires a license. Unfortunately, all too often it is a business in which "the customer" is treated with little respect, much indifference and is seldom, if ever, right. This is especially true amongst low-income and uneducated tenants and the slum lords that prey on them. From my own recent experience with one of the city's slum lords, I learned that for tenants there is virtually no protection, warning, regulation or discipline against the unfair actions of such deceitful persons.

In the late 80's; a coalition of agencies which included the Legal Aid Society among others and was known as the Ky. Housing Coalition, established the Uniform Residential Landlord-Tenant Act (URLTA) which was adopted by Covington and many other No. Ky. Cities. While that was a commendable attempt to end years of confusion and give both landlords and tenants equal standing in the eyes of the law; it would seem that once the act was established, adopted and a handbook published, the effort died and withered away. People - especially tenants - are not being made aware that these rights and the accompanying handbook exist. The slumlords know this and use this lack of awareness against their tenants to their own greedy advantage. As that particular handbook states: "... The law only works for people who understand how to use it. Tenants and landlords have to know enough to make sure (and, when needed, demand) that their rights are respected."

But before people can understand the law and how to use it, they must be made aware that it exists. The current promotion of URLTA and the availability Of, as well as access to, its handbook is severely lacking and needs to be improved significantly. As an example: I know that in the Housing Department office, these handbooks are stacked on a shelf under the counter out of sight rather than being on the counter in an accessible display rack. Every residential renter needs to be made aware of URLTA's existence and be provided broad access to FREE copies of its handbook. Likewise; in addition to being required to have a license, every landlord should be required to have read and understand the URLTA handbook.

There are other weaknesses of URLTA that need to be addressed. If a conscientious landlord operates in a professional manner and takes the time and care to check references, he can usually avoid the tenants from hell. Tenants don't have the same ability to weed out the slumlords. There needs to be a way to compile an accessible, public history of housing code violations, complaints and court actions against landlords that prospective tenants can check before they sign a lease. A 'Better Business Bureau' for the residential rental property industry, if you will. There also needs to be a stronger solution to Security Deposit disputes. Currently, if a landlord tries to unfairly withhold a security deposit, the tenants only recourse is to sacrifice more of their hard earned money and file in small claims court. To make matters worse, Legal Aid won't even discuss or help with deposit disputes farther than telling you to go to small claims. Once a tenant receives a favorable judgment for the refund of their security deposit, they are left on their own to try and get the money. Should a slumlord try to ignore or drag out the payment of the judgment, there needs to be a way to help force payment as well as punish his actions.

In an attempt to address these issues I would like to put forth the following proposal for your consideration. Please bear in mind that I am neither a politician or lawyer and this is a basic rough idea written in plain English.

THE SLUMLORD ERADICATION ACT

An Addendum to the Uniform Residential Landlord-Tenant Act

I. All landlords should be required to make their tenants aware of both their rights as defined by URLTA and furnish them with a copy of the handbook.

2. There should be a designated. agency, in either each participating URLTA city or the No. Ky. Area as a whole, that will compile a record of all such transgressions as may be reported on each landlord. In addition to individual tenant complaints, all appropriate agencies and courts should be made responsible for forwarding such information to the designated agency for inclusion in the landlords file. These files would be maintained by the agency as a matter of public record and be open to inspection by prospective tenants.

3. If a tenant, through a court action (small claims or otherwise), receives a judgment against a landlord and the landlord drags out or refuses to satisfy that judgment, the tenant should have available the remedy of petitioning the appropriate city government for the revocation of the landlords rental/business license.

4. If a landlord; by evidence of complaints, housing code violations or court actions, establishes a consistent pattern of unfair, deceitful or unlawful practices whether against tenants or in violation of city ordinances, the appropriate city government should have the right to revoke the landlords rental/business license and/or levy a substantial fine.

5. (Added 06/14/2001) That the following ordinance passed by the Dayton, Kentucky City Council be adopted and passed by the Covington, Kentucky City Commission at its earliest convenience:

Dayton, Kentucky - Building Regulations 150.80

RENTAL UNITS, ANNUAL INSPECTION

FINDINGS:

• A substantial number of citizens reside in rental dwelling units which are substandard and are detrimental to the safety, health and welfare of the persons living there as well as to neighboring properties, both attached and unattached;
• A substantial number of citizens conduct business, both as proprietors and as customers, in rental commercial units which are substandard and are detrimental to the safety, health and welfare of the persons conducting business there and the neighboring properties, both attached and unattached;
• The continuation of substandard conditions causes a reduction in the property vsalues in the city causing economic hardships for all of its citizens;
• The city desires to promote the health and safety of its citizens, and adopts this section to insure that all rental properties are safe, sanitary and suitable in accordance with the application and provisions of the BOCA National Property Maintenance Code as adopted and other regulations of the city.

