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And, uh, I'm delighted to be able to say that our programme this afternoon has, uh, has brought to you compliments of Mitsubishi Motors, Mitsubishi Motors, New Zealand Limited. Everything we do we do for you here in New Zealand. It's sometimes convenient to forget that we're living alongside and increasingly, with HIV aids. It's now an international epidemic penetrating every part of the globe and every corner of society. And my guests today are from the New Zealand Quilt Project. Nicky [00:00:30] Edie, who is the quilt convenor for the New Zealand Quilt Project, and Alan Buller, who's living with HIV. Nicky, Good afternoon and welcome. It's good to have you here at Radio Pacific, and I'm delighted that Mitsubishi Motors New Zealand Limited have made the hour possible. Good afternoon, Mike. And we It's wonderful to be here. Alan, you too. Thank you very much. You must be pretty excited, Nicky, because I know you're planning on a trip off to Washington very shortly. You're away off to the Washington International unveiling. That's quite right. International unveiling. That happens in the first week in October 2nd week in October. Yes. [00:01:00] Yes, yes. I am getting very, very excited about it, and we've just had a tremendous amount of literature in from the States, and it's getting more exciting all the time, particularly because at this point there are 17 confirmed countries or other countries in the world that will be there. And it's just going to be awesome. It really is. The New Zealand Quilt Project is part of an international movement, which began back in 1985 in San Francisco and now 20 countries. And in fact, I think it's more than that now, isn't it? 23. 23 countries [00:01:30] worldwide are involved in the International Quilt project, and, as I say, you're off to the unveiling of the International AIDS Memorial Quilt in Washington. DC. I've been talking around the station over the last couple of days about the New Zealand quilt project Nicky, and everywhere I I mentioned the word people say quilt project. And of course, it's one of those words. Hard to get your tongue around. They say Quilt project. What is the quilt project? So now let me put the question to you again, because there are people all over the country listening to Radio Pacific this afternoon saying, Gee, Mike's doing something different this afternoon. [00:02:00] What is the quilt project? The quilt project is, um, six by three panels that are individually made for people or persons that have died of AIDS. One panel then is sewn into a block of eight. been creating a 12 ft by 12 ft block. So we speak about panels, and then we speak about blocks. But in fact, it is one block that makes up the quilt project, so to speak. Why [00:02:30] am I involved? I, um, lost my 33 year old brother to AIDS last year, and I found and after he had gone, was approached by members of the quilt project at that point in time to, um, create a quilt for Robin. And I found it to be a really positive way of dealing with my grief with my anger, so many things. It was a really positive way. And it's a memorial project that is a memorial project. [00:03:00] Yes. And you've been giving tirelessly of your energy to this project in New Zealand. And I know that you're only one of many thousands across the world or around the world. This is true. Yes, we We here in Auckland are a very small group of volunteers that just dedicate a tremendous amount of their time to getting out there And, um yeah, breaching the words, so to speak or a AIDS awareness creating AIDS awareness. We've had the, [00:03:30] um, blocks into, um, four schools in the Auckland region so far, and the response from these kids has just been awesome again. Um, just the fact that it's not just facts and figures on a blackboard anymore, they can see that each panel represents a person's life. And this has been a person that has been a grandson, a son, a brother, an uncle, a sister and auntie. And on and on, it goes. How many people in New Zealand have we lost now? Um, approximately 300 people to AIDS [00:04:00] in New Zealand. We have on the New Zealand Quilt project 109 names. I counted them all yesterday again, which is one third of the people lost to AIDS in this country, which makes New Zealand's core project the largest court project in the world. If you're looking at per capita of people, how many people have we lost? 303 100 just just approximately 300. The last statistics I had was just must be almost at that point in New Zealand, where [00:04:30] pretty well everyone in the country is in some way touched by someone who has died of HIV AIDS or is living with HIV. I believe that, yes, well, And if they have not, then I personally believe that within the next 5, 10 years that then, yes, we will all have known or know of somebody that lives directly or indirectly with HIV. I related it when we were talking last night. [00:05:00] Somewhat reminded me of the of the Erebus crash when we had that horrific aeroplane disaster on Mount Erebus. Everyone in New Zealand