Lobby Parliament to Treat AIDS Now - 11 March 2008
Join campaigners from across the country for a day of lobbying on HIV and AIDS. Ensure the Conservative Party are playing their part in the fight against AIDS, influence the G8, and press the government for bold action on AIDS by joining a colourful hand-in of all the action cards collected in your campaigning this year.
Student campaigners present 10000 petition cards to Hilary Benn
P.A.Knox
Join students from across the country and other campaigners from the Stop AIDS Campaign at this massive lobby day.
The lobby day comes at a crucial time for international progress to wards universal access to AIDS treatment and services
- In April, G8 Development ministers meet in Tokyo. The G8 led the original promise of universal access to AIDS treatment and services by 2010, but they are not delivering on this commitment.
- Between April and June the government will launch the UK’s AIDS Strategy. We’ve been lobbying all year for them to make ambitious plans - we need to keep AIDS high on their agenda.
- At the end of April the World Health Organisation is due to agree a global plan of action on improving access to current and future medicines. Only one in four are currently getting the HIV treatment they need: this meeting needs to agreed action to reduce the cost of essential medicines.
- At the end of May the Tokyo International Conference for African Development will set the agenda for the G8 Summit. The G8 need to address their failure to keep their promises on AIDS.
- The UN summit on 10-11 June will review progress at the half-way point of working towards Universal Access by 2010.
- 5-7 July: G8 Summit, Hokkaido, Japan — will the G8 keep their promises?
Support available for travel expenses!
What’s happening?
10am: Campaigner briefing - get informed and fired up! At the Emmanuel Centre
11.30 am: Public meeting on the Conservative Party’s policies on AIDS Your chance to influence the main opposition party and possible future government by questioning the Shadow Secretary of State for International Development, Andrew Mitchell MP. At the Emmanuel Centre.
Afternoon:
- Join a delegation of campaigners visiting the Japanese Embassy to influence this year’s G8 agenda, or take part in a mass lobby of Parliament to press your own MP to act. At the House of Commons.
- Celebrate all the campaigning this year at a colourful demo opposite Downing Street, and hand-in all the action cards we’ve collected to demand the government produces an ambitious new AIDS strategy. Outside Downing Street
- And finally… Relax after a packed day of campaigning at a social event in the evening
How do I get involved?
Email us to let us know you want to come, and we’ll keep you up-to-date with the latest details, and help you get support for your travel expenses.
Arrange to meet your MP as soon as possible. It’s easy! Find out who your MP is, then send them a quick email with details about when you want to meet them (between 1pm and 4pm) and why you want to meet (to discuss Government efforts to combat HIV and AIDS). Make sure you phone them afterwards to follow up - just call 020 7219 3000 and ask for their office. Doing this in advance will make the day much more successful.
Full briefings for the day will be available on this page shortly. They’ll be added to this page, and if you contact us to let us know you want to come along, we can email you directly.
Comments on last year’s event
“It is clear that this type of event forces the issue onto the agenda”
“It really felt like we got to voice ourselves. I had so much fun.”
“I was impressed with the organisation of the day and felt it was very successful. I think that the range of approaches was very well focused and targeted, providing a clear message and reaching the people who need to hear it most — the MPs.”
“It doesn’t stop here!”
Read a 4-page briefing on what we’re asking the government to do in its new AIDS strategy
Email the government, calling for bold action on AIDS now!
Campaigners get together for a photo stunt at the end of last year’s event
SW/P&P