May 15, 2009 – The Nelson Mandela Foundation supports International Candlelight Memorial Day on Sunday May 17 and encourages people to sign up to a virtual memorial which serves as a reminder that AIDS touches everyone.
Speaking at the first 46664 concert in 2003, Nelson Mandela said: “We are all human, and the HIV/AIDS epidemic affects us all in the end. If we discard people who are dying from AIDS, then we can no longer call ourselves people.”
Signing up to the International AIDS Candlelight Memorial is a way of expressing support for people affected and infected by HIV/AIDS.
A programme of the Global Health Council, this memorial is one of the oldest and largest grassroots mobilisation campaigns for HIV/AIDS awareness in the world. It began in 1983, takes place every third Sunday in May and is led by a coalition of 1 200 community organisations in 115 countries. They host local memorials that honour those who have died and raise social consciousness about the disease.
The Candlelight Memorial continues to serve as an important intervention for global solidarity, breaking down barriers and giving hope to new generations.
To sign up go to the Candlelight Memorial website.