Annie Lennox speaks out on HIV/AIDS
Mar. 23rd, 2005 04:15 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
linden_jayANNIE LENNOX SPEECH
2005-03-22
Prior to her awesome 10 song set on Saturday evening, Annie Lennox stepped up to podium at the beginning of the live broadcast to deliver an impassioned and pronounced speech on the HIV/AIDS crisis and its effective on African women in particular.
"We have come here tonight to bring your attention to an unacceptable situation."
"What I have to say is going to alarm you …and you need to be alarmed in order to wake up to the fact that the AIDS crisis has reached unprecedented epidemic proportions."
"Among man, women and children, here and in other parts of Africa, AIDS is effectively causing mass genocide."
"Let me give you some facts…"
"In Africa, more people are wiped out by AIDS every year, than in the entire Asian tsunami disaster."
"There are probably 25,000 people here in the stadium tonight…look around and take it in…now double that number…every day, more than two stadiums like this become infected with HIV. Its horrific…think about it. And for every ten that are infected…six are women."
"In this society women are powerless and vulnerable to the whims of men who refuse to practice safe sex and use condoms."
"How can we implement awareness and change the notion that it’s acceptable for women to be exposed or forced in to having unprotected sex? This needs to change. Women’s rights have to be asserted and implemented."
"I am here to add my voice to the countless numbers of women who are focused into silenced on this issue. Women need to insist on protecting themselves."
"Sex without condoms can serve a death sentence…"
"Between 12-14 million people in this country are probably carrying the HIV virus without knowing it. Every one of us needs to be aware of their own HIV status. You should know whether you are carrying the virus or not…"
"Free tests are available to everyone. Go get tested. Then you can prevent the spread of the disease"
"Please take it very seriously, when we tell you that right now the battle against AIDS of the disease. is being lost. It is becoming worse…not better. Not nearly enough resources have been put into effectively dealing with the situation."
"In fact…we are at war, but the nation is asleep. A silent serial killer stalks the land. It murders millions of men, women and children as we ignorantly and passively stand by and watch."
"This is completely unacceptable. We absolutely must respond. We cannot allow this to happen. We need to take urgent and effective action right now."
"46664 invites and challenges the powers that be…"
"The governments, leaders, corporations and businesses, the media, the educators, universities and schools, men and women and children of this rainbow nation to join with us in the struggle."
"To continue to ignore it means only one thing…utter catastrophe."
"Thank you for listening."
(Copied and pasted from where I found it- read the original page here.)
2005-03-22
Prior to her awesome 10 song set on Saturday evening, Annie Lennox stepped up to podium at the beginning of the live broadcast to deliver an impassioned and pronounced speech on the HIV/AIDS crisis and its effective on African women in particular.
"We have come here tonight to bring your attention to an unacceptable situation."
"What I have to say is going to alarm you …and you need to be alarmed in order to wake up to the fact that the AIDS crisis has reached unprecedented epidemic proportions."
"Among man, women and children, here and in other parts of Africa, AIDS is effectively causing mass genocide."
"Let me give you some facts…"
"In Africa, more people are wiped out by AIDS every year, than in the entire Asian tsunami disaster."
"There are probably 25,000 people here in the stadium tonight…look around and take it in…now double that number…every day, more than two stadiums like this become infected with HIV. Its horrific…think about it. And for every ten that are infected…six are women."
"In this society women are powerless and vulnerable to the whims of men who refuse to practice safe sex and use condoms."
"How can we implement awareness and change the notion that it’s acceptable for women to be exposed or forced in to having unprotected sex? This needs to change. Women’s rights have to be asserted and implemented."
"I am here to add my voice to the countless numbers of women who are focused into silenced on this issue. Women need to insist on protecting themselves."
"Sex without condoms can serve a death sentence…"
"Between 12-14 million people in this country are probably carrying the HIV virus without knowing it. Every one of us needs to be aware of their own HIV status. You should know whether you are carrying the virus or not…"
"Free tests are available to everyone. Go get tested. Then you can prevent the spread of the disease"
"Please take it very seriously, when we tell you that right now the battle against AIDS of the disease. is being lost. It is becoming worse…not better. Not nearly enough resources have been put into effectively dealing with the situation."
"In fact…we are at war, but the nation is asleep. A silent serial killer stalks the land. It murders millions of men, women and children as we ignorantly and passively stand by and watch."
"This is completely unacceptable. We absolutely must respond. We cannot allow this to happen. We need to take urgent and effective action right now."
"46664 invites and challenges the powers that be…"
"The governments, leaders, corporations and businesses, the media, the educators, universities and schools, men and women and children of this rainbow nation to join with us in the struggle."
"To continue to ignore it means only one thing…utter catastrophe."
"Thank you for listening."
(Copied and pasted from where I found it- read the original page here.)
