The New Zealand AIDS Foundation is not expecting any negative impact on its proceeds due to the World AIDS Day collection being held on the same day as White Ribbon Day. Collectors will take to the streets in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Timaru and Invercargill tomorrow, taking donations and handing out red ribbons to raise awareness of the "getting to zero" message, which comprises pushing for zero new HIV infections, zero AIDS related deaths and zero discrimination. The appeal is being held ahead of World AIDS Day on 1 December, and is traditionally held the Friday before World AIDS Day. However the 25th of November is also the worldwide White Ribbon Day, which raises awareness of men taking a stand against violence towards women, and a number of events will be held up and down the country to mark it. New Zealand AIDS Foundation Executive Director Shaun Robinson says White Ribbon Day is an awareness campaign and not a collection, so the Foundation is not expecting a negative impact on proceeds. "In recent years, World AIDS Day volunteers have shared the streets with organisations that are also carrying out collections and anecdotal evidence suggests that members of the public prefer to donate to one cause instead of two," he says. "This isn’t the first year that the White Ribbon appeal has been on the same day and while it isn’t ideal, there haven’t been any difficulties in the past either," Robinson continues. "If we have to share the streets, we’d much prefer to share with the White Ribbon appeal, a social cause focused on awareness, than with a health-related cause with a fundraising focus." Robinson says the NZAF has been aware of the appeals coinciding since late 2010 and considered the implications and alternatives very carefully including moving the day of the appeal. "However, 2 December is the NZ Surf Life Saving Appeal and we felt that the impact of sharing with the Surf Lifesavers whose brand also features red and who are also collecting money would be logistically impossible and a much greater disadvantage than sharing with White Ribbon Day," he says. "Similarly, December 9 is the Auckland City Mission and Wellington City Mission appeal. We considered moving the World AIDS Day street appeal to mid-November or mid-December but felt this would put the appeal at a date that was too distant from 1 December and would make it difficult to leverage community support and media attention effectively." Robinson points out the NZAF has marked World AIDS Day in New Zealand since the late 1980s, and to his knowledge, the annual street appeal has always been on the Friday before World AIDS Day, which is 25 November in 2011, "so there was also a historical precedent that we wanted to take into account," he says. Robinson says the NZAF has been in touch with the organisers of White Ribbon Day to talk about having both appeals on the same day and both can get the best opportunities for their volunteers and organisations. He says the next time that the dates will coincide is 2016 and the two groups have already agreed to work together to manage our respective appeals well in advance of that day. "The street appeal is only one part (although a very essential part) of a greater World AIDS Day campaign and there is a full schedule of events and activities that will be carried out on 1 December as well as during the week leading up to, and after, this day," Robinson adds. "Domestic violence affects the communities we serve too and we fully support and respect the White Ribbon appeal; it’s a very important initiative and we wish them all the best." The Families Commission sponsors White Ribbon Day and its Chief Executive Paul Curry agrees both activities are important and work for the betterment of New Zealand, its people, families and whānau. "While it is unfortunate that the two events coincide this year, we understand why the NZAF has chosen to continue with its plans to have its Red Ribbon appeal on the closest Friday to 1 December, World AIDS Day. "We believe both events can be held without detriment to the other. The messages are quite separate, the ribbons a different colour, and one is a collection while the other is not. From the Commission's point of view, there was no apparent detriment to either cause when the events last coincided." Curry says the groups have in the past week discussed the common timing of the two days and how any potential detriment to either campaign can be minimised. He says they have agreed to work together to see if they can avoid any conflict, or harm to either important public message, when the two campaigns clash again in 2016.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Thursday, 24th November 2011 - 2:27pm