December 2005: World Aids Day
The group take action on World Aids Day and lend their eyes to the campaign.
Our activities took a new direction this month as we moved away from our Trade Justice campaigning, taking action on HIV/AIDS as part of international World Aids Day.
We were inspired to get involved with People and Planet's plan to cover a London bus with 8,500 photos of people's eyes, which could be driven around and used to 'eyeball' politicians, keeping an eye on what they are doing to fulfil their promise of universal treatment by 2010, made at the July meeting of the G8.
Armed with every digital camera we could get our hands on, we held a mass photo-shoot in school one lunchtime. Most people came voluntarily, but a few of the more vain members of the teaching staff had to be persuaded with reminders that it was all in the name of campaigning to help get treatment to everyone with HIV. Luckily most people are fairly used to our weird and wacky events by now, and we finally managed to collect over 150 pairs of eyes! These now stare at people walking down the corridor (regularly attracting large crowds), reminding everyone that action needs to be taken to combat HIV/AIDS.
Some of the eyes (blown up to scary proportions) also made an appearance in our World Aids Day assembly, where we gave everyone the low-down on what it is really all about.
Being girls, an excuse to incorporate fashion into our events in some shape or form is fairly easy, and we found that most people were more than willing to wear their red ribbons with pride. On the last day of term everyone in the school will donate a pound and wear something red - and we may be armed with very red nail varnish for anyone who doesn't!
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