Toronto 2006
Tearfund is a Christian development agency with a strong desire to work with and through local churches. Tearfund is seeking to increase significantly our work in HIV and AIDS. We are therefore keen to explore the current and potential role of the church in combating the epidemic.
"FBOs are in a unique position to contribute to the campaign against the AIDS epidemic in Africa.” Statements like this are evident in the opinions, strategies and analysis of governments, donors and policy makers today. Tearfund and partner research has found that it is not possible to show that resources are getting to communities or community based organisations. In addition their involvement in national planning for responses to AIDS in many cases has been minimal. The difficulty also is in highlighting the distinctive aspects of the church response, so that people can invest in this comparative advantage to optimise the impact of such responses to AIDS. FBOs are different to general civil society organisations; and churches are unique in themselves. Mobilising and investing in FBOs, including churches, is crucial for a strong response to AIDS. Tearfund is seeking to foster open dialogue between churches and policy makers about their roles in strengthening responses to AIDS at the XVI International AIDS conference in Toronto.