Search Connexions

Custom Search

Connexions Library

Articles, Books, Documents, Periodicals, Audio-Visual

Title Index

Author Index

Subject Index

Chronological Index

Spotlight: Most Popular

Format Index

Dewey Index

Library of Congress Index

Español

Français

Deutsch

Connexipedia

Connexipedia Subject Index

Search the Library

Connexions Directory
of Associations & NGOs

Subject Index

Associations Index

Selected Resources by
Subject Area

Donate or Volunteer

Your support makes our work possible. Please Donate Today

Volunteer Opportunities and Internships

Donate to Connexions
Get media attention with Sources


Race Against Time
Searching for Hope in AIDS-Ravaged Africa

Lewis, Stephen
Publisher:  Anansi, Toronto, Canada
Year Published:  2006   First Published:  2005
Pages:  216pp   Price:  $18.95   ISBN:  0-88784-753-6
Library of Congress Number:  JC571.L534 2006   Dewey:  361.2'6096
Resource Type:  Book
Cx Number:  CX7153

This book is a compilation of the 2005 Massey Lectures on the topic of the Millennium Development Goals, with a special focus on AIDS in Africa. Lewis' lectures are personal and passionate in their denunciation of the international community's response to the AIDS pandemic and poverty in Africa.

Abstract:  This book is a compilation of the 2005 Massey Lectures on the topic of the Millennium Development Goals, with a special focus on AIDS in Africa. Lewis' five lectures are personal and passionate in their denunciation of the international community's response to the AIDS pandemic and poverty in Africa. He draws upon his experience in the United Nations system to make tangible the scale of the AIDS crisis and the bureaucratic nature of the UN response. Lewis also offers stories of hope and practical ways to mitigate this crisis.

The first lecture puts into perspective the current situation in Africa. It focuses on the economic burden that weighs on many African countries, a burden that precludes efforts to address the spread of AIDS. Lewis condemns the massive foreign debts and accompanying macroeconomic policies that constrain public spending.

The second lecture gives an overview of the AIDS pandemic, based chronologically upon the author's own visits to Africa. Introducing crucial factors that affect and are affected by AIDS (such as medical staff shortages, an exploding orphan population and the need for basic nutrition), Lewis demonstrates how the goal of stopping the spread of AIDS is inextricably connected to other Millennium Development Goals.

The third lecture reveals the promises that have been broken regarding education in Africa. Universal, free primary education is critical, Lewis says, because it offers young minds a chance to grow, it builds self-esteem and it exposes students to information about health.

The fourth lecture highlights the historical and ongoing discrimination against women both internal and external to the United Nations. Lewis chronicles landmark conferences on women's issues, but points out the lasting discrepancy between the ambitions of these conferences and the reality that remains. He advocates for a dedicated agency within the UN to address women's equality.

The fifth and final lecture recommends courses of action that could improve the international response to AIDS and help African countries come closer to meeting the Millennium Development Goals.

[Abstract by Tara McElroy]

Subject Headings

    Connexions Information Sharing Services

Connexions Library
Catalogue of more than 10,000 books, articles, films, periodicals, websites and other resources.
Indexed by Author, Title, Format, Subject, Dewey number, Library of Congress classification, Year of Publication.
Connexions Directory Associations and NGOs dealing with social and environmental issues — A-Z Index or Subject Index.
For experts and media spokespersons also see the Sources directory and the comprehensive Sources Subject Index.
Links Selected Internet resources featuring information about alternatives.
Calendar Events from across Canada. Also see: Sources Calendar and news releases.
Publicity and Media Resources, publications and articles to help you get publicity and raise awareness. Plus Media Names & Numbers Canadian media directory, the Parliamentary Names & Numbers Canadian government directory, and mailing lists.
Donations Connexions welcomes your support. Your donations make our work possible. Volunteers always welcome.
Mission Connexions exists to support individuals and groups working for freedom and social justice. We work to maintain and make available a record of the theory and practice of people struggling against oppression and for social change. We believe that the more we know about the struggles, victories, and defeats of the past, and about those who took part in them, the better equipped we will be to bring a new world into being. Connexions maintains a physical archive of books and documents, and is engaged in an ongoing project to build and expand an indexed digital archive of documents. We try to feature a wide variety of resources reflecting a diversity of viewpoints and approaches to social change within our overall mandate of support for democracy, civil liberties, freedom of expression, universal human rights, secularism, equality, economic justice, environmental responsibility, and the creation and preservation of community. We are internationalist in our orientation, but as a Canadian-based project we feature an especially extensive collection of Canadian documents and profiles of Canadian activist organizations.