First ever conference on AIDS and faith brings together
communities of faith and people affected by HIV

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 26 A historic conference on Latinos, faith, culture and HIV came come to a conclusion yesterday with an unprecedented call to action...

In addition to the united statement of purpose, over 250 conference participants offered emotionally charged testimonies regarding the role of Latino faith and the need for education and testing. Fifty one attendees were tested for HIV at the conference, including community leaders, priests and ministers, who urged other clergy and community members to test for HIV.

Richard Zaldivar, executive director and founder of The Wall Las Memorias Project said, This was a great day in which all of us took ownership for educating our Latino community about HIV/AIDS. The conference was an expression of our culture in which we came together as a community. We talked about issues that made us uncomfortable, but we shared our concerns and ideas in an atmosphere of love, compassion and respect.

Participating in the call to action were long-time UFW leader Dolores Huerta, Los Angeles City Council Member Ed Reyes, Assembly Member Kevin de Leon, clergy and congregant leaders of Los Angeles County.

On a spiritual level, many Latino communities have been challenged by the devastating effects of AIDS, said Father Will Wauters of the Historic Epiphany Episcopal Church in Lincoln Heights. As a result, he said, religious leaders have reached out and advocated for families who have suffered stigma and exclusion.

Our families in the Latino community cannot afford to make any assumptions about who may or may not be infected with the HIV virus, said Wauters. Regretfully it is a disease por toda nuestra communidad. We cannot afford to ignore any part of our community that may be infected. We need to live and love with compassion and intelligence.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, AIDS disproportionately affects the Latino community in the United States. While Latinos comprise nearly 14 percent of the U.S. population, they account for an estimated 19 percent of new AIDS cases diagnosed in 2005. While they represent 18 percent of young adults in 2005, Latinos aged 20-24 accounted for 22 percent new AIDS cases reported among this group. At the end of 2006, more than 8,679 Latinos were living with AIDS in Los Angeles County.

The event was more than a conference among church leaders and congregants. It was about families coming together in a state of emergency to talk, trust, pray and act in a loving manner, stated Michael A. Mata, capacity development director, World Vision.

The conference opened with a prayer by Fr. Richard Estrada, executive director of Jovenes, Inc., followed by the welcome address by Dr. Robert Ross, president and chief executive officer of the California Endowment.

Also addressing the conference was the senior director of PhRMA, Patricia Alvarez-Sahagun. Providing an overview of HIV/AIDS in Los Angeles County was Paulina Zamudio, senior program manager of the Los Angeles County Office of AIDS Programs and Policy. An overview of HIV/AIDS along the U.S.-Mexican border was presented by Dr. George Lemp, director of the California AIDS Research Program.

Prior to the call to action press event, conference participants heard from Dr. Harry Pachon of the Tomas Rivera Institute USC, who spoke about the groundbreaking Pew-sponsored study, Latinos and Changing Faiths: Latinos and the Transformation of American Religion. Also addressed in the morning session was Dr. Marvin J. Southard, director of the Los Angeles County Mental Health Department, who spoke about the stigma, associated with mental health.

Workshops were held throughout the day, including one that addressed the issue of Latinas and AIDS, which was facilitated by Dr. Britt Ellis-Rios of NCLR and California State University Long Beach. An update of research findings was given by Katheryn Derose of the RAND Corporation.

In addition, Leilani Montes of The Wall Las Memorias Project led a workshop on how to build AIDS ministries. One of the many highlights of the day was the public conversation among faith leaders and people living with HIV/AIDS facilitated by Rev. Kathy Cooper-Ledesma, pastor of Hollywood United Methodist Church and board member for The Wall Last Memorias Project.

In a prepared statement, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson stated, As the rate of AIDS continues to rise in the Latino community, we must draw strength from our community, culture and our faith. Governor Richardson is a supporter of the project and recently attended the final mural unveiling at the AIDS monument in Lincoln Park.

The conference on Latinos was sponsored by PhRMA; California Endowment, Office of Minority Health, U.S. Federal Government, Office of AIDS Programs and Policy, Abbot, Southern California Edison, Gilead Sciences and Wells Fargo. The members of the planning committee consisted of:
Rev. Roberto Colon, pastor, Iglesia de la Comunidad Presbyterian Church
Rev. Michael Mata, Ph.D., national director of Tools for Transformation, World Vision
Rev. Nimrod Flores, pastor, Grace Lutheran Church
Rev. Walter Contreras, regional director, Esperanza USA
Fr. Will Wauters, pastor, Epiphany Episcopal Church
Grace Roberts Dyrness, director, Community Research and Development, Center for Religion and Civic Culture
Rev. Juan Martinez, Ph.D., assistant dean for the Hispanic Church Studies Department, Fuller Seminary
Fernando Escarcega, L.A. County Department of Mental Health
Rev. Kathy Ledesma, pastor, Hollywood United Methodist Church
Fr. Richard Estrada, Our Lady Queen of Angels La Placita
Felipe Agredano, the Garvey Board of Education
Fr. Perry Leiker, St. Joseph Catholic Church
Fr. Ruben Restrepo, St. Vincents Catholic Church

The presenting sponsors of the conference were PhRMA, California Endowment, Abbott Laboratories, City of Los Angeles AIDS Coordinator, Gilead Sciences, Southern California Edison, Office of Minority Health, U.S. Government, Office of AIDS Programs and policies, County of Los Angeles and Wells Fargo.