DGAAN and the AIDS Pandemic: a Case example of Advocacy in Action

The DuPage Glocal AIDS Action Network, or DGAAN, was formed in response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic and its terrible impact worldwide. The group was deeply inspired by the visit of Bono, of the rock group, U2, who stopped at Wheaton College for an evening appearance on their Heart of America Tour. Bono has been well known for using his celebrity status to draw attention to many advocacy efforts, including the global effects of HIV/AIDS.

There were three purposes for DGAAN.

• To build a strong advocate voice in the DuPage area and to expand that voice into local, national and international arenas.
• To find ways to network successfully and build an enduring community.
• And to strengthen the lifeline, offering strands of hope to stop the spread of AIDS glocally.

The word "glocal," a fusion of the words global and local, was a reminder that all work and efforts should be as far reaching as the HIV/AIDS pandemic itself.

DGAAN was unusual since it contained different people from different backgrounds, crossing boundaries, crossing lines. It had members who were Catholic, Episcopal, Lutheran, Baptist, and Evangelical, Democrat and Republican, black and white, gay and straight, moms, students and executives, HIV positive and HIV negative. It was a broad network, not narrow, that crossed social, religious, and political barriers, and formed bonds among groups, recognizing that their differences could compliment rather than conflict.

The issue of HIV/AIDS activism is timely in our current era of changing policies and unstable leadership. Pope Francis cautioned us in Laudato Si’ when he wrote “Regrettably, many efforts to seek concrete solutions to the environmental crisis have proved ineffective, not only because of powerful opposition but also because of a more general lack of interest.” [LS 14]. We should listen to his wisdom because we cannot lose the gains of the past to the unpredictable changes of current times. Now more than ever we must work for justice.

The story of DGAAN is explored more fully in the IFN online course, The Practice of Integrity for Nonviolence in Advocacy Programs. If you are interested in participating, please use our Contact form.