The other day, I attended a very compelling workshop on HIV and Stigma and how the stigma has affected those living with HIV/AIDS. I wanted to write something about it because today is Valentine's Day afterall, and what better way to make a statement of love than by showing one's support to a community of people who are often rejected or denied because of their positive status. While lack of love is certainly not the case for all who suffer from HIV/AIDS, there are many who aren't as fortunate. The following are some key issues that people living with HIV/AIDS often have to deal with:
1/ Isolation
2/ Fear
3/ Shame
4/ Guilt
5/ Little or No access to resources
6/ Verbal Stigmatizing
7/ Privacy and choice in terms of disclosure
8/ Criminalization
9/ Workplace discrimination
10/ Social exclusion
A lot of the above issues are based on what our communities think of people who are HIV positive. There are a lot of misconceptions about the disease, particularly in communities that do not give opportunities to openly discuss Sexual Health, STIs, and HIV/AIDS. People living with HIV/AIDS remain 'in the closet' about their positive status for fear of being judged and treated unfairly by their families, friends, and colleagues. Often, they avoid seeking medical attention because they are afraid a family member or relative might find out.
Some of the factors that contribute to the stigma as listed on the Avert website include:
- HIV/AIDS is a life-threatening disease, and therefore people react to it in strong ways.
- HIV infection is associated with behaviours (such as homosexuality, drug addiction, prostitution or promiscuity) that are already stigmatised in many societies.
- Most people become infected with HIV through sex which often carries moral baggage.
- There is a lot of inaccurate information about how HIV is transmitted, creating irrational behaviour and misperceptions of personal risk. For example, some people still think that one can get infected by sharing the same glass or by hugging and kissing an HIV positive person.
- HIV infection is often thought to be the result of personal irresponsibility.
- Religious or moral beliefs lead some people to believe that being infected with HIV is the result of moral fault (such as promiscuity or 'deviant sex') that deserves to be punished.
Both the external and internal stigmas can be daunting to overcome. When I say 'internal', I mean what people living with HIV/AIDS think of themselves and others living with HIV/AIDS and how they too can perpetuate many of the myths on how HIV can be contracted by being careful not to touch children in their families or cleaning everything they touch with bleach.
Certain minority groups within the HIV poz community face many more challenges due to the lack of sensitivity, support, and trust among their peers. Religion and culture play a big role in all of our lives, and the weight of moral condemnation can be a very heavy price to pay for living openly about one's HIV positive status. The fact that even HIV positive people prefer to be in romantic relationships with HIV negative partners is a testament to how deep-seated our prejudices and fears are in regards to this disease.
However, all is not lost for people living with HIV/AIDS. Canada has a great healthcare system and there are plenty of resources for people living with HIV/AIDS including free counselling, naturapathic therapies, doctors who specialize in HIV/AIDS, workshops, training initiatives, employment assistance, support groups, disability insurance, etc. These services can be further improved and developed the more people are open about their status. People living with HIV/AIDS can serve as role models and visit schools, churches, mosques, synagogues, temples, community centres, hospitals, health clinics, etc, to offer their personal stories and empower themselves and their communities through education and activism.
Still, one can't minimize the impact of the stigma. My hope is that we all take the responsibility to raise our awareness and ACTIVELY educate ourselves on HIV/AIDS so we can join the fight against HIV Stigma, and show our unwavering support for a more loving, caring, and compassionate society.
Happy Valentine's Day Everyone.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
On Your Next TTC Ride, Practice...
...seeing beyond to see the soul. I try this on a daily basis now when I'm out and mingling with the hustle and bustle of this magnificent city. It's nothing like how it was for me when I was living in Tokyo. There, the sidewalks were teeming with people, getting to work or school on foot and on bicycles. I was lucky if I didn't get hit by a passing cyclist balancing themselves, their books and their umbrellas on a rainy day. I would get home in a state of agitation because so much of the commute in Tokyo was about struggling to avoid the flurried movements of others.
Toronto definitely has a similar atmosphere. I mean, what big city doesn't? Still, you don't get the sense that Toronto is an overcrowded city, but with just enough people to challenge your daily commute in some small way.
