How a Small Big Thing Can Help Fight AIDS

We are happy to announce the Spanish jewelry company Tous has joined the (RED) family to help fight AIDS. Recognizable by the iconic Tous bear, the (TOUS)RED Special Edition bracelet features a vermeil 18kt gold-plated sterling silver disc on a red nylon cord – now available in all Tous stores and at tous.com globally. The bracelet costs US$ 119 and Tous will contribute 5% of each purchase to the Global Fund, the recipient of (RED) monies.

It’s a small big thing. Click here to buy.

Calling All Creatives Worldwide: The (RED) Boot Camp

We’ve partnered up with Sid Lee and are looking for the most creative people on the planet in graphic design, web design, art direction, copywriting, creative technology, industrial design and architecture to be part of the Sid Lee and (RED) Boot Camp.

The challenge for the 2012 Sid Lee and (RED) Boot Camp? Be INSPI(RED) to Innovate. Creatives will be challenged to imagine the future of the fight against AIDS by generating powerful new ideas such as programs, events, technologies, products and places. What would you do to take the fight to the next level? How can (RED) continue to make an impact by mobilizing its supporters?

Think you have what it takes?

You have until March 30th to visit Sid Lee’s Facebook page and apply to be one of eight top creatives who will team up to explore innovation and ideas in the fight against AIDS.

The 240 hour creative blitz will be held May 15th – May 24th in Montreal at Sid Lee’s industrial space as well as on site at C2-MTL – an international conference on commerce and creativity.

For more info check out Sid Lee on Facebook and Twitter. Apply here now.

Must be 18 or older. Successful applicants will be flown at Sid Lee's Expense – Transportation to Montreal (up to Can$1,200), food, accommodations, activities.

Meet Another INC(RED)IBLE Woman

Panelists on Stage during (RED) & ONE’s World AIDS Day Event, “The Beginning of the End of AIDS.”

From left to right: Kay Warren (Founder, HIV & AIDS Initiative, Saddleback Church), Florence Ngobeni (HIV Educator & Ambassador for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation), Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA), Muhtar Kent (Chairman & CEO, The Coca-Cola Company), Panel Moderator Dr. Sanjay Gupta (Neurosurgeon & CNN Chief Medical Correspondent), Dr. Patricia Nkansah-Asamoah (Director of PMTCT Clinic at Tema Hospital in Accra, Ghana), Alicia Keys (Artist & Co-Founder of Keep a Child Alive), Bono (Lead Singer of U2 & Co-Founder of (RED) & ONE), Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL)

Florence Ngobeni-Allen is an HIV educator and programs consultant from Johannesburg, South Africa.  As an HIV-positive mother and beneficiary of prevention-of-mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) treatment, she speaks out on behalf of women and children as an ambassador for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.  She was also a panelist at (RED) and ONE’s World AIDS Day event on “The Beginning of the End of AIDS,” during which she shared her personal story of bravery and triumph.   

Nearly 15 years ago, Florence lost her baby daughter Nomthunzi to AIDS.  Shortly after giving birth in 1996, Florence’s husband fell ill and died a few months later.  Nomthunzi had also become ill, so Florence brought her to Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto, South Africa, where they both were tested for HIV – they tested positive. Antiretroviral medicines (ARVs) were not available for children in South Africa at that time and Nomthunzi sadly passed away a few weeks later.  She was only five-months old.  

To help cope with her grief, Florence volunteered to become a counselor at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, the same hospital where she and Nomthunzi had been tested for HIV.  She found that there was very little access to ARVs and countless mothers were losing their children to HIV.  But thanks to the efforts of so many, including the Global Fund and PEPFAR, things began to change – there was finally a way to stop HIV transmission from mom to baby and treatment made its way to South Africa bringing with it, hope for an AIDS Free Generation.  

Florence got married again and knowing about PMTCT treatment she began considering the possibility of having a family.  She became pregnant and with access to ARV treatment was able to give birth to a healthy HIV-negative son named Alex who is now 5-years-old. Last year she gave birth to a second son, Kulani, who is also HIV-negative.  

