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Count on Me
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Count on Me
A worldwide campaign for “A World Without AIDS”
Maitri is a Shillong-based, NGO dedicated to HIV-AIDS awareness, advocacy, prevent and care and support of PLWHA. While Maitri’s operational territory is not restricted to any particular country or region, its focus is on North Eastern India, a highly vulnerable area that is considered a Global AIDS hotspot. Maitri is registered under the Indian Societies Act, the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), and Section 12(AA) of the Income Tax Act, 1961.
Ever since it was set up, Maitri has partnered with a wide number of AIDS core sector stakeholders including UNAIDS and UNODC to achieve its broad objectives. Using innovative non-conventional models, such as sports and socio-cultural and celebrity-driven events for the promotion of AIDS awareness, Maitri has achieved considerable success in all it endeavours. One of its major successes was the attendance of the President of India, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, as keynote speaker for a Conclave held in Shillong in September 2005 for an HIV-AIDS intervention among Uniformed Services in India.
Play Track – Count On Me
“Count on Me” a song written and composed by Shillong musician David Ashkenazy and first performed by school going children for the President, is about every individual’s responsibility towards stamping out the killer Virus. The song, which, is sought to be promoted as a worldwide anthem for AIDS awareness and prevention and a CD of the special track is to be released at Shillong on 1 December 2006.
Using the powerful messaging and imagery conveyed by these three words – Maitri embarked on a campaign titled “Count on Me!” that was kick-started at the recently concluded International AIDS Conference at Toronto. Maitri founders Lt Gen (Retd) Bhopinder and Winnie Singh in their respective presentations during the Conference which saw the attendance of over 25,000 delegates from around the World, encouraged the gathering to raise their hands and join in a “Count on Me!” chant as a symbolic way of combating the Virus. The response was overwhelming.
To carry this campaign forward, Maitri proposes to organize a week-long build up to World AIDS Day 2006 culminating in a grand finale “Count on Me!” show featuring a top International musical act.
The “Count on Me!” emblem – a raised hand along side an AIDS ribbon – created by Shillong-based designer and communicator Sanjay Sharma, who is also Maitri’s Director, is to appear in many countries on lapel pins, T-shirts, baseball hats, key-chains, buttons, car stickers, book marks, plaques and other memorabilia as part of the campaign. Proceeds from the sale of these trendy collectibles would go towards funding some of Maitri’s many initiatives one of them being “Project: Maitrigram” a stand alone village being set up for the care and support of “Children in Need.”
For further details contact Sanjay ( maitri.ngo at gmail dot com)
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Lets make it a reality. Lets make it happen. You can count me in…...
Nov 8, 03:34 AMeverything is on its way to somewhere, but as long as we are here on this planet lets make a difference. Count on Me….
Nov 8, 06:06 AMHappiness is found along the way not at the end of the road and together we built a better Society at Holistic Level and Journey of miles begins with single STEP. The widely accepted definition of health is that given by the World Health Organization (WHO, 1948) as:
“Health is a state of complete physical,mental and social well being & not merely an absence of disease in a family.”
Your comrade in arms against this menace of AIDS.
Dr.Avnish Jolly
I pledge to do all that I can to promote responsible living and ensure that if the AIDS virus gets any further than it already has… it WON’T BE THROUGH ME. That’s a promise. You can Count on Me!
Nov 8, 10:31 PMBe Safe Always!!
Nov 9, 12:24 AMI too pledge to do all that I can to promote responsible living and spread Aids awareness in whatever way possible.
Nov 9, 02:46 AMhope to make a difference
Nov 10, 12:15 AMI think this is an excellent idea. Its only campaigns such as this that will help spread awareness.
Nov 10, 12:18 AMYou can count on me to to ensure that the spread of hiv/aids does not pass though me. You can count on me to support those living with this disease, whether within themselves or within those around them-not to judge or ponder the cause, but to focus only of the effect.
Nov 10, 10:11 AMTotal activism is the Key to have an effective response. Count on me.
Nov 12, 09:30 PMAn update on the signature campaign. The Meghalaya Police force is to take the pledge of Accountability on Monday.
Over 4,000 students covering just 3 educational institutions have taken the pledge in Shillong.
With the Freemasons’ Lodge No. 61, Shillong as the nodal agency, nearly 300-400 lodges across the country accounting for over 15,000 members are all set to sign the Pledge.
Over 800 daily wage labourers have taken the pledge on a working day.
Rotary Club of Orchid City, Shillong was the first to take the pledge.
On NCC Day, 26 November 2006, nearly 600 girl and boy cadets of schools and colleges in Meghalaya are to take the Pledge as part of their parade.
What is the pledge: “I (name) pledge that I will never indulge in behaviour or actvity that could put myself or others at risk of contracting HIV-AIDS. I further pledge never to indulge in actions that discriminate against PLWHA and to actively deter any individual indulging in discrimination to refrain from doing so. I pledge to lend my solidarity to the world community fighting the pandemic. You can count on me for a world without AIDS.”
We have over 15,000 signatures already in. Come, join in the campaign. It will only work if all of us say the three magic words – COUNT ON ME!
Nov 22, 11:45 PMGreat effort and great cause. You have my full support
Nov 25, 09:53 AM
The Count on Me campaign can only succeed if each and every one of us – you, me, he, she … and it sign up in solidarity. We have to rally together to ensure we get this confounded AIDS Virus on the run. Let me be the first …
I pledge to do all that I can to promote responsible living and ensure that if the AIDS virus gets any further than it already has… it WON’T BE THROUGH ME. That’s a promise. You can Count on Me!
Sanjay Sharma,
Oct 15, 10:17 PMDirector Maitri,
Shillong