Don’t you find the term leader embarrassing and patronizing assuming a bunch of people who have to be led as sheep?
But the need for leaders is always inherent in man's animal nature and behavior, and in the socio-economic order he has created, with a view to exploiting it. It is analogous to exploiting natural resources but Homo sapiens sometimes refuse to accept it because it hurts their self image. At the as same time people who are most passionate about the concept of a leader are those who actually want to be numero uno. Actually leaders form a nodal joint for a group to focus and gather their strengths, energies and visions and of course weaknesses too.
AIDS is considered as a sin and a virtually untouchable disease in most parts of world. It has got up that reputation not only because it kills people but because the society treats it like that. Turning back few pages in history leprosy has had the same status in India. But now it is treated as a normal disease, thanks to the effort of so many people and government. Society treats a misconception as a baby. It grooms and feeds on people conscience and end of day awareness and self recognition dies. There are 40 million people affected with AIDS in this small world, with at least 6 million getting infected last year. And people who get infected before 25, die before they turn 35. Yet humane approach is needed to make the world better for those people. It requires enormous effort to help these people in distress. Just thinking that out of that 40 million, 2.5 million are HIV affected children below 10, gives me Goosebumps.
In Africa, (12 percent of total HIV infected) sometime back, there was a huge resistance or in better words a mind block in the society. Even the use of word condom was prohibited. There was a propaganda spread that condoms have holes and the virus can pass through. So sex abstinence was an only solution. But then end results were disastrous. Now because of conscious effort of leaders over there, it has taken a great leap. Now they are aware of situation and in a most righteous way. A leadership can virtually brainstorm the captive brains of every individual and change the perspective of everyone looking at what AIDS is now. Acting as a catalyst in promoting awareness, leaders change the viewpoint of masses. AIDS is such a disease which is entwined with human nature and to change human nature, change of attitude of masses has to be brought in. Just look at the cause of AIDS. The maximum cases of HIV infection is due to unprotected sex and then comes the number of HIV infected children born. Then we have the unhealthy and unhygienic systems in underdeveloped countries which account for HIV spread, but that is negligible. Unprotected sex is the major cause. The domain where AIDS is maximum is in poor people, like in AFRICA and even in African-American in USA and then in INDIA and CHINA. Lack of education seems to be a common factor in the developing and under developed countries. But even in USA, 555000 persons have died when AIDS has reached into its 3rd decade. 1 in every four Americans do not even know that they are infected with HIV.
Stigma and discrimination discourages most of HIV infected to come forward and in turn they pass the disease to their spouses or partners. But encouragement and effort of leaders can turn things around. Uganda is one good example. President Yoweri Museveni worked to raise awareness of the dangers of HIV and supported the use of condoms and for a long time Uganda was a role model of what could be achieved in Africa with campaigning, education and widespread condom use.
Lack of AIDS awareness has been observed even in educated households and even developed countries which further hinders the leadership process or thoughts to fulfill it goals against this dreaded syndrome. There are many NGO’s who work for AIDS Prevention and Awareness, but there is a incomplete chain in global leadership or an intellectual body with certain goals to help mankind globally.
We need leaders at every discreet level of society and promote AIDS prevention and awareness about HIV infected and the infection, the symptoms. Only these people with their charismatic appeal can make the common people understand the gravity of situation and yet make them develop the courage to fight it. Go to the root level, prostitutes and promiscuous youths, colleges and communities. Talking to people and convincing them is a cakewalk for a good leader. And since there is no cure for AIDS and prevention is foremost, they can make people understand and follow them.
I am sure ours can be an AIDS Free World. If we cultivate leaders with a human compassion and HIV knowledge who have the courage to go out and change the world and spread this compassion in his peers to develop new leaders.
This can be done by Global Leaders, which has to be among from us. Every individual should be a leader and connect to other. He should take this as a challenge and should continue a journey to make people aware of AIDS prevention and humane approach to HIV infected. Along the path many bright and innovative leaders can actually find new ways to make people take understand AIDS and its prevention. He may also find out many similar minded people to help form a team in fight against AIDS. A true leader is a like a beacon. It attracts, cultivates and encourages others to come forward and make a real ladder from root to the every leave. A leader should be able to mingle with grass root and top brass easily. Grass root is mostly unaware and uneducated, HIV infection is more. So he can actually start helping grass root and at the same time affect government officials to help in this noble cause.
Despite the efforts of researchers, doctors, nurses, educators and communities across the world, an HIV vaccine still does not exist. Many clinical trials need a diverse cohort of participants to ensure that ongoing research findings will be credible, acceptable, and relevant to all populations in the U.S. The leaders should tell HIV infected to come forward and help in this cause too.
Among other things, we would be needing youth leaders more as most of HIV infected are young people. Working in youth-adult partnerships is always a challenge because adults tend to want to work according to their rules and methodologies. Bringing HIV/AIDS education to high schools, particularly in low-income areas, can help a high portion of vulnerable populations where there is little or no knowledge of HIV. I am not saying here that adults should move away from fighting in this crusade. They should be willing to lend out a helping hand as and when needed and guide the youth leaders too.
Last is the techniques leaders should adopt in bringing AIDS awareness among common masses. Rule one is not to be shy of innovation. From innovative slogans to brochures with pictorial presentations and even movies, leaders should try to connect to people and spread the simple awareness of ABC against AIDS.
1. Abstinence
2. Be faithful
3. Condoms
The strongest message put forth by young leaders should be that of action. “Reaction is not the way”. In response to inadequate HIV/AIDS policy, don’t just protest but take action. Bring new young people in the audience to be involved in every step of the development of youth HIV/AIDS policies and programs. Develop new leaders and make a team. Its wont be a distant dream then to wipe HIV virus of the face of earth, I believe.