Though Toronto has a pretty decent and efficient transportation system when the TTC folks are not punishing us for blocking the doors, there are days when you just want to stand in the middle of the station and hurl abuse in every direction. I guess you see how lacking many of us are in common sense, myself included! For example, why would you stand right in front of the doors to enter a train when you see a crowd of people inside the train who want to get out? Also, I get quite annoyed when I'm having to stop on the left side of the escalator because someone in front forgot that the left side is for the walkers and the right side is for the ones taking a bit of a break from all the walking. And then I often get distracted by loud talking or people listening to their Ipods on maximum volume.
Ok, so here is how I've come to deal with it all:
- I've started looking at people as bright lights. Yes, the bright lights represent their souls in my mind.
- All I see is this bright light, not how they look on the outside: their face, their hair, their clothes, their posture, etc.
- Maybe it's their aura I'm trying to connect to?
- As I look at each person this way, I breathe deeply like when I'm meditating. Et Voila! The agitation that was beginning to form inside me simply disappears.
As for less metaphysical ways to deal with the stress of other people getting in your way, here are some perspectives:
- the people who stand in front of the door of the train as you are attempting to get out - SMILE at them, not a cheeky smile, but a sincere smile. I believe they put themselves there to be acknowledged even if they don't know why their feet planted themselves there. It's our souls at work.
- the people who stand on the left side of the escalator - they're trying to tell you to give your body a break, breathe deeply, and use this brief delay or pause in an otherwise rushed day to collect your senses and perhaps to focus on the people sharing the ride with you.
- the people who talk like they're talking through a megaphone or when they're playing their favourite punk band song on their IPods at a kajillion decibels of screaming noise - When I'm trying to read or when I get lost in my thoughts, it's a distraction. BUT, whatever brings you back to the present, in my mind, is no longer a distraction. All those sounds here before us are examples of life unfolding, and when we allow ourselves to be present and to witness all this life like flowers blossoming in spring time, we can really sense the preciousness of life, and how fleeting it is. Those distractions are gifts given to us to bring us from the insides of our heads, and to experience life fully. It gives us the opportunity to move away from our own self-centered view of the world, and see how others experience life.
True, it might annoy you even more, especially if you have an exam that you're studying for on the train or an interesting book you're trying to focus on. But our souls give us away...our souls want us to embrace life as it plays out in front of us. Our souls wish us to see other souls as they dance, laugh, talk, cry, and stare at us in these metal capsules that move us from one "box" to the next. It's in the in between where we have the chance to reclaim the gift of an ever-present life.
Toronto definitely has a similar atmosphere. I mean, what big city doesn't? Still, you don't get the sense that Toronto is an overcrowded city, but with just enough people to challenge your daily commute in some small way.
Though Toronto has a pretty decent and efficient transportation system when the TTC folks are not punishing us for blocking the doors, there are days when you just want to stand in the middle of the station and hurl abuse in every direction. I guess you see how lacking many of us are in common sense, myself included! For example, why would you stand right in front of the doors to enter a train when you see a crowd of people inside the train who want to get out? Also, I get quite annoyed when I'm having to stop on the left side of the escalator because someone in front forgot that the left side is for the walkers and the right side is for the ones taking a bit of a break from all the walking. And then I often get distracted by loud talking or people listening to their Ipods on maximum volume.
Ok, so here is how I've come to deal with it all:
- I've started looking at people as bright lights. Yes, the bright lights represent their souls in my mind.
- All I see is this bright light, not how they look on the outside: their face, their hair, their clothes, their posture, etc.
- Maybe it's their aura I'm trying to connect to?
- As I look at each person this way, I breathe deeply like when I'm meditating. Et Voila! The agitation that was beginning to form inside me simply disappears.
As for less metaphysical ways to deal with the stress of other people getting in your way, here are some perspectives:
- the people who stand in front of the door of the train as you are attempting to get out - SMILE at them, not a cheeky smile, but a sincere smile. I believe they put themselves there to be acknowledged even if they don't know why their feet planted themselves there. It's our souls at work.
- the people who stand on the left side of the escalator - they're trying to tell you to give your body a break, breathe deeply, and use this brief delay or pause in an otherwise rushed day to collect your senses and perhaps to focus on the people sharing the ride with you.
- the people who talk like they're talking through a megaphone or when they're playing their favourite punk band song on their IPods at a kajillion decibels of screaming noise - When I'm trying to read or when I get lost in my thoughts, it's a distraction. BUT, whatever brings you back to the present, in my mind, is no longer a distraction. All those sounds here before us are examples of life unfolding, and when we allow ourselves to be present and to witness all this life like flowers blossoming in spring time, we can really sense the preciousness of life, and how fleeting it is. Those distractions are gifts given to us to bring us from the insides of our heads, and to experience life fully. It gives us the opportunity to move away from our own self-centered view of the world, and see how others experience life.
