Time: 18 May 2008, 18:30PM?20:00PM

Venue: Unicef Compound(12 Sanlitun Lu, Chaoyang District, Beijing)

As part of the 25th Annual International AIDS Candlelight Memorial, a memorial is to be held in Beijing on 18 May 2008. Initiated by the Global Health Council, this year’s event will be hosted by ITPC (China), Healthy Together in Beijing, and Mangrove Support Group, and co-sponsored by UNAIDS, Unicef, Global Business Coalition, US CDC Global AIDS Program, Family Health International, CHAIN, Beijing CDC, Beijng Association for STD/AIDS Prevention and Control, Home of Red Ribbon in Beijing, Home of Loving Care, Positive Women Living with HIV/AIDS support group, and Mr. Zhou Dao.

The glow of candlelight commemorates those who have lost their lives to AIDS, and represents our hope for a brighter future. Since it began in 1983, the Annual Candlelight Memorial has become a worldwide occasion to publicly grieve for those who have passed away, and call on communities and countries to strengthen their fight against HIV/AIDS. People from all over the world take this opportunity to remember those who have lost their lives because of HIV, and show their support for those still struggling with the virus, at the same time hoping to use candlelight to summon each and every one of us to do our part for HIV/AIDS prevention and care.

The theme of this year’s Beijing Candlelight Memorial is “Remember the departed, step forward hand in hand”. We warmly invite individuals from relevant government departments, NGOs, businesses, and all walks of life to attend this event, meet other guests, and together learn about how HIV/AIDS affects our lives, how to turn personal conviction into action, and the role that we and other members of society can play in HIV/AIDS prevention, care, treatment and education.

The disaster of AIDS has not passed, nor is it a far-off problem faced by a few individual countries. AIDS is a slaughter of humanity, and a threat to the whole of civilization. All life has equal value, and every person should have access to the same quality of treatmentand care. On this special day, let us join hands and hearts, face reality, and pray for a healthier world.

We look forward to your participation!