Beyond the Red Ribbon: Five Ways to Get Involved on World AIDS Day

Tomorrow is World AIDS Day, and towns, cities and communities are turning their buildings red and showing their red ribbons in support of HIV and AIDS awareness, prevention and treatment.

But rather than just wearing red for the day, there are other ways to actively participate tomorrow and beyond. Advocates and activists rally throughout the year, both nationally and internationally, to ensure that those living with HIV/AIDS get fair housing, that antiretrovirals aren't reserved for the wealthy few, that progress on a vaccine is progressing and that condoms aren't a taboo prevention topic.

Their efforts are paying off, but over 2 million people are newly infected with HIV every year, according to the WHO.

Looking to get involved beyond pinning a red ribbon to your lapel? Here a few suggestions:

Make a Condom Video
The Condom Project, established by a group of AIDS educators, activists and artists, is a project that works both in the U.S. and abroad to help de-stigmatize condoms and increase their use. In addition to creating condom art pins and spearheading the Life Guard, a non-traditional condom distribution program, it runs the "30 seconds: a visual voice" campaign. The campaign seeks to represent "the visual voice of youth around the world, and represents a non-traditional approach to reduce the ignorance, fear and shame associated with condoms." Open to young people aged 13 to 24, it asks them to create a 30-second video that desensitizes the community to condoms. The parameters for submitting the videos are online.

Become an Advocate
As a former volunteer at the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, I can attest to the organization's far reaching impact. They provide prevention and testing information, organize the annual AIDS ride and play a leading role in developing sound HIV/AIDS policies at the local and federal levels. They also run and mobilize the HIV Advocacy Network (HAN) to "engage community members directly in our advocacy work." You can join the network -- regardless of where you live -- and help advocate for policies that fight for the rights of those with HIV/AIDS.

Buy Life, Keep a Child Alive
Founded by Leigh Blake, the Keep a Child Alive (KCA) campaign helps bring treatment to millions of African families living with HIV/AIDS and helps children who have lost their parents to HIV/AIDS.  With the help of Alicia Keys, KCA has become a hotbed for celebrity AIDS action. As reported on change.org's gay rights blog, tomorrow, celebrities, including Usher, Jennifer Hudson, Justin Timberlake and Lady Gaga will stop using their Facebook, Twitter and other social media tools until their fans donate a total of $1 million toward AIDS research. The "Buy Life" campaign allows consumers to use a smartphone app to scan barcodes on T-shirts and other products, which donates money to KCA.

Fund the Vaccine
An AIDS vaccine is the dream of many, and the ultimate goal of the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, a not-for-profit organization working 24 countries to make a safe and effective vaccine that can be used throughout the world. Like many HIV/AIDS organizations, they need help with funding. Their "Zero Out Aids" Campaign gives ways to donate online and also has informational materials to host a fundraiser.

Rally in the Capital
If buying T-shirts seems like too soft a way to commemorate the day, there are plenty of rallies and protests planned. One of them is by the group DC Fights Back, a network of HIV/AIDS positive people and their allies that engage communities in HIV advocacy. Tomorrow they're holding a World AIDS Day Rally, 'Home is LIFE', to bring attention to the lack of housing available to poor and low-income individuals and families living with HIV/AIDS.

Of course, there are many more volunteer opportunities, pledges, vigils and testing opportunities. Check out the World AIDS Day calendar to find local events.

Photo credit: Jayel Aheram