We must make visible our grief and anger : Inspiring the personal and political will to defeat AIDS

by Juan Walter

AIDS is one of the leading causes of death among men and women aged 25 to 44 in our communities. In some of the countries we live in, there is still no adequate migrant and ethnic minority policy for prevention and care.

I think it is important that migrants and ethnic minorities tell the story of their loved ones. We must let our communities and the world know that we too are affected by AIDS and that we to want be taken seriously.

The AIDS Memorial Quilt co-ordinated by the Names Project Foundation was displayed in Washington, D.C. for three days in October 1996. It was the first time in several years that the entire Quilt was on public display : a huge event with its 45,000 panels from all over the world on display to 1.2 million visitors. The Quilt was first displayed in 1987 for San Francisco’s Gay Pride Week. To date, about nine million people have visited the AIDS Memorial Quilt at displays worldwide.

It was a disappointment for me to see that there was no quilt made by migrants and ethnic minorities. To the best of my knowledge, migrants and ethnic minorities have not been involved in this project.

The AIDS Memorial Quilt is the largest on-going community arts project in the world. As the epidemic claims more lives, the Quilt continues to grow : new memorial panels are added each week. Each quilt consist of eight panels and each panel measures 90 cm by 180 cm. All kinds of material are used in panels. Each panel tells a different story ; the more you look at a panel, the more you can learn about the person’s life.

The Quilt stands for more than the tens of thousands of people whose names are sewn into the fabric. It stands, as well, for the sorrow, anger, love and hope of people who make panels. Panel makers are as diverse as those affected by the epidemic, as richly unique as each panel in the Quilt itself.

By making panels for the Quilt and by organizing quilt displays, you help bring AIDS to the forefront of your community .

Many cultures around the world have traditions of fabric arts. The AIDS Memorial Quilt is based upon the American tradition of quilting. In the past, neighbours and relatives would gather in groups to sew old scraps of fabric together to make blankets. These blankets, called quilts, were beautiful works of art which also provided warmth and comfort.

Though drawing on American tradition, the Quilt is not just American. It is a way to remember and honor our loved ones. There are 36 Names Projects outside the USA, covering every continent in the world. The Quilt should serve to inspire the personal and political will needed to defeat AIDS. It will allow us to grieve as a community and to respond urgently and compassionately to those living with HIV.

I hope that wherever we may meet, migrants, ethnic minorities and HIV/AIDS, participants will be ready to make panels for their loved ones who had died of AIDS. So they can be shown at displays in Europe and all over the world. Swords are not the only weapons in the war against AIDS. nm

Juan Walter works for the Names Project in the Netherlands.