was in some way touched by that disaster, and we're almost at the same level of numbers. How many people are there in New Zealand who are now known to be HIV, HIV nigh on 800 people? Now that's no. And again, if I could just yeah, just know. And if we probably double those figures, that's probably a true account [00:05:30] of the people that are positive here in New Zealand. The quilts themselves. I'll come back to the question of HIV and AIDS in a moment. Alan, I have to ask you before I get on to the question. When were you diagnosed as being HIV diagnosed? Three years ago. ANZAC three years ago. So you're living with HIV? I am, indeed yes. And living well living well, How did you, uh how did it affect you? Could I ask you how? How did that news come to you? When when you discovered that you were HIV positive. I, um, [00:06:00] left the doctors, and I was I was stunned. I wasn't quite sure what was gonna happen. I thought I was going to die tomorrow. Um, it just blew me away. But now, after a lot of deep soul searching and looking into myself, I've come to realise that, um, I have got a disease that will possibly kill me, but, um, right now I've just got to keep on going. Keep living. Is that a certainty? Is that a certain I mean, is it is it? I mean, it's not a certainty that the disease will kill you. You could walk out of here and walk under a bus, but I mean, but the big difference is I can see the [00:06:30] bus coming. Whereas everybody else, um, may get hit by a bus. I, I cannot move away from the bus because it keeps going. Keeps coming towards me. It's a bit like somebody living with an endurable disease of any kind. Any kind? Yeah, exactly. A heart condition could fall over in front of people with leukaemia cancer change your attitude on life. Oh, yeah. It makes you look at life a lot sharper. You're not, um, so flippant. You don't worry about material possessions quite so much. What do you think about the quilts project? The quilts are amazing. Just [00:07:00] for the fact that when we take them into the schools and we show the kids that this could happen to them, this is no not longer a statistic. This is not a number. This is live real people. And the quilts. Um, when people make the quilts, they put so much love and care into these quilts, they become people, they have a spirit. And I call it the quiet power of the quilt, where, um, you can just see them and you can see the loss and the love that these people have put into the quilts. It's it really is amazing. And [00:07:30] when we take them into the high schools and we talk to, um, 5th and 6th forms who are sexually active in this day and age, Um, and they can actually see Wow, this was somebody who lived and somebody cared for this and this person played rugby or, um, like dancing or whatever was in the school debating team or whatever. Yeah, exactly. So it's really more than a memorial, isn't it? It's, uh, it's to you. It's more than a memorial. Oh, yes, yes. I, I believe [00:08:00] it's, um it's the stories of these people's lives and and they count as I say, Um, no matter to me, they are all people, no matter where. What race, what religion, what sexuality. I just see the people behind the statistics and, um that, yeah, they were all loved. And as Alan has already said, um, just the love, the understanding, the compassion that goes into these these quilts is phenomenal. Where did it start? When did the International [00:08:30] quilt project begin? Ok, The initiative came in the mid eighties when a young man in the in San Francisco by the name of Cleve Jones created a panel out of grief in his backyard at that point in time for his friend Mervin, that had Marvin. Oh, yeah, that had just passed away from AIDS. And then a little while later, they they were having this big march with with people that were living with AIDS in in the US and they started to [00:09:00] put onto a brick wall the names of people that had they had lost two AIDS there of friends and family. And this young man stood back and thought, Hey, that looks like a patchwork quilt. And, um, and basically from that initiative, it grew, um, to the point that in 1987 there were just under 2000 panels in the US Names project, and they then had their very first unveiling in Washington. [00:09:30] DC once again and, um, And it has grown and grown and grown from there, worth mentioning that in 1987 when they had the first failing in Washington, the panels that they had made for the names Project Kilton The States at that stage covered something like 2.5 acres. That's right and and now you're off to Washington to unveil something like 15. That's the names project alone. Understand that that is multiply. I don't know II. I have [00:10:00] no idea how many panels that's going to be like something. 