July 22, 2016
Maori mosquito sparks up HIV network
Maori HIV/AIDs activist Marama Pala says a Red Ribbon award for community leadership given to her organisation INA shows its efforts to raise awareness of the special needs of indigenous people is being recognised.
Ms Pala, who is the executive director of the Maori, Indigenous, and Pacific HIV/AIDS Foundation, received the award on INA’s behalf at the 21st International AIDS Conference in Durban.
There were 1000 organisations nominated and just 10 ribbons given, including one to INA’s partner organisation which works with Chile’s Mapuche people.
She’s also run a session at the conference on indigenous rights and how they differ from human rights.
"It’s been great for Maori and I've called us the mosquito in the room that won't go away, even though we're just a small population internationally, we just make sure that people hear what we have to say. That's what I've been doing since I've been here," she says.
Marama Pala says a lot has changed since the conference was held in Durban 16 years ago, and it’s a reminder 75 percent of the total HIV/AIDs epidemic is in Southern Africa.
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