Giant HIV/AIDS Ribbon to light up Palais Wilson

25 January 2011

GENEVA – In the first such event of its kind in Switzerland and perhaps in all of Europe, a large ribbon has been mounted on the façade of the lakefront UN human rights office this week, waiting to be lit up with red lights with donations in support of people living with HIV/AIDS.

Every 30 CHF contribution by SMS will light one of 350 LED tubes forming the ribbon from this Thursday (27 January) until Valentine’s Day on 14 February 2011. A single donation of 10,000 CHF will light up the entire ribbon. The aim is to have the ribbon fully lit as many times as possible over the two-week period.

Funds raised will be split between Groupe Sida Genève, a not-for-profit organisation working over the past 24 years to support those affected by HIV/AIDS in the region, and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. The money will go towards projects to fight against discrimination directed at people with HIV/AIDS.

The idea was the brainchild of Baroness Nadine de Rothschild who suggested it, in passing, to a Groupe Sida member two years ago. Its realization was made possible with the support of Service Industriel de Genève (SIG), which is funding the construction and operation of the lights in an environmentally friendly fashion, through the use of LED.

To make the donations, an SMS is to be sent to the number: 339 with the word RUBAN followed by the amount to be donated. The money, along with the cost of an SMS, will be charged to the donor’s mobile phone account.

A press conference is scheduled for Thursday, 27 January 2011 at 16:30 just outside Palais Wilson on the lakefront, where the giant red ribbon will be fully lit for the first time.

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Learn more about the OHCHR’s work on the rights of persons living with HIV/AIDS:
http://www2.ohchr.org/english/issues/hiv/index.htm

For further information and media requests, please contact Ravina Shamdasani (OHCHR) at + 41-22 917 9310 or rshamdasani@ohchr.org or Deborah Glejser (Group Sida Genève) at +41-78 605 1339 or deborah.glejser@groupesida.ch