1030 30 Odd 1000. And that's just the names project alone. So imagine what it's going to be like with that, plus the other 17 countries, including New Zealand, that are going we're going to take, um, three of the New Zealand blocks to Washington. Um, we would like very much to be able to take them all, but at the same time going on here. There will be an AIDS visual exhibition going on over at Paara [00:10:30] at the same time, and there are blocks that have been basically booked since the beginning of the year. So by taking three blocks, they can also travel personal luggage as well, so that never are they let out of our sight. My guests this afternoon are Nikki Eddy. She's the quilt convenor for the New Zealand Quilt Project, which is part of an international AIDS memorial project, and my other guest is Alan Buller, who is living with HIV, and I'm sure that there are people listening to this programme across New Zealand at the moment who have been in some way touched by someone living with [00:11:00] HIV or someone who's died with AIDS. And if you'd like to join the programme, perhaps there are people living in Northland, for example who had a a little to do with the making of some of those Northland quilts which I've seen examples of only yesterday and, uh that you picked up when you were in Northland just recently. Nick, you might like to call us and share the programme with, uh, with my two guests, Alan Buller and Nicky Eddie. We're here for the quilt project and this programme is being made possible by Mitsubishi Motors New Zealand Limited. Now their slogan is everything we do [00:11:30] we do for you. I thought it was very appropriate that they should sponsor a special hour on Radio Pacific nationwide that we might talk about this project before you take off for Washington and the international unveiling its Sorry, we're out. Bryce wants to test drive that new mirage, so we'll probably be ages if we haven't rung back by five. Please phone the Mitsubishi dinner and get them to send out a search party cheering in our major centres at the moment and that involves them. [00:12:00] They go to do what we call our unveiling ceremony, and I'll often go there and just help with those ceremonies and do a talk about, um, just just not the fact that the quilts represent those people's lives lost to AIDS here in New Zealand. But the fact that they do help encourage people living with HIV AIDS to do just that get on with living and they help their families. Because once a person with HIV just this is from my personal experience. You know, um tells you [00:12:30] that they are HIV, that you as a family live with that virus as well and emotionally and psychologically so and it really is a positive way of helping people deal with an awful lot. You came back from overseas to discover. Well, discover my brother. No, no, no, no. I knew before I came back from overseas, and Robin himself had been living in Australia for a number of years. And when he became quite unwell, he came back to [00:13:00] New Zealand at that point in time and was cared for by my sister and mum at that point in time. And then I came back when he was particularly unwell. We were living in Queensland and we decided to come back to New Zealand and I came back about March last year. It was, and by that time, of course, he had deteriorated so badly that he needed 24 hour full on full time care. And yeah, so that's when I sort of step stepped in because my sister is sort of cope with it. Although he had been [00:13:30] mobile for nine months prior to this, um, this was the fact that, you know, once they get basically bedridden and and really lose all their independency, Um, yeah, they do need full time, 24 hour care. And other than that, it's, um, being quilt convener is also the education part of it. Just, um, speaking to people. There are an awful lot of people out there who still get confused between the difference the HIV virus and AIDS itself. [00:14:00] And what sort of questions? Well, that one. The difference between and of course, we often cover the the types of people Well, the types of people that get HIV are lawyers. Yeah, I mean and And you know, to me again, we just deal because it covers all communities. People. That's all that matters, is the Children and women. That's right. We have. We [00:14:30] have, um um yeah, quite a few women living in New Zealand with with HIV. That's that's and that's really important to remember. Yeah. Oh, immensely, immensely. The quilt project in itself has really enriched my life. Um, and HIV, um, has allowed me to meet so many tremendous, tremendous people that perhaps I may never well have met, but yeah, it's sure as Ellen already mentioned before, it makes you get [00:15:00] your priorities right and into perspective. She's only little, isn't she? But she is a very powerful woman. She looks, she looks shy and frail, but she gets out, she gets up and stands in front of people and tells them what's happening out there. And they stand and listen. We, um when we go into the schools, you can actually hear the kids listening, and we've had teachers come up to us and say, In the five years I've taught at the school, I've never seen or heard the kids listening so much and that [00:15:30] just shows the power. These kids are aware and they're they're worried and concerned. And Nicky gets up there and, um tells it like it is, and