Doug PollardWorld AIDS Day wrap with Michael Williams
DOUG: Yesterday was World AIDS Day and we saw an awful lot about it, we saw an awful lot of activity here in Melbourne, too. (and) One person who was in the thick-of-it was my next guest who is: Michael Williams. He’s the President of the Victorian AIDS Council. Good morning, Michael.
MICHAEL: Good morning, Doug. Thank you for having me.
DOUG: You’re more than welcome and thank you, for dropping-in at such short notice. How did yesterday go as far as the VAC’s concerned?
MICHAEL: Look, from our perspective it was a very successful day. In the afternoon – yesterday afternoon – I haven’t had an update from the people yet but yesterday afternoon we had, around, 20-thousand ribbons that were handed-out. That was at 3.30. So, almost certainly the number is much, much higher than that – so, m’mm – that’s great. From our perspective. We had lots of people in the CBD wearing a red ribbon which – m’mm, signalled that people are talking about it. They’re telling others about it and – m’mm, and – yeah. So, it was a – it was a very successful day.
DOUG: I heard, someone messaged-in to me yesterday in fact to say that there were a large number of people rejecting the red ribbon when they were offered it. (and) They found that quite astounding; did you hear much about that?
MICHAEL: M’mm, not really – I mean, I’m – I was handing-out ribbons. Yesterday morning at – m’mm, parliament. At – m’mm, about – 8a.m. and I didn’t find people were – were really rejecting the ribbons. I thought that – m’mm, that people were just busy and they were – they were in a rush, to get to work and – and m’mm, it took them a little bit of time to work out which organisation I was from and – and what I was giving them. (and) But no, I didn’t – m’mm, I found quite the contrary. People were – were m’mm, were coming-up to me. (and) Offering donations and so I – from my perspective, I thought it was a success.
DOUG: Do you think some people are a bit fatigued with the whole AIDS thing; because World AIDS Day has dropped down the pecking order a bit?
MICHAEL: Sure.
DOUG: It doesn’t get as much publicity as it used to. But this year it seems to be back on the agenda, again.
MICHAEL: It is and I think that – m’mm, I think that there’s no doubt that HIV doesn’t have the same sense of urgency that – that it had 20-years ago and so we know that the – the epidemic has changed. That’s – that’s a fact. But that brings other challenges as well. That means that we’ve got more people now in Victoria, than ever before living with HIV and it’s still absolutely with us. It’s not as if rates have declined. In fact – well, they’ve levelled-off, but over the past decade they’ve risen, overall.
So our message is that if – if two people ever risk getting infected that’s the big fact that we’ve been telling people on World AIDS Day. That’s still a startling fact and that’s something that we need to address and it’s something we need to keep talking about.
That’s why World AIDS Day and giving out the ribbons makes – gets people thinking about it. It gets people talking about it. Hopefully, it gets people to go and get themselves tested. Or to talk to others about whether they’re protecting themselves so that’s really the benefit of World AIDS Day and I think that while there isn’t perhaps, that same sense of urgency or people feel a bit – like, oh well – you know? HIV is a thing of the past; our job is to be out there, telling people that it’s not. It’s still very much with us.
DOUG: Well, it certainly seems to have hit the headlines a little bit better than last year - - -
MICHAEL: Yes.
DOUG: - - - this year.
MICHAEL: Yes.
DOUG: How’re things going at VAC? Have you anything else planned for the rest of this week.
MICHAEL: We’re now gonna focus on seeing how much we’ve raised from the event. When I was at Parliament [station] yesterday I had people giving me 20-dollar notes. They were giving me 10s – you know, they were – I had lots of donations yesterday. So I’m hoping that the amount that we’ve raised from – from yesterday’s activities is – is high. M’mm, last night I was at the Memorial Ceremony at the – m’mm, at the Positive Living Centre.
DOUG: M’mm, m’mm?
MICHAEL: (and) That it – it was a very moving event – m’mm, which is about remembering the people that we’ve lost from – from AIDS. Over the years. So that’s the joint message of World AIDS Day, which is we’ve got to celebrate our achievements and remember the people that we’ve lost – so, so the next week will just be seeing how World AIDS Day has gone. Seeing how much money we’ve raised and – m’mm, hopefully we’ll see people holding on to those ribbons.
DOUG: Thank you very much for joining us this morning, Michael.
MICHAEL: Not at all and – m’mm, thanks for Joy’s support. Happy 17th-birthday for yesterday.
DOUG: Thank you very much.
MICHAEL: (and) M’mm, Joy has been absolutely fantastic – m’mm, at putting the World AIDS Day message out there for us and without Joy that wouldn’t be able to – to do its work so - - -
DOUG: More than happy to help, Michael. You have a good day.
