Paul Kawata - Being Different Should Not Be Scary Anymore

We live in a world right now that is a very scary place if you’re different. We live in a world where if you are LGBTQ or if you are living with HIV, the world hates you. We need to figure out ways to overcome this hate and discrimination.

For Paul and everybody who’s fighting to end the HIV epidemic, part of the challenge right now is to reach the communities that they haven’t been able to reach and to convince the health departments and community-based organizations to give them a seat at the decision-making table.

Paul Kawata is the Director of the National Minority AIDS Council, better known as NMAC, and has been since 1989. NMAC is the premier organization dedicated to building leadership in communities of color to address the challenges of HIV and AIDS. Under his guidance, NMAC has become a powerful voice in Washington DC, championing racial justice for over 3000 HIV organizations nationwide and providing a comprehensive array of technical assistance programs and services - conferences, trainings, and printed and online resource materials.

Before joining NMAC, Paul Kawata served as the founding executive director of the National Aids Network, between 1985 and 1989. It was the first national organization, dedicated to developing the capability and effectiveness of community-based leaders in the fight against AIDS. He also organized and supported National Aids Funds, the single largest private philanthropic partnership in the history of the epidemic.

So, listen to Episode 09 of Positively Alive, to learn about the agenda of the US AIDS Conference and also, the latest efforts that are made in the fight against HIV epidemic and stigma.

Questions I ask:

• The focus of the US AIDS Conference is to end the HIV epidemic by reducing HIV positive diagnosis, by 2030. Could you please elaborate a little bit on this objective? (03:09)
• There’s still some reluctance in the US to adopt and endorse U=U. Where do you think that resistance comes from and how challenging would it be for everybody to adopt and endorse this crucial message? (04:46)
• What did you mean by “We are facing yet our toughest battle”, and what will require to end the epidemics? (06:27)
• If I would ask you, for all the people you’ve lost, if there was anything that you could tell them today, what would it be? (15:03)
• In July 2019, there was news about families being separated based on their HIV status. How is this possible in the 21st century? (18:49)

In this episode you will learn:

• Paul’s feedback on the meeting between Dr. Redfield, the director of CDC, and the activists. (07:31)
• The role of community within society. (09:40)
• The role of culture in community building. (12:21)
• The biggest problem, today, that the transgender community is facing. (10:49)
• Paul’s advice for children in the orphanages. (19:56)

Connect with Paul:

• LinkedIn

How you can support our cause:

• Positively Alive Facebook Group
• Positively Alive Youtube Channel
• Positively Alive Website
• www.positivelyalive.org
• Donate

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