Race Against Time

How many times and how many people must say, “I am tired of the UN and of the many governments lack of help towards the epidemics of the word?” I continually hear and see people reach out for aid and lend a voice towards the challenges of humanity; from wars claiming democracy, from aids spreading its wings, to genocides like Rwanda, time continues to run out for those who need basics to survive. I am impressed also of people who do as much as they can and give as much as they are able, they will surely have their reward.

Here is a picture I took of my friend Irenee Rutema in a former Bosnian minefield. We had the unique opportunity to see the aftermath of mass genocide and the lasting ramifications of war. Irenee was fortunate to leave his own country of Rwanda before their genocide, and I found it ironic standing next to him in a differnt country with a similar outcome as his own. Whether killing for race or religion it is still the same…murder.

I urge you to listen to Stephen Lewis who is the UN secretary-General’s special envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, and a commissioner of the World Health Organization’s Commission on Social Determinants of Health and director of the Stephen Lewis Foundation. He is speaking as part of the CBC’s Massey Lecture series.

Click on Race Against Time to listen to Stephen Lewis. He has also written a book by the same title.