MICHAEL: Thanks, Doug. See you later.
DOUG: See you. That was Michael Williams, the President of the VAC. Talking about World AIDS Day.
MICHAEL: Good morning, Doug. Thank you for having me.
DOUG: You’re more than welcome and thank you, for dropping-in at such short notice. How did yesterday go as far as the VAC’s concerned?
MICHAEL: Look, from our perspective it was a very successful day. In the afternoon – yesterday afternoon – I haven’t had an update from the people yet but yesterday afternoon we had, around, 20-thousand ribbons that were handed-out. That was at 3.30. So, almost certainly the number is much, much higher than that – so, m’mm – that’s great. From our perspective. We had lots of people in the CBD wearing a red ribbon which – m’mm, signalled that people are talking about it. They’re telling others about it and – m’mm, and – yeah. So, it was a – it was a very successful day.
DOUG: I heard, someone messaged-in to me yesterday in fact to say that there were a large number of people rejecting the red ribbon when they were offered it. (and) They found that quite astounding; did you hear much about that?
MICHAEL: M’mm, not really – I mean, I’m – I was handing-out ribbons. Yesterday morning at – m’mm, parliament. At – m’mm, about – 8a.m. and I didn’t find people were – were really rejecting the ribbons. I thought that – m’mm, that people were just busy and they were – they were in a rush, to get to work and – and m’mm, it took them a little bit of time to work out which organisation I was from and – and what I was giving them. (and) But no, I didn’t – m’mm, I found quite the contrary. People were – were m’mm, were coming-up to me. (and) Offering donations and so I – from my perspective, I thought it was a success.
DOUG: Do you think some people are a bit fatigued with the whole AIDS thing; because World AIDS Day has dropped down the pecking order a bit?
MICHAEL: Sure.
DOUG: It doesn’t get as much publicity as it used to. But this year it seems to be back on the agenda, again.
MICHAEL: It is and I think that – m’mm, I think that there’s no doubt that HIV doesn’t have the same sense of urgency that – that it had 20-years ago and so we know that the – the epidemic has changed. That’s – that’s a fact. But that brings other challenges as well. That means that we’ve got more people now in Victoria, than ever before living with HIV and it’s still absolutely with us. It’s not as if rates have declined. In fact – well, they’ve levelled-off, but over the past decade they’ve risen, overall.
So our message is that if – if two people ever risk getting infected that’s the big fact that we’ve been telling people on World AIDS Day. That’s still a startling fact and that’s something that we need to address and it’s something we need to keep talking about.
That’s why World AIDS Day and giving out the ribbons makes – gets people thinking about it. It gets people talking about it. Hopefully, it gets people to go and get themselves tested. Or to talk to others about whether they’re protecting themselves so that’s really the benefit of World AIDS Day and I think that while there isn’t perhaps, that same sense of urgency or people feel a bit – like, oh well – you know? HIV is a thing of the past; our job is to be out there, telling people that it’s not. It’s still very much with us.
DOUG: Well, it certainly seems to have hit the headlines a little bit better than last year - - -
MICHAEL: Yes.
DOUG: - - - this year.
MICHAEL: Yes.
DOUG: How’re things going at VAC? Have you anything else planned for the rest of this week.
MICHAEL: We’re now gonna focus on seeing how much we’ve raised from the event. When I was at Parliament [station] yesterday I had people giving me 20-dollar notes. They were giving me 10s – you know, they were – I had lots of donations yesterday. So I’m hoping that the amount that we’ve raised from – from yesterday’s activities is – is high. M’mm, last night I was at the Memorial Ceremony at the – m’mm, at the Positive Living Centre.
DOUG: M’mm, m’mm?
MICHAEL: (and) That it – it was a very moving event – m’mm, which is about remembering the people that we’ve lost from – from AIDS. Over the years. So that’s the joint message of World AIDS Day, which is we’ve got to celebrate our achievements and remember the people that we’ve lost – so, so the next week will just be seeing how World AIDS Day has gone. Seeing how much money we’ve raised and – m’mm, hopefully we’ll see people holding on to those ribbons.
DOUG: Thank you very much for joining us this morning, Michael.
MICHAEL: Not at all and – m’mm, thanks for Joy’s support. Happy 17th-birthday for yesterday.
DOUG: Thank you very much.
MICHAEL: (and) M’mm, Joy has been absolutely fantastic – m’mm, at putting the World AIDS Day message out there for us and without Joy that wouldn’t be able to – to do its work so - - -
DOUG: More than happy to help, Michael. You have a good day.
MICHAEL: Thanks, Doug. See you later.
DOUG: See you. That was Michael Williams, the President of the VAC. Talking about World AIDS Day.
