Hey Mountain Movers,

Just a short newsletter this month as we gear up for summer!

Looks like our Banff-Jasper Servers Against AIDS Day is going to be a big event, especially because we have volunteers who will be working to get restaurants on board and pull all the details together! We already have a number of servers who have committed to participating that day. We are also working on a comprehensive website, which is an important tool in spreading the word and connecting with potential (and computer savvy!) participants. Check it out at www.serversagainstaids.com.

You may also notice the ever-changing look of The Mountain Movement website. The information should still be easy to find. We are just trying to capture the essence of the campaign in the website design. We want to express The Mountain Movement as a mentality more than anything, as well as an easy source of information, inspiration, and example of tangible efforts to attenuating the effects of HIV/AIDS in Africa and Canada. We would appreciate any feedback – let us know if there’s anything you’d like to see on there!

Thanks and have a happy Spring – we’ve gone back to Winter out here in The Rockies!

Meghan and Paul

*This article was originally published at PlusNews.

JUBA, 17 April 2008 (PlusNews) - In a tiny recording studio in the southern Sudanese capital, Juba, Patrick Taban's phone rings off the hook, but he pays it no attention - he's too wrapped up in his preparations for a big production later that evening.

Taban heads The Heavens, a drama and musical group of 14 members whose performances rotate largely around church music and social issues, including HIV/AIDS.

The Heavens use theatre and musical comedy to spread awareness about HIV/AIDS, taking the message directly to local pubs and clubs.

"We are supporting a lot of drama, both live and on radio," said Sister Cecilia Sierra Salcido, who manages Sudan Catholic Radio, which supports the theatre productions.

"It's the closest we can get to the people."

"In a country where many people are illiterate, cultural events are much more effective in advocating for social change than any UN report or conference," said Caroline Arnulf, advisor to the local government recovery programme at the United Nations Development Programme in Juba. Southern Sudan has one of the world's lowest literacy rates, with just 24 percent of the population able to read and write, according to the UN Population Fund.

During the three years since Southern Sudan emerged from a 21-year war with the north, talk has dominated the AIDS awareness messages. "Most people think that the only way to make people aware is through workshops," Taban said.

More recently, however, theatre and music have become more popular as ways to entertain and pass on the HIV message. The Heavens produced the theme song for World AIDS Day 2006, organised by the UN Children's Fund and the South Sudan AIDS Commission, and during celebrations to mark International Women's Day in March, they staged two hours of theatre on the issues of HIV/AIDS and bride-price.

"Art can do a lot for development and I believe it should be used more often, especially with the youth who are very responsive to that kind of events," Arnulf said.

Southern Sudan's HIV/AIDS programmes have gotten off to a slow start, mainly due to poor funding, but a roadmap for HIV prevention, treatment and care was announced in 2007.

Although the official national HIV prevalence of Sudan stands at 2.6 percent, many areas of the south are thought to have significantly higher levels.

Our Servers Against AIDS program has a new website! Please pay a visit to it at www.serversagainstaids.com. More detailed information on the event will be posted there in the upcoming weeks. For now, the site will give you a good idea of how the event works, and why we are doing it!