Meeting up with our friends at DGAAN
On Saturday I traveled out to Wheaton, IL to meet with a great group of long time supporters from DGAAN – the DuPage Glocal AIDS Action Network. DGAAN has been building passionate advocates in DuPage County, IL since 2002. Combining global and local, the term “glocal” symbolizes DGAAN’s awareness that the HIV pandemic needs to be addressed on both a local and global level. Saturday was the second annual World Day of Social Justice, providing a great reminder to everyone in attendance as to why we do what we do…the fight against poverty is not about charity, but about justice and equality.
Since it had been some time since a ONE representative met with DGAAN, I began by giving a brief re-introduction to ONE, explaining who we are and what we do. The remainder of my portion was focused on highlighting three initiatives ONE is focusing on in 2010, including the ONE Campus Challenge, Women ONE2ONE and ONE Sabbath. DGAAN is co-chaired by two women: Sr. Glenna Czachor, OSF, from the Justice, Peace & Integrity of Creation Office, Wheaton Franciscans and Dr. Sandra Joireman, Ph. D., Department of Politics and International Relations, Wheaton College. Needless to say, all three of these programs fit directly in with the work that DGAAN is already doing out in DuPage County.
A Policy Associate for the AIDS Foundation of Chicago, Pete Subkoviak, also presented at the meeting. Pete shared information on several legislative and advocacy initiatives here in Illinois as well as an update on the Illinois budget crisis and our state’s AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP). He also reminded everyone that the 2010 HIV/AIDS Lobby Days in Springfield, IL will be on March 16th and 17th.
Between ONE and the AIDS Foundation of Chicago, the meeting definitely represented what DGAAN is working to achieve — “a network of advocates that strengthen the lifelines of hope, locally and globally.”
I look forward to working closely with DGAAN and all the wonderfully passionate individuals involved with the group.
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