Presentation of the DREAM PROGRAM (Drug Resource Enhancement against AIDS and Malnutrition) run by the Community in Sant'Egidio in Mozambique and starting in other four African countries.

DREAM is a program run by the Community of Sant'Egidio and that has been active on the ground over the last 18 months. 7000 people are now covered in Mozambique by the DREAM Program, 3000 are in assistance and therapy.

The amazing, positive results and the innovative approach (light structures, global approach including the fight against malnutrition and other environmental difficulties, focus on women and children as well as special skilled groups of population at the beginning, attention to cost compatibility, excellency of the service at high Western standards) will be presented and discussed with the International Press by Mario Marazziti, spokesperson for the Community of Sant'Egidio

Tuesday the 18th of Novembre at 3 P.M
Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town
(43/47 Commercial Street - 8001 Cape Town)
(The Consul of Italy in Cape Town, Alberto Vecchi, will be present)

Thursday the 20th of November at 3 P.M.at
Park Hyatt Johannesburg,
191 Oxford Road, Rosebank 2196 -
PO Box 1536, Saxonwold 2132,
Republic of South Africa -
Tel: +27 11 280 1234, Fax: +27 11 280 1238 -
E-mail: [email protected]

It is the first time that the main results of this great program and model of intervention against AIDS in Africa is presented to the International Press. In the course of the meeting papers, stories, graphics, and pictures of the DREAM Program will be distributed to the journalists.

The Community of Sant'Egidio is an International NGO and charity, based in Rome, where it was born in 1968. More than 40,000 members, on a voluntary basis, make what Sant'Egidio is today: an advocate for human rights, a Peace activist, a spiritual experience open to all and in dialogue with secular society, in 62 countries in the world. In any country Sant'Egidio's membership is made by local people and this inculturation is one of the reasons of its effectiveness. It is rooted in the Catholic Church and it is as well strongly active in Ecumenism and Interfaith Dialogue, in the defense of human rights, in the service to the poorest in the Planet, in Dialogue and Peacemaking.

The Community of Sant'Egidio has been awarded in 2000 the Houphouet Boigny UNESCO PEACE PRIZE, with a special mention to its commitment to Africa. After being the official negotiator at the Peace negotiation that brought to the signature of the Peace Accord in Mozambique, signed in Rome, Italy, on October 4 1992 after 26 months of negotiations at the Sant'Egidio's headquarters. The Community of Sant'Egidio has had a role in many different areas of crisis: namely Guatemala (where it restarted the Peace process that ended in 1996 a 30 year old civil war), Burundi (the Community chaired the Committee on Ceasefire and security for all at the International negotiation led by Nyerere and Mandela), and, in the last year, in Ivory Coast (at the Marcoussis negotiation, by Paris, invited to give a contribution by the French Government) and in Liberia (LURD launched the unilateral ceasefire from Sant'Egidio headquarters in the final moment of the crisis).
Sant'Egidio is also leading, with other organizations, the worldwide Campaign to stop all capital executions. The struggle against AIDS in Africa is part of this effort.

For more informations:
Community of Sant'Egidio Rome (Italy)
Home Page: www.santegidio.org
e-mail [email protected]

Scalabrini Development Agency Cape Town 021.4656433
Home Page: www.development.scalabrini.net
Email: [email protected]
Conctact Person: Ciro Migliore: 083.3027771