she does it in such a well, she's a mother so she can relate to these kids. And you got a couple of teenagers? I certainly have, Yes. And, um and there's not too many of their friends, their friends that get in and out of our home without having a, uh, a prevention talk on HIV aids because as parents, and we have to be aware of this whether we like it or not, our Children are not going to remain celibate until they're married. [00:16:00] And, um, and I, for one, having lost a brother would certainly not like to lose one of my Children to HIV A. I DS And, um so for parents, that sort of, you know, you think sometimes as a parent, well, you condone and you condemn, um, you condone Children. If you speak about, you know, safe measure and things like this and that you perhaps giving them a to go out there and do whatever they like willy nilly. No, I don't believe that. I just believe that it's every parent's responsibility now. I mean, a few years [00:16:30] ago, my mum might have been worried about me getting pregnant. I mean, not the fear of HIV. Now I worry about that. Maybe my teenage daughter may become pregnant and contact the virus while she's there. One moment of indiscretion. Exactly. Exactly. One night stand exactly one husband away on business. One slip up, just one Exactly. And that's all that it takes. That's all that it takes. And hey, and everybody's human. So this is where I mean [00:17:00] about the discrimination. Long term. It doesn't matter how you contracted that virus. The point is, you are a person who wanted to live an extremely into longevity and that type of my guest. This afternoon's Nicky Eddy. She's the quilt convenor of the New Zealand AIDS Project. It's part of an international project, which is going to have its second unveiling in San Francisco and San Francisco and another in Washington, not San Francisco and Washington in a a couple of weeks time and the second week in October, [00:17:30] where something like 15 acres of a memorial quilt just from the United States is going to be on public display for a weekend and Nicky is off to this convention. Our number here in Auckland is 309 309. I thought we might have heard from a few people up and down the country who have been in some way touched by someone. Were they or in some way touched by the virus? It doesn't matter. It might be someone you know. It might be a neighbour. It might be a relative. It might be your husband. It might be whatever it might be. Somebody with HIV just diagnosed. [00:18:00] It might be somebody who's died of the virus that you'd like to join us this afternoon to talk to Niki, Eddie and Alan Buller. Alan's diagnosed HIV positive only three years ago, and the programme is made possible by Mitsubishi Motors New Zealand Limited. I I'm grateful to their assistance. It's 20. It's 19 minutes away from four. Sarah joining us on the programme now from Palmerston North. Hello, Sarah. Hi. Good afternoon. Good afternoon. Could I speak to please? I [00:18:30] admire you very much for what you're doing about this campaign. Thank you. And that is for awareness. of that's correct. Yes, indeed, Yes. How do you feel about the education that's going well, Lack of, I believe, to the general public at large and in the schools about HIV and AIDS. OK, well, for the few schools we've been into Sarah with the guidance counsellors again, they they are doing the best with [00:19:00] the resources that they have. But yeah, for sure. There is a tremendous heaps more to be done, and we hope that through the quilt project that we can do this really non threatening way. It helps to open up the doors and helps people to talk about what can be a very, very difficult subject. Because it's like if we don't talk about it, perhaps it will go away. No, of course it's not. I only came in late on the programme. [00:19:30] You were saying about 800 people being infected in New Zealand. That was HIV positive HIV positive. How many people do you believe have died in the last? How many we have had? I cannot say in the last 2 to 3 years. I just know that overall it is 300 at this point in time, approximately 300 because unfortunately, sometimes [00:20:00] it takes up to six months for the final statistics to come through. But we won't forget about also, perhaps the New Zealanders dying overseas, that overseas that we don't have any account for. And there are many, many, many hundreds of our own countrymen and women dying overseas that we don't have an account for. So that's something that tends to be forgotten about as well. I just I thought I had a friend that died at the end of last year of AIDS, [00:20:30] and there really is not the awareness about US awareness. In what way are we speaking, Sarah? The fact that everyone can get? Yes, that's quite right. Yes, it's no longer it's not, but that's it. It's quite often it's perhaps been known as the gay plague, and it [00:21:00] is an unfortunate fact and very sadly, that it has world in the Western world. Sadly affected our gay communities of the world, you know, hard, as fast as first, but that the heterosexual