Basseterre, St Kitts- The St Kitts Evangelical Association convened a special conference that brought together some forty pastors and ministers of the evangelical community to address the issue of stigma and discrimination. This one day event was held on Friday 11 March at the Frigate Beach Hotel and was facilitated and sponsored by the Caribbean HIV and AIDS Alliance.
The conference examined the stigma, discrimination and prejudice faced by people living with HIV in the Church community, and explored the social, economic and medical repercussions of HIV for those living with it. President of the St Kitts Evangelical Association, Bishop Ron Dublin-Collins, who also served as coordinator of the conference, challenged the Christian leaders to speak out against stigma and discrimination, and to realise that the Church also has a role to speak out prophetically against the injustices which perpetuate poverty and encourage the spread of HIV and to fulfill their duty to support people with HIV in a bold and open way.
The objectives of the conference were to deepen participants understanding of stigma and discrimination and how it affects individuals, families and communities; to raise awareness among church leaders and members on stigma and discrimination that will enable PLHIV and families affected by AIDS to be treated with dignity in the church; to raise awareness amongst church leaders and members to promote behaviour change and fight attitudes and practices favourable to stigma and discrimination; and to stimulate action by church leaders towards supporting PLHIV in their various churches in St Kitts
Participants explored the role of church leaders in setting moral and ethical parameters on evidence-based prevention, and the radical inclusion of persons living with HIV. Facilitators warned of the dangers of HIV-related stigma and discrimination, proposing that such factors discourage people from coming forward to learn their HIV status, from taking precautions to protect others from possible infection and also leads to insufficient care or inadequate programs to serve them. Presenters to the pastoral and ministerial leadership conference included Ms Nadine Kassie and Mr Damani Goldstein of the Caribbean HIV & AIDS Alliance, Mrs Gardenia Destang-Richardson of the National AIDS Secretariat, and Dr. Kathleen Allen-Ferdinand, a Clinical Care Coordinator.
The SKEA has committed itself to step up the church’s engagement in the fight against HIV and AIDS. The conference concluded with the development of an action framework for the Evangelical Association’s response to HIV/AIDS in St. Kitts and Nevis and the commitment by the church leaders to clearly and consistently promote the message that discrimination is unacceptable and to educate the evangelical community to care for and accept those living with HIV and AIDS to actively involve them in their local church and community.
