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Beyond Eurovision: World AIDS Day
We are delighted that partner websites eurovision-croatia.com, esconnet.dk, escsweden.com and escmalta.com are supporting the campaign, as is the Eurovision Song Contest fan club, OGAE. Today, we ask our readers for your support.
Although this campaign goes way beyond Eurovision, we can find plenty of connections with the competition. This year’s runner-up, Ani Lorak is a long-time advocate of supporting AIDS and HIV causes. She has helped raise awareness in the Ukraine and beyond with her charitable work and raising the profile of causes including Designers against AIDS.
One of the Eurovision Song Contest and Israel’s most cherished participants, Ofra Haza tragically died as a result of AIDS ten years ago. An international star with a heavenly voice was lost because she was caught in a time where awareness was low, the virus was hard to find and treatments were primitive.
In 2007, the Austrian Eurovision Song Contest entry Get a life – get alive was dedicated to raising AIDS awareness. The performer, Eric Papilaya works closely with the international charity Life Ball and performed on stage with a giant Red Ribbon, the symbol of AIDS awareness.
Earlier this year, Andreas Lundstedt, a solo singer and band member of Alcazar in Sweden publicly confirmed that he had contracted the HIV virus. He wanted to speak out to show that people can live public lives and continue with their lives, helping to change opinions and bring down the barriers of prejudice. He will be returning to the Melodifestivalen stage in 2009 with Alcazar.
The team at esctoday.com are united in their support of the charities working to prevent the spread of HIV, remove the prejudices towards the virus, and support those who are diagnosed as HIV positive. For that reason, we ask our readers to help those in need and those trying to fight this fight. We have created a donations page at justgiving.com and all proceeds will go to the Terrance Higgins Trust, who Ani Lorak worked with on her visit to London earlier this year.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Today, we ask our readers for two things. Firstly, for readers around Europe and the world, if you know of AIDS charities in your country, please post their website address in the reactions below along with the country they operate in. Through this, we aim to promote as many charities as possible on World AIDS day around Europe.
Secondly, please make a donation here. We have selected one charity for esctoday.com to support, but of course there are many organisations doing fantastic work in their field. THT is based in the UK and works with many other charities throughout Europe and the world. If you would rather donate to a charity in your own country, please post a link to their website in the reactions below so that others are aware of their presence and can donate to them. All donations go directly to the charity's bank account and no money will pass through esctoday.com.
This article is dedicated in loving memory to Ofra Haza, the bravery of Andreas Lundstedt and to the amazing charitable work of Ani Lorak, Eric Papilaya and everyone working to promote AIDS awareness and support those with HIV and AIDS.
Be aware! Reba McEntire performs She thinks his name is John:
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I've got my red ribbon on 
Good idea esctoday! When I have time tomorrow I will head over to the Donation website you've created and give some money to help people who are affected by this terrible disease. This particular disease means a lot to me as a close friend died of AIDS in March last year. It was a very sad time so I am very glad that esctoday has published this article.
well done esc for highlighting the issue, i went to a charity christmas concert by my friends charity theatremad.org.uk who raise money to help people in the u.k and africa to live with hiv and aids, amongst those who gave their time to perform were david soul (starsky and hutch) jessie wallace (kat eastenders) michael pread (robin hood) the casts of phantom of the opera,wicked, grease,lion king, spamalot,and many other musical theatre performers, it was a great evening and lots of money was raised, dont forget to keep an eye on the theatremad websit because the second "WEST END EUROVISION" will be happening in 2009,as some of you that were there will know 2008 was a fantastic success and 2009 promises to be bigger and better with more west end stars and shows taking part, hope to see you all there, i will email barry when everything has been finalised
@Michael UK
Magaly died in 1996.
http://en.wikipedia.(...)/Sophie_&_Magaly
"So people just have to live in a way that minimize the risk of being infected by those diseases. "
I don't see why this should be a wrong advise. Obviously there are people with HIV/AIDS who didn't do anything which could be consider as risky behaviour. Marcus is right in this regard. Raped women or men, babies who get the disease from their mothers, people who get it from their permanent partners who they trusted not to cheat on them, people who get it through blood transfusion, medics who get it from their patients, ...