DEFINITION:

• "Rental Unit" is defined as any real estate or building or portion thereof for which a verbal or written agreement in the form of a rental contract, rental agreement, lease, lease with option to purchase or other agreement has been conveyed and consideration is given for use or occupation of said real estate, building, or portion thereof. Consideration includes payment in money or in kind, bartered goods or services, love and affection, goodwill or any other consideration.

INSPECTION REQUIREMENT:

• EACH RENTAL UNIT WITHIN THE CITY may be inspected yearly by the City Inspector or other authorized city official to determine whether or not such unit meets the requirements of the BOCA National Property Maintenance Code as adopted by the city and other regulations of the city (or HUD in regard to Housing Quality Standards). The City Inspector shall schedule the inspection during normal business hours and, to the extent possible, at the convenience of the owner or owner's authorized agent and any affected tenants. The owner or the owner's authorized agent may accompany the City Inspector on said inspection. The owner or owner's authorized agent shall make all arrangements with tenants, managers or other necessary persons for the inspection. (Ord. 1996-10, passed 8-20-96)

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Bumped into River City News Pro MMonks as I caught the Buzzz on The RiverCenter Plaza; Nice seein' y'all! Thought the RiverCenter Cut-Ups turned out alright! The neighborly couple sans scooper paraphernaila was a Bonus, LOL...
IMHO; We need to have an OCGA - OUTREACH Covington General Assembly
We need to all realize and agree that if We don't know how to live With Each other, We're all gonna perish together! Maybe I'll bump into y'all @ WhineFest! I'll have free Condoms & Literature from NoKy HIV/AIDS Care Coordinators...

http://www.facebook.com/SouthBankHIVe

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In Honor of the World Peace Bell and the City of Newport, Kentucky by Kenneth Ray Lucas

 

 

IN HONOR OF THE WORLD PEACE BELL AND THE CITY OF NEWPORT, KENTUCKY______

HON. KEN LUCASOF KENTUCKYIN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESThursday, August 5, 1999 

Mr. LUCAS of Kentucky. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the city of Newport, Kentucky, where the World Peace Bell arrived at its permanent home this weekend. At 12 feet in diameter and 12 feet in height, the bell weighs 66,000 pounds. It is the world's largest swinging bell. I also rise to recognize Wayne Carlisle for his vision, commitment, and enthusiasm, without which the World Peace Bell would not have been possible.

The World Peace Bell is a powerful symbol of freedom and peace. It was cast in Nantes, France, on December 11, 1998, the 50th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Bell has an inscription commemorating that document, as well as engravings marking the most important events of the past 1,000 years.

The World Peace Bell was first rung in Nantes on March 20, 1999, in a public ceremony, and it began a month-and-a-half-long sea voyage from France to New Orleans, where the Bell was made part of that city's July Fourth celebration. The Bell was transported by barge up the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers, making stops in 14 cities along the way. The Bell arrived at its final destination on August 1st.

The World Peace Bell will officially open on September 21, 1999, the International Day of Peace, when it will toll to observe the opening session of this year's United Nations General Assembly. On New Year's Eve 1999, the Bell will be rung once every hour and broadcast so that people in every time zone around the globe will hear the new millennium rung in by our World Peace Bell. This celebration will include leaders of church and state from around the world, as well as participants performing native rituals and wearing traditional costumes.

Mr. Speaker, I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate the city of Newport and neighboring river cities on their successful revitalization efforts. The World Peace Bell is only one of a number of projects coming to fruition in the region. The success of these efforts is a testament to the spirit and hard work of the people of Northern Kentucky.

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This work is in the public domain in the United States because it is a work of the United States federal government (see 17 U.S.C. 105).



World AIDS Day is celebrated on December 1 each year around the world. It has become one of the most recognised international health days and a key opportunity to raise awareness, commemorate those who have passed on, and celebrate victories such as increased access to treatment and prevention services.
UNAIDS took the lead on World AIDS Day campaigning from its creation until 2004. From 2004 onwards the World AIDS Campaign's Global Steering Committee began selecting a theme for World AIDS Day in consultation with civil society, organisations and government agencies involved in the AIDS response.
Themes run for one or two years and are not just specific to World AIDS Day. Campaigning slogans such as 'Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise' have been used year round to hold governments accountable for their HIV and AIDS related commitments.
More on World AIDS Day