Florence believes in the dream of an AIDS Free Generation.  As she said on World AIDS Day, “I have a reason to fight the fight that we’re all fighting.  We still have women and children who will go through the same cycle.  I’m glad that we think in the next 30 years we’ll eradicate HIV.  We’ll get rid of HIV.  And no child, no mother will die of HIV.”  

Read more about the INC(RED)IBLE Women Series here.

Ashley @ (RED)

INC(RED)IBLE MOTHERS

It's Mother's Day in the UK on Sunday and what better way to continue our INC(RED)IBLE Women series than to recognize all the mums out there. 

We've already introduced you to Doris – a seamstress, jewelry-maker, and proud mother. When diagnosed with HIV in 1998, treatment for HIV/AIDS was not widely available in Ghana. Now, thanks in part to Global Fund-financed programs supported by (RED) funds, life-saving antiretroviral (ARV) medication is available in Ghana and Doris has been taking ARVs since 2003. Thanks to treatment to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV – the kind of treatment also funded by (RED) supported Global Fund grants – she is the mother of Michael, her HIV negative son.  

Now, we want you to share YOUR amazing mother with us.

There are two ways to have your mum be part of our INC(RED)IBLE Women series.

1) We'll send a tweet to your mum on Mother's Day! Just send us her twitter handle and your message.

2) Post your mum's photo on our Facebook page and tell us in one line why she is incredible.

All your photos and tweets will be added to our INC(RED)IBLE Women's album on Facebook and Pinterest which will go live at the end of the March.

Happy Mother's Day to all our UK friends!

INC(RED)IBLE WOMEN

Today is International Women’s Day. To celebrate we want to recognize the INC(RED)IBLE women in our life and yours. 

Kektso and Doris are two amazing women we’ve met. Who are yours? Which woman inspires you? Share her photo and tell us in one line why she is INC(RED)IBLE to you.  Post it on our Facebook page or tweet us. 

At the end of the month your photos and stories will be gathered together in an album on Facebook and Pinterest to recognize each and every INC(RED)IBLE woman. We can’t wait to meet them. Until then, meet Keketso and Doris…

Keketso is INC(RED)IBLE for showing others that having 

HIV should not stop them living their lives to the fullest.

Keketso learned she was HIV positive in 2000. Three years later, her husband died of AIDS, which Keketso believes he contracted in South Africa, working in the mining industry. Thanks to antiretroviral treatment which (RED) helps finance in Lesotho, Keketso is determined to show others that having HIV should not stop anyone. She now counsels other HIV patients. Keketso even won the title of “Queen of Positive Living 2008” and married the man of her dreams.

Doris is an INC(RED)IBLE mother. 

Doris is a seamstress, jewelry-maker, and proud mother. When Doris was diagnosed with HIV in 1998, treatment for HIV/AIDS was not widely available in Ghana. Now, thanks in part to Global Fund-financed programs supported by (RED) funds, life-saving antiretroviral (ARV) medication is available in Ghana. Doris has been taking ARVs since 2003. As a founding member of the Wisdom Association, a Global Fund-financed support     connecting with other HIV positive community members, “it makes me happy to help others who feel alone when they find out about their status.” Also, thanks to treatment to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV - the kind of treatment funded by (RED) supported Global Fund grants - Doris is the mother of Michael, her HIV negative son.

Will Your Story About Aid Change the World?

Guest post by Tom Scott– Director, Global Brand & Innovation at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Originally published on Impatient Optimists, the blog of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

In November of 2009, I read an article by the New York Times writer Nicholas Kristof for Outside magazine. In the piece, he talked about how positive, hopeful storytelling about development (financial aid given by governments to help developing countries alleviate poverty) could help save millions more lives; while negative stories overwhelm. People are more inclined to act in response to success stories.

I couldn’t agree more.

