Nicki Eddy and co

In 1992, Nicki Eddy and Warren Butler participated in a radio interview with Mike Bakers on Radio Pacific to discuss the New Zealand AIDS Memorial Quilt. Eddy, as the quilt convenor, and Butler, a person living with HIV, joined to raise awareness and share information about a project that was part of an international movement to memorialize those lost to the AIDS epidemic. The interview also touched upon Eddy’s impending trip to Washington D.C. for the International quilt unveiling, demonstrating the global scale of the initiative that originated in San Francisco in 1985.

The New Zealand Quilt Project, as explained by Eddy, consists of making individual panels for each person lost to AIDS. Panels are then sewn into larger blocks, with each panel measuring 6 by 3 feet, symbolizing the size of a grave plot. During the interview, Eddy shared personal reasons for the involvement–the loss of a sibling to AIDS–and emphasized that the project presented a constructive way to cope with grief and anger.

Both Eddy and Butler highlighted the importance of the quilts in education and awareness efforts. By bringing the quilts into schools, they were able to humanize the statistics, showing students that each panel represented a life and a person loved by others. Butler discussed living with HIV and the impact that the diagnosis has on one's outlook on life, pointing out that this shifted their priorities and reduced the importance of material possessions.

Eddy mentioned that, as of the recording, approximately 300 people had lost their lives to AIDS in New Zealand, and the quilt project held 109 names, making it the largest per capita quilt project worldwide. Furthermore, it was projected that within the next decade, nearly every New Zealander would know someone affected by HIV/AIDS.

The conversation also covered the beginnings of the International Quilt project, which was started by Cleve Jones in San Francisco as a deeply personal response to the loss of friends to the epidemic. The growing number of panels exemplified the ever-increasing reach of AIDS, showing its indiscriminate impact across demographics.

The interview was interspersed with advertisements, underscoring the sponsorship from Mitsubishi Motors New Zealand Limited, which made the hour-long radio feature on the quilt project possible. Eddy and Butler both stressed the need for ongoing education to combat misinformation and encourage preventative measures against the spread of HIV/AIDS. The session inspired callers like Sarah, who expressed praise for the campaign and distress over a lack of widespread awareness.

In closing, the rarity of the quilts on television was noted, despite their poignant stories and rich symbolism. Eddy expressed hopes for the spread of the project's messages and the importance of the upcoming Washington event. The conversation ended with recognition of the meaningful partnership with Mitsubishi Motors and the expectation of the project's continued impact.

This summary is created using Generative AI. Although it is based on the recording's transcription, it may contain errors or omissions. Click here to learn more about how this summary was created.

Nicki Eddy Warren Butler

1990s, health, hiv / aids, mike bakers, names project, new zealand aids memorial quilt, nicki eddy, warren butler

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