There are a lot of ways to get HIV/AIDS but one of the main ways is still to have sex with someone you don't really know without using condoms. If someone like to have a one night stand or go to a hooker it is a really good advise to use a condom to minimize the risk of infection. If everyone would do this there would be now a smaller number of people with HIV/AIDS and the risk to get it would be also smaller for people who don't do anything risky. For example a wife wouldn't get the infection from her cheating husband if he at least is using condoms when he is betraying her.
Just a quick update... over £100 (€115) has already been raised through the esctoday.com page for the Terrence Higgins Trust.
Despite the troubled economies around the world, people are still giving their support and dipping into their pocket for this hugely worthwhile cause.
A huge thank you to everyone who has donated so far today. Donations, no matter how large or small, help to meet the challenges posed by HIV And AIDS.
Please do keep donating via http://www.justgiving.com/esctoday or to your local charities.
In responce to Johnny K, major credit cards accepted via justgiving are: Mastercard, VISA, Maestro, Delta and Solo
OK sorry I can't donate using the esctoday system, because my bank account isn't the right sort 
But there are plenty of places to donate in Horsham town soooo I promise the next time I go into town (probably will be Saturday) there will certainly still be places to donate and I will donate, I promise!
Well said Marcus Faber! I hope Peter E sticks to his word and leaves this site for good.
Great article esctoday 
Such an awful disease that can ruin peoples lives and its great that esctoday is getting people to recognise it and help. 
@ Marcus
I don't see anything narrowminded about Peter's statement - I wouldn't divide into West and the rest so strictly, but basically he's right.
@ Peter E
What a narrow minded statement!
Did you ever think about people like
• Women who got raped ???
• Babies who got infected by their mothers ???
• Women/men in a partnership who got infected by their partners?
Think about it and than tell me again those people should live “in a way that minimizes the risk to get infected”
@ neverstoptheeuropop
magaly is dead ? when did she die?
Let's help and donate! its very nice coz all the eurovision site's united and donating all together money!
BRAVO!
Laura!
The link of our site is wrong! Check it up!
Croatia:
www.huhiv.hr
Barry and Esctoday editors -I congratulate you on this wonderful article!
Esctime.com 100% supports this campaign also!!!
We stand with you to give a voice to those who do not have a voice or have not had the chance to let others heard their voice.
I saw the wonderful documentary from ANI LORAK - I recommend you all go see it (its at youtube) because it may change your perception on AIDS. I think alot of people assume AIDS is from certain groups within society - but it is not the case! Do not wait until it affects you or someone close to you - you have a chance now to do something!
Be aware people!!! And spread this vital campaign of awareness and prevention.
You cannot get AIDS through friendship!!!
In the Western world we know what HIV/AIDS is, and how it works. So people just have to live in a way that minimize the risk of being infected by those diseases.
Peter, your reaction was fundamentally wrong, and for that reason, it was deleted.
Whilst the spread of HIV in the third world is strong, it is my no means a solved problem in the Western World.
For more information, please check these websites:
http://www.unaids.org/en/
http://www.avert.org/eurosum.htm
www.cesida.org
www.infosida.es
www.tenemossida.org
Three useful Spanish sites. Everyone should be aware of how destructive AIDS is. Please, always safe sex!
For the Netherlands: www.stopaidsnow.nl
Giro 60.30.90
STOP AIDS NOW!
keep yourself !
Annie Lennox, formerly of the Eurythmics, does a lot of fantastic work for HIV and AIDS prevention. It's absolutely worth checking out her SING campaign at her website www.annielennox.com
You can help simply by purchasing the song "Sing' which mostly features Annie and a wide range of notable female artists such as Madonna and Imogen Heap on guest vocals or in the production of the song.
Magaly from Papa Pingouin (Luxembourg 1980, Ralph Siegel) died of AIDS too...
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