September 27, 2005 Source: University of Toronto:
http://www.news.utoronto.ca/bin6/050927-1663.asp University welcomes AIDS activists/scholars from Africa Lecture, multi-media presentation among week's highlights
Sep 27/05
by Sean Bettam The University of Toronto and the University of Namibia celebrate their partnership in AIDS education in Africa during a series of public events at U of T this week. University of Namibia scholars, Barnabas Otaala, AIDS co-ordinator in the Faculty of Education, and Scholastika Iipinge, director of the Division of Community Health in the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, will speak as guests of U of T's Department of Anthropology, on Friday, Sept. 30 from 10 a.m. to noon, in room 560A of Sidney Smith Hall, 100 St. George St. Otaala is a longtime AIDS activist who has been working on HIV/AIDS prevention, education and policy issues since 1990 and is internationally recognized for his work in building AIDS training and curriculum in African universities. Iipinge has been a pioneer in developing curriculum tackling the AIDS crisis in schools and universities and has written numerous United Nations and government research reports. She is co-director of the University of Toronto/University of Namibia joint training initiative, Social and Cultural Aspects of HIV/AIDS, which has involved over 100 Canadian and Namibian students. A number of the U of T students who have done their own research in Africa under the joint training initiative will present reports on Wednesday, Sept. 28 from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Hart House, 7 Hart House Circle. The evening's program will also include music and visual media. "More than 40 U of T students and over 100 University of Namibia students have taken part in research and training projects on the social and cultural aspects of HIV/AIDS through the joint effort of our two universities," says Richard Lee, University Professor of anthropology and the Centre for International Health at U of T. "Our partnership is a model of co-operation that enables our undergraduate students to directly engage in socially relevant international research." U of T faculty and students have been active in AIDS research and training in over a dozen African countries and since 1996 U of T has supported the University of Namibia's ongoing efforts to fight AIDS more effectively. Otaala and Iinpinge are available for media interviews upon request. Contact: Sean Bettam, U of T Faculty of Arts and Science, 416-946-7950; e-mail: sbettam@artsci.utoronto.ca Michah Rynor, U of T Public Affairs, 416-978-2104; e-mail: michah.rynor@utoronto.ca
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