But the problem is negative stories are much more appealing and easier to tell.  Studies in "Positive psychology"suggest that you need five “positive” interactions to replace just one “negative” interaction.  The deck is clearly stacked to get those positive stories out.

One story that needs changing is that of development aid and the powerful impact it can have around the world. That's where you come in. We need to gather and share stories of aid that works well.

We constantly hear stories of corruption, waste, and broken systems when it comes to aid. But that’s not the whole story. Effective aid programs help developing countries become self-sufficient. They do not replace those countries’ efforts, but rather support the important work that’s already under way.

To foster new ideas and thinking on this, we are drawing on one of the most innovative programs at the foundation: Grand Challenges Explorations (GCE). It's a foundation program which funds early-stage projects which show great promise, even if they have never been tested before.  For the first time ever, GCE will be used to help solve a communication challenge: changing the narrative on aid.

The goal of this challenge? To find inspiring, positive stories to tell. How? We're soliciting new approaches to communications that motivate the public in the wealthy countries of the world to change their minds about aid, and take actions to demonstrate their support.

It’s simple.  Fill out a short form.  Be clear.  Be creative.  Be prepared.  Your idea for new ways to communicate about changing the world could be chosen.

The foundation is partnering with the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity to spread the word. In order to find the very best ideas, you have to tap the very best creative minds. The diversity of thinking and ideas should help push the limits of creativity around this critical issue.

When I joined the foundation just over two years ago, I was awestruck by the amazing ambition of my colleagues.  Working just down the hall were people trying to find ways to eliminate diseases from the face of the earth.

I thought to myself, Couldn’t we have the same level of ambition when thinking about how to communicate about these really challenging issues?

If we, as a global community, are to succeed in ending extreme hunger and poverty and improving the health of the poorest, we must find ground-breaking ways to gather and share stories of aid working well. We must bring the data behind those stories to life. And we must do it on a global scale, making it relevant to audiences who are wrestling with tough economic decisions at home. 

We want your ideas. Tell us your story.

Proposals are due May 15, 2012.

(MOPHIE)RED – CHARGE UP. SAVE LIVES.

Need to recharge? (PRODUCT)^RED  Special Edition partner (MOPHIE)^RED is here. Now you can charge up your iPhone, iPod and iPad while saving lives – 5% of profits from (MOPHIE)^RED products sold will go to the Global Fund to help fight HIV/AIDS.

Better yet, Mophie is giving you a chance to win one! Once @mophie hits 6,000 followers on Twitter they’ll be handing out (MOPHIE)^RED juice pack airs to 6 lucky users. Stay tuned to @mophie for all the latest updates.

Here are the other products featured in the (MOPHIE)^RED collection:

·      (MOPHIE)^RED Special Edition juice pack air for iPhone 4 & 4S— The juice pack air doubles the life of the iPhone 4/4S, while also protecting from drops, slips and bangs. 

·      (MOPHIE)^RED Special Edition juice pack plus for iPhone 4 & 4S —Big brother to the juice pack air, the plus more than doubles the life of the iPhone 4/4S with a 2000 mAh battery capacity. 

·      (MOPHIE)^RED Special Edition juice pack reserve for iPod & iPhone—The zippo design-inspired reserve is perfect for a quick charge on-the-go. Featuring a 700 mAh battery, the reserve is lightweight, compact in design, and comes with a convenient key ring and integrated USB cable for easy charging. 

·      (MOPHIE)^RED Special Edition juice pack boost for iPod & iPhone—The sleek, pocket-sized backup battery also functions as a stand for the device. Utilizing its 2000 mAh battery capacity, the boost has the ability to fully charge an iPhone. 

·      (MOPHIE)^RED Special Edition juice pack powerstation for smart phones & tablets—The most powerful charger in the mophie family, the external battery with a 4000 mAh capacity can charge virtually any USB-enabled device including the iPad. 

Charge up. Save Lives. It’s never been easier. Click here to get (MOPHIE)^RED online.