community now, for argument's sake, the latest stats I hear in the US are the young heterosexual males between 18 and 25 are a good make up a very, very high percentage of those being tested HIV positive. So you're quite right, [00:21:30] Sarah. It is not just a gay plague. It's everybody's concern. What do I do to stop? You mean the bigotry, The people that all of those Children and what do you what? Well, at this point in time, because, as you're aware, there is not a cure for HIV AIDS. So we have to work hard and fast on prevention, because prevention at this point in time is all we have. And we as parents, we as teachers, we the [00:22:00] likes of yourself, that have lost a friend to AIDS. And you know what it's like to see a loved one die of AIDS. It's pretty horrific, isn't it? It is. Of course it is. And I kept being told at the time they're not dying of AIDS related. OK, well, that's true. That's a true thought, too. I should say that myself, actually. And it's, um, But what we can do for prevention is particularly for those of us that have lost loved ones to ages, is just [00:22:30] to get out there and spread the word and say these are the ways you can contact the virus or contract the virus. And these are the ways you prevent yourself. Stay safe. Stay safe. Right, Sarah, thank you very much for taking the trouble to ring all the way from Palmerston. Thank you. God bless. Thank you for your contribution to the programme this afternoon. Take a quick break from my guests Nicky Edie, who's the quilt convenor for the New Zealand Quilt project, and Alan Buller, who is living with HIV. And you're welcome to call if you'd like to join the [00:23:00] programme on 309 39. This is Sim's 24 hour plumbing. Look, I know I should be here, but it's not every day they bring out a 1.8 fuel injected lancer. GT I is it Just leave your name, number and blockage and I'll clear it when I'm back from I tell you what. Next time I buy a car, it will be a Mitsubishi, that's for sure. It's 11 minutes before Thank you. Mitsubishi Motors New Zealand Limited for sponsoring a special programme with the New Zealand Quilt Project. And my two guests are Nicky Edie, [00:23:30] who's the quilt convenor for New Zealand and Alan Buller, who's living with HIV. A quick call from Michael Way down there in fielding. Hello, Michael. Yes, I speak to please. Hi. Yeah. Hi. I've got a very exciting piece of information here that not many people are aware of right now in Australia. At the moment, there is research being done for a cure for AIDS. Um, it's the only, uh, hopeful [00:24:00] thing that I've ever heard of. Um, it's not a cure by drugs or any any sort of thing like that. It's actually like a herbal thing, isn't it? No, it's an electronic cure, and it's based on a principle called nuclear magnetic resonance. And if the closest thing you could liken it to would be the effect where you can shatter a crystal glass with an exact resonant frequency of a certain pitch [00:24:30] and certain strength. And how is that? Where is this attached to your body or something? No, no, it's well, so far I have read about this. They philtre the blood. It's a bit like it's a bit like a dialysis machine, and they philtre the blood through the sort of How did you come to hear about this? Well, I read it in an electronic hobbyist magazine. But, hey, but stranger things have happened. [00:25:00] But at some of these things, these miracle cures coming up all the time. And so many people are given false hope by these cures that, um whereas, um, general medicine has a lot to learn from herbalists and everything. Um, it's a little You can't raise people's hopes. That's right. I wouldn't want to raise people's hopes. Are you living with HIV, Mike? No, I'm not. Um, basically, what the guy has come up with so far is a a microwave oven. [00:25:30] Um, now, what he's done is look, let's not get too far into it. Michael, thank you very much for taking the trouble to ring and to wait on the line for so long. I don't want to get too far distracted from the from the purpose of the programme this afternoon, but thank you for sharing nonetheless. And who knows? Such stranger things have happened. You know, there are some wonderful people out there who are working very hard to find a cure myself as somebody who's living with the virus. I honestly don't see it happening in my lifetime. Well, you never [00:26:00] know, but I'm always holding out. Hope happen. Thanks for calling Michael all the way from fielding. I'd like to mention too. While it just occurs to me that there's a There's a wonderful little booklet. The New Zealand Quilt Project Age Memorial booklet has a wee booklet. Now, is this available for people? It certainly is. If they'd like to, um, perhaps send to us at post office, box 7024 Auckland. Um, well, yes. So Welles Street, Auckland. Thank you, Alan. [00:26:30] And donations are really accepted. And what happens with our donations is folks that once we've, um we hope to be able to put back into, um, much needed HIV support services. Is is where the funds from the quilt project go