This is not an easy or comfortable subject to talk about. AIDS brings much suffering to those who have the disease, and to those who love the victims of this dreaded epidemic. Together, we can prevent the spread of this pandemic – through awareness, care, prevention, education and research. Although just the thought of catching AIDS brings about fear, many are not even aware of the consequences, and know very little about it. People are afraid to talk about it, so they like to pretend it doesn’t exist if it doesn’t affect them personally. This is a dangerous way to think, as it affects us all, and educating ourself and our loved ones is more important than most people realize.

HIV/AIDS has been a global epidemic for more than 27 years. Most of today’s youth have never known a world without it. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently published national HIV incidence (new infections) that showed much higher numbers than previous estimates. Being aware of the risks and dangers are just the first step in prevention of this deadly disease.

There are several ways to spread the word, and learn how best to educate ourselves and our young teenagers, as well as support groups to cope with the disease as well as for those who have suffered the loss of friends and family. You can visit the AIDS.GOV Blog to learn more about activities, and ways that you can participate and help raise awareness.

You can also join Bloggers Unite and either blog about this and other humanitarian efforts, or place a badge on your own site. Here you will also find many resources and links to AIDS awareness and help sites.

You may also like to visit Learn the Link to see some examples of how drug use and abuse can lead to unwise choices, and how it affects our ability to make good decisions. Learn the link between drug abuse and the spread of HIV in the United States. Here you can connect with those who have been affected by AIDS, and wish to offer support to others in similar situations. You are never alone, and if you are a teen, young adult, or even older adult, it is good to know there are others willing to reach out to help you.

Bloggers unite to spread the word about refugees in peril, and get people involved in the crisis of those suffering around the world, as I write this post. I sit here with plenty of food, although I am far from rich, and shelter to keep my family warm and dry in the winter, and cool in the summer. Although I am no stranger to the pain of suffering and hard times, I cannot imagine living in such appalling conditions, as those refugees must endure each waking moment. As a mother, I am filled with great sadness as I see how much these people struggle just to survive, and to watch my children starve would be too horrifying to even imagine. Not to mention the atrocities being committed against these people. Regardless of each individuals personal beliefs about the Creator and Spirituality, who has the right to destroy others because their beliefs differ? Our true creator would not wish this, and no one may convince me otherwise.

I blog for many reasons, and to help those less able to help themselves is way up there at the top. People are dying, and those who are living in these refugee camps are suffering beyond our imagining. Not only are these people displaced with little hope of finding homes, they are the victims of disease and targets of militia outbreaks. Children are the victims of rape. Plagued by foul weather and the minimal of shelter, if any, there is little hope for these families and we who are free must find it in our hearts to help in whatever way we can.

This seems a daunting task, and a hopeless mission if we truly look at the scope of this global tragedy, as it is told that the numbers are as high as 42 million uprooted by war around the world. This is a staggering number if you ask me, and in this modern day of supposed ‘enlightened’ human beings, it is puzzling to imagine such barbaric behaviour occuring to such a large degree. If we remind ourselves that these are not just numbers, and are living, breathing human beings just like you and I, then we can begin to realize that it could just as easily be us living this nightmare.

There are those who dedicate their lives to helping those suffering, with assistance of food, shelter, medical attention and supplies. If you would like to further educate yourself and others, perhaps you would like to visit Doctors Without Borders to see what is happening on an alarming scale, and possibly help with donations of your time, or even offer financial assistance if you are in a position to do so. Spreading the word and raising awareness is a great first step towards helping these lost ones, and will go a long way to bringing hope to these people.

I will be doing more research, and dedicating more time to these humanitarian efforts in the future. Meanwhile, you may be interested in a refugee camp blog that has just finished up a tour to raise awareness called 42 Million Uprooted by War: A Refugee Camp in the Heart of the City. These people dedicate their lives to helping refugees, and I believe their dedication, courage, compassion and love for their fellow humans in danger and dire straits, will encourage others to follow suit and join in this totally worthwhile cause.