This morning after an 8:00 am meeting with the Toronto YouthForce media team, I sat in on a session about orphans and vulnerable children at the Youth Pre-Conference. After greeting one another in our mother tongues, I listened, captivated, to Rossine Assamoi, who shared her personal grief of having lost three children to AIDS, and now faces the hardship of watching grandchildren perish from the disease. As she talked about “burying the future,” I looked around the room, wondering how many of the young people in our midst bore similar burdens.
I cannot imagine the sorrow of having to watch generations extinguished, and moreover, to feel as though the world has their back turned to the causes of their deaths. As a Canadian citizen, I am ashamed that my country’s leader has chosen not to attend the conference events this week, especially in light of the global impact of HIV/AIDS. AIDS is not something to wrap up and put aside for a more convenient time. It is not limited to homosexuals or Africa or people with one green eye or any particular group at all. AIDS is now, it is persistent, and it must be addressed. There are no raincheques available for this cause – the cost increases exponentially each day we wait.
