A blog about the 16th International AIDS Conference, Toronto, Canada, August 13-18, 2006.
The sky in Toronto this morning is cloudless, which means the dome on the Rogers Centre (formerly the SkyDome) will be open this evening for the 7 pm opening ceremonies of the XVI International AIDS Conference. The preceding weeks have seen the Canadian and international press ramping up their coverage of HIV/AIDS at 25. The coverage has run the gamut, but one of the media items I found most interesting was aired by The Current, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's (CBC) morning current affairs show. The host raised the question of whether the conference, which "began as a necessary gathering to help understand a growing crisis," has become "a place for political grandstanding and economic opportunism."
The host interviewed Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Laurie Garrett, who is now Senior Fellow for Global Health at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. She is also a former Seed columnist. Laurie has attended most of the International AIDS Conferences over the years and has seen a marked shift in their agendas. You can listen to her comments here. Her point of view was countered by the Canadian co-chair of this year's event, Dr. Mark Wainberg, director of the McGill AIDS Center in Montreal.
I'm about to head downtown to pick up my media pass and begin exploring the conference. I hope to come away from the Conference in a few days with an answer to the The Current's question. In particular, I'm wondering about ths science. Has it become sidelined atf the conference, or is there still valuable exchange among scientists from around the world?
Cross your fingers that I avoid the long lines and wait times that plagued organizers yesterday...
Comments
Speaking of a place for political grandstanding and economic opportunism you might be interested in reading the following. Try to be there!
16th International AIDS Conference: Stunning last minute addition.
Following the link below you can download a PDF version of the full transcription of the "last minute" addition to the Opening Session of the XVI Internal Aids Conference.
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/jan.spreen/english/16thiac.pdf
Spread the word!!!
Posted by: jspreen | August 13, 2006 10:48 AM
16th International AIDS Conference: Stunning last minute addition.
Following the link below you can download a PDF version of the full transcription of the "last minute" addition to the Opening Session of the XVI Internal Aids Conference.
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/jan.spreen/english/16thiac.pdf
Posted by: jspreen | August 13, 2006 3:07 PM