Festus Browne, why not focus on the good?

19.JUNE.09

Editor: I usually would not take the time to reply to people who speak a lot about things they know little about. I am making an exception on this occasion. As National Coordinator of the International AIDS Candlelight Memorial, I wish to respond to ‘Festus Browne’s’ piece captioned “We need to take HIV/AIDS seriously,” which was published in the June 12th, 2009, issue of your paper.{{more}}

First, I am impressed that Mr. Browne, if that is your real name, took the time to research the International Candlelight Memorial Day. Maybe his research should not simply have ended there. As National Coordinator, I am charged with ensuring that the Memorial in fact takes place. To make this happen, I invited over 30 stakeholders to attend meetings to plan for the occasion. Incidentally, these stakeholders also included the entities named in your piece. If you are interested, I can supply you with the list as well as the communication that was sent out to all concerned. You also ask why the churches were not involved. I know for sure that several churches were involved in a number of activities during their regular service on Sunday, May 17th. This is a free country, and people still have the right to choose where to go, which cause to support and with whom they associate and whether or not to volunteer time and resources to a cause. May I remind you, too, that the Memorial is a 100 percent voluntary activity?

Several events were held at different locations throughout St. Vincent on that day, all coordinated by community volunteers, and I wish to thank them for their great work. While I agree that the particular presentation to which you refer may not have been appropriate, a sentiment which I expressed with the Coordinator of that event, I find it rather unfortunate that you chose to ignore the other good performances coming out of that particular event. There were several good pieces of poetry, dance and other cultural expressions, including that of the reigning HIV/AIDS Police Calypso Monarch. Oh, yes, and there was a well known church leader who started off the proceedings with an opening prayer and blessing. Indeed, another church leader prayed for the youth and people living with HIV/AIDS. Guess you did not hear those either. Why not focus on the positive instead and on the people who took time off to make the event/s possible? But then again, that would be asking way too much. This, after all, is St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

If you wish to make a contribution and become a volunteer to this cause, the Candlelight Memorial Coordinators would be happy to welcome you on board. Maybe you will ensure that something like that never happens again. And you will also see that this is no one-man show. I find it hilarious that you would refer to an event organised in eight different locations, by eight different community organisations, as a one-man show. Interesting.

One final thing, to say that people are making fun of HIV/AIDS is downright unfair and to bring the Ministry of Health and the Environment into this matter, in such a way that is pathetic indeed. Why pull down an otherwise successful and effective initiative because one person did not quite understand what he was asked to do?

I am sure that the coordinator of the particular event had nothing but good intentions when she put her programme and talent together. To say anything contrary seems as though someone is trying to make a mountain out of a mole hill, and makes one wonder whether there’s a hidden agenda. We look forward to meeting the real ‘Festus Browne.’

Theresa L Daniel

National Coordinator

International AIDS Candlelight Memorial