Οικογένειες Ουράνιο Τόξο: Change - A short movie / تغيير

Three minutes from now you're going to have a lump in your throat. And you might be a little turned on

This brief, perfectly-safe-for-work video, "Change," was

produced for World AIDS Day by HIV advocates in Lebanon

among other groups. It was shared with me by one of these

advocates, hoping to bring attention to the state of HIV

discrimination and stigma in that region. Even the advocate

himself asked not to be identified, for fear of repercussions.

And yet, the power of art prevails. Not only is this video

brilliantly effective, it features a leading man that embodies, well, the best of the region's

physical attributes.

I was intrigued, then impressed, then skeptical that it was corny, and then the damn lump in my

throat appeared, all in the course of three minutes. I hope you will honor the efforts of the

filmmakers and the advocates behind this message and take a look.

About half a million people in the Arab world are living with HIV/AIDS, and new infections there

have doubled in the last ten years. While we enjoy treatment advances here in the United

States, mortality rates from AIDS have doubled in the Arab world in the last decade. Stigma is

widely perceived as a leading factor contributing to people not being tested or receiving care.

Τετάρτη 4 Δεκεμβρίου 2013