The red ribbon, as an awareness ribbon, is used as the symbol for the solidarity of people living with HIV/AIDS, [1] and for the awareness and prevention of drug abuse [2] and drunk driving. [3]
The red ribbon, as an awareness ribbon, is used as the symbol for the solidarity of people living with HIV/AIDS, [1] and for the awareness and prevention of drug abuse [2] and drunk driving. [3]
The red ribbon is a symbol for Multiple Sclerosis, drunk driving prevention, drug prevention and for the fight against HIV/AIDS. The Red Ribbon Foundation, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and the Canadian Multiple Sclerosis Society are examples of organizations that utilize the red ribbon symbol.
MADD is an organization founded in 1980 whose mission is to stop drunk driving, support the victims of this violent crime and prevent underage drinking. Red Ribbon International is an organization founded in 1993 whose main purpose is the education about prevention of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus or HIV, Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome Related Complex, ARC and AIDS.
In 1986, MADD started the "Tie One On For Safety" [4] campaign. It is MADD's longest running and most visible public awareness project. During the holiday season, drivers are encouraged to tie MADD red ribbons to visible locations on their vehicles, or place window decals on their vehicles' windows. The red ribbons represent the drivers' commitment to drive safe, sober and buckled up. It also encourages others to designate a sober driver before drinking.
The Red Ribbon was used as an awareness symbol made by after DEA Agent Enrique Camarena was kidnapped, tortured, and murdered while working undercover in Guadalajara, Mexico. [5] Citizens in his home town of Calexico, California donned the ribbons to emphasize the need for increased prevention efforts. In 1988, Red Ribbon Week, sponsored by National Family Partnership, became a national campaign. It is celebrated from October 23 through October 31.
The Red Ribbon Project was created by the New York-based Visual AIDS Artists Caucus in 1991. [6]
The artists who formed the Visual AIDS Artists Caucus wished to create a visual symbol to demonstrate compassion for people living with AIDS and their caregivers. Inspired by the yellow ribbons honoring American soldiers serving in the Gulf war, the color red was chosen for its, "connection to blood and the idea of passion—not only anger, but love, like a valentine." First worn publicly by Jeremy Irons at the 1991 Tony Awards, the ribbon soon became renowned as an international symbol of AIDS awareness. [7] [8]
At the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert held at Wembley Stadium, London on Easter Sunday 1992, more than 100,000 red ribbons were distributed among the audience by Red Ribbon International, with performers such as George Michael wearing one. [9] [10] The Red Ribbon continues to be a powerful force in the fight to increase public awareness of HIV/AIDS and in the lobbying efforts to increase funding for AIDS services and research.
To symbolize the United States' commitment to combat the world AIDS epidemic through its landmark PEPFAR program, Steven M. Levine, a communications aid in President George W. Bush's administration, proposed that the administration display a 28 foot (8.5 m) AIDS ribbon on the White House's iconic North Portico on World AIDS Day 2007. [11] [12] [13] The display, now an annual tradition across four administrations, quickly garnered attention, as it was the first banner, sign or symbol to prominently hang from the White House since Abraham Lincoln lived in the building. [14] [15] [16]
In the aftermath of the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, healthcare workers in Myanmar launched a red ribbon campaign (ဖဲကြိုးနီလှုပ်ရှားမှု). [17] The color red is associated with the National League for Democracy, the incumbent political party that won the 2020 elections. [18] Civil servants and workers across Myanmar, including union-level ministries, have adopted the red ribbon as a symbol of opposition to the military regime. [19]
From October 31st 2014 red ribbons attached to lamposts have been going up in east London to remind people of the Palestinian civilians Hamas has murdered. [20]
At fairs and competitions in the U.K. and Canada, a red ribbon is awarded to the winning competitor (first place). It is used for second place in the United States for fairs and competitions. In the U.S. in some judging competitions, particularly in 4-H and FFA livestock and horticultural competitions, red ribbons may be given to a project that meets some of the judging criteria but falls short in other areas, while superior projects and exhibits are awarded blue ribbons (which are second-place ribbons in the U.K. and Canada).
The AIDS epidemic, caused by HIV, found its way to the United States between the 1970s and 1980s, but was first noticed after doctors discovered clusters of Kaposi's sarcoma and pneumocystis pneumonia in homosexual men in Los Angeles, New York City, and San Francisco in 1981. Treatment of HIV/AIDS is primarily via the use of multiple antiretroviral drugs, and education programs to help people avoid infection.
World AIDS Day, designated on 1 December every year since 1988, is an international day dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection and mourning those who have died of the disease. The acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a life-threatening condition caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The HIV virus attacks the immune system of the patient and reduces its resistance to other diseases. Government and health officials, non-governmental organizations, and individuals around the world observe the day, often with education on AIDS prevention and control.
The yellow ribbon is used for various purposes. It may be worn on a person, placed on a vehicle, around a tree, or for a neck tie.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) is a non-profit organization in the United States, Canada and Brazil that seeks to stop driving with any amount of alcohol in the bloodstream, support those affected by drunk driving, prevent underage drinking, and strive for stricter impaired driving policy, whether that impairment is caused by alcohol or any other drug. The Irving, Texas-based organization was founded on September 5, 1980, in California by Candace Lightner after her 13-year-old daughter, Cari, was killed by a drunk driver. There is at least one MADD office in every state of the United States and at least one in each province of Canada. These offices offer victim services and many resources involving alcohol safety. MADD has claimed that drunk driving has been reduced by half since its founding.
