UN Special Envoy Stephen Lewis to address General Synod on HIV/AIDS

Toronto - May 6, 2004 -- Stephen Lewis, Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa for the Secretary-General of the United Nations will address more than 300 members of the Anglican Church of Canada’s chief governing and legislative body when they meet later this month in St. Catharines, Ont.

His presentation on AIDS, scheduled for the morning of June 2, will highlight a half-day long session on the global pandemic.

Mr. Lewis has traveled throughout Africa in his capacity as special envoy on HIV/AIDS and has worked closely with African leaders, a United Nations teams and local coordinators.

He has also set up a charitable foundation – The Stephen Lewis Foundation – to help local African agencies cope with the devastation caused by AIDS. (http://stephenlewisfoundation.org/)

Before assuming his present duties, Mr. Lewis served as Canadian ambassador to the United Nations and later as deputy executive director of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). He was also a member of a panel of eminent persons that investigated the 1994 genocide in Rwanda for the Organization for African Unity.

Mr. Lewis, a former New Democratic Party Leader of the Opposition in Ontario, is one of several dignitaries who will be attending part of the Anglican General Synod.

Among Anglican Church of Canada partners who will also attend some or all of General Synod are Richard Schneider of the Canadian Council of Churches, Bishop Raymond Schultz, the Rev. Sonja Free and the Rev. Paul Johnson of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, the Rev. Bob Mills of the United Church of Canada, the Rev. Canon Stephen Lane of the Episcopal Church U.S.A., Archdeacon Taimalelagi Fagamalama Tuatagaloa-Matalavea of the Anglican Church of Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia and Anglican Communion Observer at the United Nations, and Bishop Duleep de Chickera and his wife Geetha of the Church of Ceylon, Diocese of Colombo.

The Anglican General Synod, which convenes at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ont., later this month (May 28 – June 5), is the church’s chief legislative and governing body. It is made up of more than 300 members, including lay people, deacons, priests and bishops elected from each of the church’s 30 dioceses. General Synod meets every three years.

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This is one of a series of official news releases that will be made before the Anglican Church of Canada’s 37th General Synod. Between now and the end of May, releases will be issued about once a week.

For more information, you may also consult the following Web sites:

A draft agenda is available at http://gs2004.anglican.ca/ delegate/agenda.html

Because of limited space for media at General Synod, journalists who wish to cover the event are encouraged to register in advance. You may register at http://gs2004.anglican.ca/ media/registration/ or contact Josie DeLucia, assistant to the Director of Communications, at 416 924 9199, ext. 294, [email protected]

For more information, please contact Vianney (Sam) Carriere, Director of Communications, 416 924 9199 ext. 306.