True, it might annoy you even more, especially if you have an exam that you're studying for on the train or an interesting book you're trying to focus on. But our souls give us away...our souls want us to embrace life as it plays out in front of us. Our souls wish us to see other souls as they dance, laugh, talk, cry, and stare at us in these metal capsules that move us from one "box" to the next. It's in the in between where we have the chance to reclaim the gift of an ever-present life.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Solitary Confinement in the Prison-Justice System
I just read a very disturbing article on the Prisoners' HIV/AIDS Support Action Network on solitary confinement and what it essentially does to a person.
Solitary confinement is often used by prison authorities to punish prisoners who break rules or demonstrate violent behaviour. In a single day, close to 1000 inmates were in solitary confinement in prisons throughout Canada. A report was written by Correctional Investigator, Howard Sapers:
"Psychiatric studies have repeatedly found that inmates become increasingly unhinged under conditions of isolation. They have trouble concentrating and frequently experience hallucinations, distorted perception and panic...The article said that inmates feel a sense of intolerable frustration, anger and rage, which may lead to fantasies involving violent revenge against their jailors. 'Psychosis, suicidal behaviour and selfmutilation are commonly seen among prisoners in
long-term solitary confinement'."
I understand that the situation in Canadian prisons can be quite desperate, especially when there are overcrowding issues and the sharing of space of people with varying degrees of criminal behaviour from not so serious to very serious crimes. However, severe punishment only perpetuates violence and does nothing to heal these men and women.
When are we going to learn that this form of justice only creates more of the criminal mindset? Our communities will never be safe as long as we continue to support a system that causes even more pain and suffering, and does nothing to provide support and assistance to those prisoners who have survived their stay in prison, and who have come out to be part of society. What lessons will they have learned from their experience in the Canadian Federal Prison system? What are the chances of these men and women repeat offending? The chances are pretty high...
We are constantly looking for the answers outside ourselves when really things can only change if we start to change our attitudes and show more compassion to all of humankind. The more compassion we have in our communities, the less people will resort to desperate measures to get what they need and want.
Of course, there will always be people who fall into a life of crime...but again, it's not JUST their fault. It is also the fault of the society they were raised in and what society's response was to them when they were in need of support and assistance.
We're not islands. There's a reason why people are messed up and it's not because they're anomalies, it's because we were all a part of making them that way.
Solitary confinement is often used by prison authorities to punish prisoners who break rules or demonstrate violent behaviour. In a single day, close to 1000 inmates were in solitary confinement in prisons throughout Canada. A report was written by Correctional Investigator, Howard Sapers:
"Psychiatric studies have repeatedly found that inmates become increasingly unhinged under conditions of isolation. They have trouble concentrating and frequently experience hallucinations, distorted perception and panic...The article said that inmates feel a sense of intolerable frustration, anger and rage, which may lead to fantasies involving violent revenge against their jailors. 'Psychosis, suicidal behaviour and selfmutilation are commonly seen among prisoners in
long-term solitary confinement'."
I understand that the situation in Canadian prisons can be quite desperate, especially when there are overcrowding issues and the sharing of space of people with varying degrees of criminal behaviour from not so serious to very serious crimes. However, severe punishment only perpetuates violence and does nothing to heal these men and women.
When are we going to learn that this form of justice only creates more of the criminal mindset? Our communities will never be safe as long as we continue to support a system that causes even more pain and suffering, and does nothing to provide support and assistance to those prisoners who have survived their stay in prison, and who have come out to be part of society. What lessons will they have learned from their experience in the Canadian Federal Prison system? What are the chances of these men and women repeat offending? The chances are pretty high...
We are constantly looking for the answers outside ourselves when really things can only change if we start to change our attitudes and show more compassion to all of humankind. The more compassion we have in our communities, the less people will resort to desperate measures to get what they need and want.
Of course, there will always be people who fall into a life of crime...but again, it's not JUST their fault. It is also the fault of the society they were raised in and what society's response was to them when they were in need of support and assistance.
We're not islands. There's a reason why people are messed up and it's not because they're anomalies, it's because we were all a part of making them that way.
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