V. AnnDenise Brown, DrPH¹, Joyce Moon Howard, DrPH², Camille Parara, MPH¹, Pernessa C. Seele, MS¹, and Evatt Mugarura¹. (1) Director of Evaluation, The Balm in Gilead, Inc., 130 W 42 Street, Suite 450, New York, NY 10036, 212-730-7381, vadbrown@balmingilead.org, (2) Center for Applied Public Health, Columbia University, 722 West 168th Street, Suite 1119, New York, NY 10032

Faith-based organizations and faith communities are relatively new players in the arena of HIV/AIDS. However, there has been little research on the HIV-related perspectives of faith leaders. The Balm in Gilead, as part of its CDC-funded Africa HIV/AIDS Faith Initiative undertook a study to explore the perspectives, attitudes and experiences of leaders conducting HIV/AIDS work in faith-based settings. Data was collected by the staff of The Balm in Gilead through in-depth interviews with 23 faith leaders from five countries during their participation in an intensive training program geared to provide technical support in HIV-related skills and knowledge areas. Leaders were interviewed with respect to their personal backgrounds, perceived role in the fight against the HIV/AIDS epidemic, challenges in working with the faith community and strategies for effective inter-faith collaborations. The group was comprised of both males and females, Christian and Muslim leaders who had professional training ranging from accountancy to health care to legal studies. They were from Cote D’Ivoire, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. Findings from the in-depth interviews conducted with the majority of this group revealed that most were passionate about the issue of HIV/AIDS as they had been personally and deeply touched by the epidemic, they felt that they had been called to the work, and that they had a significant role to play as advocates and healers in their respective communities and countries. They also felt that establishing a common mission and respecting the religious beliefs of others were important in building effective inter-faith collaborations.

Learning Objectives: At the end of this session, participants will be able to

• discuss the importance of personal experiences in shaping the involvement of faith leaders in HIV/AIDS work,
• identify factors which facilitate inter-faith collaborations and
• recognize that faith leaders may also have varied professional backgrounds which influence their work in HIV/AIDS

Keywords: Faith Community, Leadership

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: The Balm In Gilead, Inc.
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: Director of Evaluation