You CAN fit Aiesec into your job!

Hey AIESEC!
How's everyone's summer going? Good jobs? Good times?
I just wanted to share a quick story about an experience I had at work today, and to incorporate that into the potential this new design has for our incredible organization.
This summer I'm interning at America On-line outside of Washington, D.C. (The HQ of the best LC in the nation :) ). Early last week I got a "corporate" email about a guest speaker: Ashley Judd, speaking on behalf of her organization, YouthAIDS. My first thought was, wow she's gorgeous, then my second thought was to RSVP quickly to actually find out about this international organization.
The event was this afternoon, just about an hour ago. Ashley Judd spoke about her involvement in YouthAIDS, as well as the incredible AIDS prevention programs they have set up around the world. She, just like Bono, and many other celebrities, have become global leaders in their own right and have spread an incredible message. The most important thing for AIDS prevention, she said, was our ability to raise as much money as possible. We don't have a cure, and we will not for quite a long time; raising money for prevention programs and AIDS education is our best bet.
Although Ashley is correct in saying this, I fully believe that in addition to raising more money, there is a need for more global leaders like Mrs. Judd that use the skills, opportunities, and experiences available to them to create change on a global scale. So, when it came time to the 5 minute Q & A section, it occurred to me that I was surrounded by 500 employees, the top company executives, Ashley Judd, and the leadership of the non-profit DC-based organization, YouthAIDS; they needed to hear about AIESEC.
My question to Ashley centered roughly around..."As a university student intern here at AOL, I'm part of the most privileged 1% of the population on this planet. As a university student I have access to skills, opportunities, and experiences, such as the largest student-based educational organization on the planet, AIESEC, that will develop me into a global leader and agent of change. What advice/encouragement would you give to the young employee base here at AOL and university students everywhere about taking full advantage of global opporunities in order to become a change agent like yourself?"
She reaffirmed my point about the 1%, and confirmed that a new generation of global leaders/change agents had to evolve NOW. She then mentioned various events/activities I as a university student could organize on campus to fight AIDS and benefit the world. After the event, I spoke briefly with the President of YouthAIDS and Mrs.
Judd, got the president's contact information and thanked Ashley for her presentation.
In front of over 500 people, I mentioned AIESEC, got Ashley to confirm the necessity and need for what AIESEC provides, and exchanged brief plans for university events with the president of a prominent non-profit organization. Another university organization, SigEP, is involved with YouthAIDS, and I plan to see about organizing events with SigEP and YouthAIDS on campus.
I wanted to tell the nation about this because you never know where AIESEC can creap into your daily life (how about every aspect for me) and how relevant AIESEC is to every region and issue in the world.
Also, with the new design, we will have the capacity to put on a number of incredible events on campus that will be efficient and sustainable.
It's just a matter of time folks. Just a matter of time before we impact the entire world and everybody knows the name of AIESEC. With the passion and leadership this organization has, that time can be cut very short.
@ly,
Andrew Martin
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Andrew Martin
Local Committee President
AIESEC Washington, D.C.

HIV /AIDS: GREAT CHALLENGE OF OUR AGE AND GENERATION

People... following the accidental deletion of the previous posting with the topic: HIV / AIDS : IS IT A POVERTY, VULNERABILITY OR A GENDER ISSUE. I will like to introduce this particular topic above. I guess that it will give us a direction and we will get to talk about the previous topic along the line.

The above topic can be linked to this particular link: http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2005/sgsm9906.doc.htm. This is a press release that I would like itto challenge our mindset about what exactly what we aredoing on this blogger.

This few statements have some connections to the question of what really is HIV / AIDS.

If we say POVERTY: From recentUnited Nations finding, it is said that an average african lives on less than a dollar at worse. This among other things made the rapant increase ofHIV /AIDS in the third world countries especially Africa. People aretryingto survive by doing what it takes to survive and try to be somebody in life.
Taking for instance, from a discussion that was had around this topic, it could really be seen from here that an average student in school is putting his / herself through school. Our parents can barely send us to school and ifthey are able to pay our school fees, they can barely be able to feed us talk less of clothing us.. In the process of trying to live a very good life style in school.. we decided to do whatever it will takes, making the selling of ourbody in exchange for cash, comfortability amuch higher priority than our future.

If we say VULNERABILITY: in this case it is the young ones that arereally affected with this factor. We want to be able to communicate among our peer group. We do not wantto be seen as the odd one out.It becomes a case of everyone is doing it so why can't I do it. If we really look at the statistics of the people that are more affected, it si between the ages of 18 -30 yrs of age.
These particular grouo arethe future of any nation, so are we going to allow this epidemic to continue ruining our future? Also it could be said that most areas do not have easy accessibility to materials that educatethe youndg ones on the after effect of having unprotected and safe sex. More on the fact why they should not indulge in it.


If we say GENDER: In Africa it is known that due to alot of traditions and all the rest stuffs, that the female gender is always at the receiving end of whatever the male gender puts across their way. They have to take all sorts of attitude from their husbands all in the name of being married.

Steps to avoiding some of these issues that is being discussed are:

1. Easy access to materials and reading materials on the HIV / AIDS Epidemic

2. Eradicating of Customs that will not bring about progress to people.

3. Having laws laid down againg Gender brutality

4. Educating the young ones on what exactly the HIV / AIDS epidemic is all about.

Another major issue as AIESECERS that I feel we need to really talk about is the stigmatization against people living with HIV / AIDS.Once people have been discovered to be infected, they are treated like dirt. I believe that with real love, these people will live beyond the medicine that is being prescribed for them.
But the major questions I have to put to we all : DO YOU KNOW YOUR STATUS?

Please people do join me on tackling these issues, and which way forward please. I hope to read about more responses from people.