apart from paying for some merchandizing and that to help keep ourselves afloat. But ultimately, that's where we aim to put it back into all the money raised. Of course, by the quilt project is going to AIDS research and [00:27:00] the like. And it's only by the kind officers of people like Mr New Zealand Limited this afternoon that we were able to do this programme I mentioned before I mentioned before and you picked up the quilt project book the names Project book. Let's get back to your experience. Oh, yes, it was amazing. This was the first unveiling we had on the in Auckland. And, um, what it did to open up doors for our Maori people that have lost people to AIDS and for Maori people that are living with HIV [00:27:30] aids was just awesome. Allen was actually with me and up in Northland, and it was just really overwhelming, wasn't it? The way those Maori people open their hearts and and these quilts live, I mean, that's all there is to it. These quilts live, they they did the wonderful thing. Um, they they they were very There was only about half a dozen stops they had on their tour. They had them in Northland a whole month. They ended up just their itinerary was shot to heck and because each I just [00:28:00] basically kept asking to Hey, when you pass, stop, we want to see. And they reckon they must have reached over 10,000 people in Northland alone with the court project and covered about. I think they went to about 12 different high schools. If my memory serves me correctly so all the time, creating AIDS awareness and and just opening up a lot of doors for a lot of people to talk, as I said before about what can be a very difficult subject and actually being on the marae was very special. Just the feeling of [00:28:30] the marae and the quilts are being very spiritual themselves and being on a Mariah, which is very spiritual, the two coming together was incredible. It's hard to explain it, really. It really was. It was. It's a feeling you won't forget, reluctant to let the quilts in actual fact out of their yes, that was that was a trust thing again that that once they came into the quilt project that we would tend and care for them as they would. And they have these reassurances that [00:29:00] yes, for sure, they would be treated with all the love and respect that is due to them. They were quite happy then to allow them to come on into the quilt project because understand these quilts, all these people I know for Robin it makes me extremely proud that although he's gone, his quilt is an educator. It's like a silent voice that speaks and it's wonderful. My guest this afternoon. Nicky Edie, who's the quilt project convenor for New Zealand, and Alan Buller, who's living with HIV. Radio Pacific. [00:29:30] Sorry, we're out. Bryce wants to test drive that new Mirage, so we'll probably be ages if we haven't rung back by five. Please phone the Mitsubishi dinner and get them to send out a search party cheering and this afternoon's programme for talking business. Compliments of Mitsubishi Motors New Zealand Limited. Thank you, Mitsubishi Motors for making an hour possible with Nicky Edie, who's the convenor for the New Zealand Quilt Project, and Alan Buller, who is living with HIV. I thought we might have [00:30:00] had a few more calls over the course of the hour, but it's been fascinating to talk, and this book is absolutely amazing. The stories from the Names Project is this available? Nicky? Yes, and from Sam Fair. We actually hope to do something very similar from our own New Zealand quilt project as we get a few more stories together and, of course, be aware that it's all a lot to do with confidence in reality, too. To publish those stories that we are allowed to. I'm surprised I haven't seen more of this on television. I really am surprised that I haven't seen some of the quilts. For example, I came over to Toledo last night when you where the names [00:30:30] project film was running, which was nominated for an Academy Award. And you had some of the New Zealand, some of the quilts there, some of the blocks from New Zealand. I mean bits of rope from around the farm. Feather bowers jewellery, you name it all attached to these amazing works of art. A painting, a portrait painting, absolutely magnificent. There's one thing I haven't asked which I thought I'd leave to the very end because it was something that touched me so deeply when you talked to me about [00:31:00] it on the phone the first time we spoke several weeks ago. And that is the size of each block. Each panel. Each panel is 6 ft by 3 ft that is representative of a grave plot and very significant. Listen, I hope your trip goes extraordinarily well to Washington DC. I hope it goes wonderfully well, Mike, I'm sure it will. Thank you. The more New Zealanders that can become aware of the quilt project and the work that you're doing the better. Thank you for your time too, Alan. This afternoon and good luck to you. And [00:31:30] thank you to Mitsubishi made. Thank you. Thanks very much, Michael. Thank you.
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