Saturday, December 12th, 2009
Stephen Lewis is coming to Redeemer! He will be speaking about the growing gap between health standards in developed and developing countries on Friday, January 22. Many of you may be wondering, “who is he and why is he such a big deal?”
Stephen Lewis has held many positions, including Canadian Ambassador to the UN, special advisor on Africa to the UN Secretary-General, and deputy executive director of UNICEF—in 2003 he was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world. He is probably best known for his work as the United Nations Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa. He has worked hard to bring the HIV/AIDS dilemma to the attention of leaders and citizens around the world and to convince them that they also have a responsibility to act.
In order to understand where his passion comes from it is probably best to look at his story. Stephen Lewis dropped out of university, not because he didn’t have the grades—he spent a lot of his time reading—but because he just did not have the drive to study for his exams (not to worry, he recommends that students do not follow his example). He found a job as a researcher for Socialists International in England, where he came across a general invitation to attend the World Assembly of Youth in Ghana.
Although the conference only lasted a week, Lewis stayed in Africa for a whole year. He found the people, the land, and the music irresistible. While in Africa, he met and became friends with many people who were involved in politics in Africa and cared deeply about their countries. In 1961, he received a letter from the New Democratic Party, asking him to work for the party (his father had been involved with them for some time) and from there, he became involved in Canadian politics and the UN. But he never forgot Africa; ever since then he has been advocating for the African continent.
As a United Nations Special Envoy, he devoted himself to persuading the international community to commit to reaching the Millennium Development Goals. In 2005, he spoke for the Massey Lectures, now collected into the book Race Against Time, and outlined how the international community is failing to reach its Millennium Development Goals. The continent of Africa is falling behind because of the AIDS pandemic, lack of education and lack of women empowerment and many orphans and hungry, hopeless people are still trying to survive; however, Stephen Lewis also provides us with attainable solutions and the hope that if we commit and work hard, we can still help Africa get to its feet.
To learn more about Stephen Lewis and his passion for Africa attend his lecture on Friday January 22, read his book Race Against Time, or visit the Stephen Lewis foundation website, www.stephenlewisfoundation.org
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