CUSO-VSO ED awarded honourary Doctor of Divinity
07/05/2010 16:00:00
Derek Evans, the Executive Director of CUSO-VSO, has been awarded an honourary Doctor of Divinity on May 10 from the Vancouver School of Theology. The citation recognizes his work in human rights and inter-faith dialogue.
In April, Evans chaired a summit that is being recognized as an historic moment. Leaders from all of the world’s major religious traditions have agreed to work in support of the eradication of AIDS and, in particular, have undertaken a personal commitment to work together to eliminate the critical problem of stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV.
The agreement is the key outcome of the three-day Global Summit, of high-level religious leaders co-sponsored by UNAIDS and hosted by the government of the Netherlands during the past week. The summit involved leaders of the Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh and indigenous traditions, together with senior representatives of governments, UN agencies, and organizations of people living with HIV.
HIV and AIDS activists and practitioners have welcomed the outcome as “a milestone”, and “a step forward that was unthinkable – even unimaginable – only a few years ago.” Dr. Richard Fee, Chair of the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance, underlined the significance and potential impact of the agreement by noting that the religious organizations involved “do touch every village in the world.”
Quoted in the New York Times, UN Under-Secretary General Thoraya Obaid described the agreement as representing “a sea change in attitudes”, and a senior HIV and AIDS ambassador stated that the summit has produced “an incredibly strong commitment that will be critically important for the future.”
