Good health is a human right. At Webster University, our leaders, faculty and students address challenges to make a critical difference both locally, reflecting our home campus presence, and globally, with our worldwide footprint of campuses on four continents. We are a university that cares about threats to the quality of our lives and in the world. AIDS is such a threat; it is experiencing a resurgence, especially affecting women and minorities.
Earlier this year, Webster announced a partnership with the African Renaissance and Diaspora Network, Inc. (ARDN), a definitive effort to address the difficult reality of more than 36 million people globally living with HIV and 12,000 living in Missouri in 2016. ARDN is a perfect partner for Webster because of its history supporting the African renaissance through the power of sport, art, education and culture, and work to accelerate the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals as set out by the United Nations. To help with that effort, we are mobilizing youth in the Midwest region and in West Africa to contribute to the goal of eliminating HIV/AIDS by 2030.
Webster University will announce a set of global initiatives for HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention in 2018. Details will be presented in concert with Richard Gant, chair of ARDN’s Arts and Culture Committee; Christopher Miles, the global motorsport marketing adviser for ARDN, who will utilize Starting Grid’s various global motorsport activations to further amplify the UNAIDS “Protect the Goal” and “Racing To Zero” HIV/AIDS advocacy campaign; and Dorinda Walker, vice president of Consumer Strategy and Key Initiatives with Multicultural Marketing, Prudential U.S. Businesses.
Other participants in the process are Djibril Diallo, director of the UNAIDS Regional Support Team for West and Central Africa; Jay-Jay Okocha, a former professional footballer; and Webster representatives from Webster’s Accra, Ghana campus.
Webster recently contributed to the Global Alliance of Mayors & Leaders from Africa & African Descent (GAMAD) held in Accra and will lead, in partnership with Djibril Diallo, an African Study Trip with other leaders of higher education in spring 2018.
The joint ARDN/Webster plan will engage students from St. Louis and throughout our world-wide university in the focus on AIDS through communications initiatives, such as video storytelling projects, social media, digital media productions, and gaming; public health initiatives, including public policy and community engagement; and thought leadership.
Webster University is an inclusive, diverse community that mobilizes students to make a difference. Our established global orientation positions us to assume a leadership role for this challenge by activating academic networks around the world, as we frequently address wide-reaching issues such as increasing diversity in our communities and providing opportunities to non-traditional learners. In doing so, we aim to help the next generation find their voices and facilitate strategic actions.
We believe in being world changers – both through our own behavior and as advocates. We are grateful for the opportunity to contribute to tackling problems like HIV/AIDS, which threatens populations locally, nationally and internationally. Together with our exemplary partners, we are eager to launch a powerful multi-faceted approach to these troubling issues. For me and many of today’s leaders, the answer to the question “who is our neighbor?” must be both local and global.
Beth Stroble is president of Webster University.