Blue ribbons are typically a symbol of high quality. The association comes from The Blue Riband, a prize awarded for the fastest crossing of the Atlantic Ocean by passenger liners and, prior to that from Cordon Bleu, which referred to the blue ribbon worn by the French knightly Order of the Holy Spirit. The spelling "blue riband" is still encountered in most English-speaking countries, but in the United States, the term was altered to blue ribbon, and ribbons of this color came to be awarded for first place in certain athletic or other competitive endeavors.
The Advertising Council, commonly known as Ad Council, is an American nonprofit organization that produces, distributes, and promotes public service announcements or PSAs on behalf of various sponsors, including nonprofit organizations, non-governmental organizations and agencies of the United States government.
June Rose Callwood, was a Canadian journalist, author and social activist. She garnered fame for her articles and columns written for national newspapers and magazines, including Maclean's and Chatelaine. She solidified her name by founding charities focused on certain communities in Canada, including Nellie's, one of Canada's first shelters for women in crisis, Jessie's Centre for Teenagers, now the June Callwood Centre for Women and Families, and Casey House, Canada's first HIV/AIDS hospice.
Awareness ribbons are symbols meant to show support or raise consciousness for a cause. Different colors and patterns are associated with different issues.
Red Ribbon Express is an HIV/AIDS awareness campaign train by the Indian Railways. The motto of the Red Ribbon Express is "Embarking on the journey of life".
The Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research (CANFAR) is the only national charitable foundation that raises awareness to generate funds for research into all aspects of HIV infection and AIDS. Since inception in 1987, CANFAR has invested more than $26 million in research initiatives across Canada, and supported close to 575 distinct research initiatives. CANFAR is funded solely through the generosity of corporations, groups, and individuals across Canada.
MADD Canada is the Canadian arm of Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Its stated purpose is to stop impaired driving and to support victims. MADD Canada operates public awareness and education programs which focus on preventing impaired driving. Local activities are carried out by chapters in approximately 100 communities across Canada.
The Office of National AIDS Policy, established under President Clinton in 1993, coordinates the continuing domestic efforts to implement the President's National HIV/AIDS Strategy. In addition, the office works to coordinate an increasingly integrated approach to the prevention, care and treatment of HIV/AIDS. As a unit of the Domestic Policy Council, the Office of National AIDS Policy coordinates with other White House offices. It is led by a director, who is appointed by the president.
The People's Republic of China's first reported AIDS case was identified in 1985 in a dying tourist. In 1989, the first indigenous cases were reported as an outbreak in 146 infected heroin users in Yunnan province, near China's southwest border.
The history of HIV/AIDS in Australia is distinctive, as Australian government bodies recognised and responded to the AIDS pandemic relatively swiftly, with the implementation of effective disease prevention and public health programs, such as needle and syringe programs (NSPs). As a result, despite significant numbers of at-risk group members contracting the virus in the early period following its discovery, Australia achieved and has maintained a low rate of HIV infection in comparison to the rest of the world.
HIV.gov, formerly known as AIDS.gov, is an internet portal for all United States federal domestic HIV and AIDS resources and information. On World AIDS Day, December 1, 2006, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services launched AIDS.gov. The site contains content and links that guide users to their desired information.
Since HIV/AIDS was first reported in Thailand in 1984, 1,115,415 adults had been infected as of 2008, with 585,830 having died since 1984. 532,522 Thais were living with HIV/AIDS in 2008. In 2009 the adult prevalence of HIV was 1.3%. As of 2016, Thailand had the highest prevalence of HIV in Southeast Asia at 1.1 percent, the 40th highest prevalence of 109 nations.
Day Without Art (DWA) is an annual event where art institutions and other organizations organize programs to raise awareness of AIDS, remember people who have died, and inspire positive action. Initiated in 1988 by VisualAIDS from New York City (NYC), nowadays a global event.
AIDS Vancouver, founded in early 1983, is recognized as one of the first community-based non-profit AIDS organizations in Canada, responding to the HIV/AIDS crisis in the Vancouver area. Led by co-founders Gordon Price, Noah Stewart, Dr. Mike Maynard, Daryl Nelson, and Ron Alexander Slater, the organization has aimed to provide support, education, and advocacy for individuals affected by HIV/AIDS. With a focus on grassroots efforts and community mobilization, AIDS Vancouver has been involved in efforts to address the spread of HIV and support individuals living with the virus. In March 2024, AIDS Vancouver changed its purpose, values, and name to support and empower people living with HIV for years to come, and is now operating as Ribbon Community Society, with its programs and services remaining the same.
Initial events and trends in the discussion of HIV and AIDS in mass media contributed to the stigma and discrimination against those affected with the disease. Later discussion, sometimes led by HIV+ individuals themselves, moved toward advocacy and education on disease prevention and management. The UNESCO report on Journalism Education says, "Well researched television content can create public awareness about HIV prevention, treatment, care and support can potentially influence the development and implementation of relevant policies."
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