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Ribbon of Hope — the continuation of an idea

June 19, 2007

By Yvonne

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The Ribbon returns to General Synod

Who would have dreamed that the denim “ribbon” made at our General Synod in June 2004 would have traveled back and forth across Canada the way it has or touched as many lives as it has. Three years ago this was an idea conceived by Susie Henderson and Thomas Roach, Vancouver artist, for launching our HIV and AIDS initiative at the Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF) of the Anglican Church of Canada. Today it has hung in more than 50 churches, shared messages of hope with thousands of Canadians, and invited action by countless Christians from coast to coast to coast.
The Ribbon of Hope is made of six hundred squares of silk-screened denim patches marked with individual prayers, concerns and memorials by attendees at the 2004 General Synod and sewn together to form one great ribbon to remember friends and families who have lost loved ones and those currently infected by HIV and AIDS. This 40-foot ribbon, “is a symbol that threads together our prayers, our remembrances, our hopes for people living with HIV and AIDS and holds them deep in our heart,” said Andrew Ignatieff, former Executive Director of PWRDF. We had no idea how powerful this symbol would be but it has touched many people.   
Two New Ribbons
Over the past three years an additional 200 denim patches were written, designed and completed by individuals in communities across Canada to make two more panels.
Messages of hope share
: “We will never give up“; “Together we can make a difference“; “Together we will STOP AIDS“. Messages of memory offer:We will never forget you, ____“; “We will continue the fight without you“; “We miss you _____“; “Lest we forget“. Messages of anger shout:STOP AIDS NOW!“; “Get involved!“; “Don’t just stand there, do something!“; “You CAN make a difference“. Together, these ribbons have moved heart, minds and hands. 
These two new “Community Ribbons” each measure approximately 17ft x 3 ft .
As the Program Assistant for PWRDF,  every month I receive calls from ministers, church leaders, parishioners and youth to borrow our Ribbon of Hope.  I carefully pack  these squares from those who care, and bring them downstairs to our mail room. I try to remember to add a few bags of buttons, beads and glitter with some blank denim squares and fabric markers, for those who want and need to add to these live journals. I tell my colleagues in the mail room “another church wants to read and respond to our Ribbon of Hope” and I pat the box before leaving. “You are on your way again” I think to myself, “you are on your way to make a difference. Go my friend, and move mountains.” And I feel grateful that I have played a small part.
Thank you for your participation in this project — let us continue to move mountains as we deal with the reality of HIV & AIDS around the world.

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