De Lille enters discussions with UK Advisors on HIV/Aids
2003-08-02. South Africa's only female political leader, Patricia de Lille of the Independent Democrats (ID) arrived in the United Kingdom on the weekend to embark on a week long trip to seek alternatives in South Africa's fight against the Aids pandemic from several leading UK organisations and the Houses of Parliament.
De Lille will be meeting with the Minister of International
Development, Hillary Benn and other senior political advisors on
HIV/Aids in Africa. "South Africa is 10 years behind the rest of
the world in dealing with the pandemic because we are still in the
denial stage. "It's good to see what other countries, who have passed
the denial stage, have achieved," De Lille said. "In some
countries around the world, they have come to accept that prevention
and treatment are two sides of the same coin and they are providing
treatment, while we're not- we are concentrating on prevention.
"Although we have received invaluable advice from communities in South
Africa, I will be exploring successful International programmes on
HIV/Aids and use the experience to assist the ID in formulating our
policies on HIV/Aids. "There are some organisations in the United
Kingdom that have worked all over the continent and I hope to learn
from their experiences," De Lille said. She will also meet with
UNAIDS, a subsidiary organisation of the UN and the Chairman of the All
Party Group on HIV/Aids, MP Neil Gerrard at the Houses of
Parliament.
De Lille will also be the only South African speaker at the 2nd World Women Lawyers' Conference hosted by the International Bar Association (IBA) in London, where she'll be addressing an audience of 1000 lawyers on the role of women in conflict resolution. "Since the launch of the Independent Democrats I have been inundated with International requests to attend conventions and I am honoured to be sharing the Independent Democrats' views with such a broad audience," said De Lille. The ID leaders' itinerary includes addressing the South African Business Club, a framework of 450 companies in London and scholars from Oxford University and Oriel College.
The trip culminates with an ID fundraiser at the St. Bride Institute after meeting with Baroness Shirley Williams, Leader of the Liberal Democrats and Minister for International Development. This will be De Lille' s first International trip since the launch of the Independent Democrats.
De Lille will also be the only South African speaker at the 2nd World Women Lawyers' Conference hosted by the International Bar Association (IBA) in London, where she'll be addressing an audience of 1000 lawyers on the role of women in conflict resolution. "Since the launch of the Independent Democrats I have been inundated with International requests to attend conventions and I am honoured to be sharing the Independent Democrats' views with such a broad audience," said De Lille. The ID leaders' itinerary includes addressing the South African Business Club, a framework of 450 companies in London and scholars from Oxford University and Oriel College.
The trip culminates with an ID fundraiser at the St. Bride Institute after meeting with Baroness Shirley Williams, Leader of the Liberal Democrats and Minister for International Development. This will be De Lille' s first International trip since the launch of the Independent Democrats.
