Last week, Stephen Lewis wowed a packed audience in British Columbia with his talk “A Vision for a World Free of HIV/AIDS.” Granted, Lewis was preaching to the converted, but his charisma, obvious passion, self-deprecating wit, and charm would have inspired even the most jaded.
Lewis handled a potentially embarrassing and sticky situation during the question period with aplomb and grace. He did not hesitate in pleading ignorance instead of blowing hot air as many politicians are apt to do when faced with tricky questions. An hour and a half of Lewis talking on stage and the audience still did not want it to end. There were moments of unbridled applause and a fist pumping in the air when a particularly salient point hit its target. It had the excitement of a rock concert without the lighters and near deafness. In short, the man is a superstar.
From his talk, it is apparent that one of Stephen Lewis’ greatest strengths lies in his willingness to be surprisingly frank about organizations’ and governments’ roles in the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The access that he has enjoyed from the top levels of international organizations to the grassroots programs has given him insight which he is not shy to share. He does not fear compromising the very relationships which have afforded him his privileged position if it means advancing the HIV cause. Lewis spoke on the United Nations’ failings, the not-so covert racism of the Western world towards Africa, and the unwillingness of the G8 countries to follow through on promised funds to fight AIDS in the developing world.
However, his criticisms do not come across as convenient or self-serving as is too often the case. His realism and logic in assessing what he has seen of numerous initiatives, programs, governments and organizations have allowed him to be constructive rather than being a divisive force in the world of HIV/AIDS.
Throughout the course of the evening, Lewis outlined a number of key areas which must be addressed in order to eradicate the world of AIDS. Briefly, these areas were:1) Roll-out of treatment; 2) Lowering of pharmaceutical prices; 3) Focus on children; 4) Preventive technologies; 5) Building of human capacity; 6) Determining what has been successful in the area of prevention; 7) Sexual violence; 8) Gender inequality; 9) Focus on prevention in youth; and 10) Increased commitment and follow-through of resources from the developed world.
Although, Lewis’ points are not ground-breaking or new, they are nonetheless the issues that need to be addressed, but are instead continually stymied, often by special interest groups. Lewis is not an innovator, but he is a leader. He is not the guy toiling everyday in the trenches, but he is the guy who can rally and inspire the troops.
