TODAY, a growing group of thoughtful, committed citizens have answered our call-to-action, coming together to do something about the way HIV/AIDS is affecting women in our community --- and we need your help.  This year we have taken the old "each 1 reach 1" model and upgraded it to a bigger and bolder "each 1 reach 100" model.  We believe that --- with your help --- we can get 1,000 neighbors to take The I AM My Sister's Keeper Pledge, and that those same 1,000 can help us reach 100,000 of our most thoughtful and committed community members.  And, that together, we can move more aggressively towards The Dream of an AIDS Free Generation.

TODAY, we invite you to take the I AM My Sister's Keeper PLEDGE, and in doing so, you are simply agreeing to be a part of our shared commitment to making sure everyone understands: 

• what we know about HIV/AIDS,

• why we should care about HIV/AIDS,

• and what we can do about HIV/AIDS.

SO WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT HIV/AIDS?  YOU ASK...

The greatest possible success of The I AM My Sister's Keeper Movement, has always been the empowering of our partner organizations and churches --- as well as our fellow community members --- with the facts about HIV/AIDS.  We are committed to sharing what we currently know about the disease, so that they can better understand how to protect themselves, as well as how to use that same information to create change in the community.  More importantly, we are committed to utilizing the most effective and efficient solutions to transfer this life saving knowledge, including:

• Providing training to partner organizations and their members who want to empower themselves --- by being versed in the facts --- and want to play a major role in getting the information out to fellow community members.
• Developing and distributing digital and collateral fact sheets that our partners can easily use as an aid in the empowerment of others, as well as as a tool to drive community members to our website where they can further their knowledge and join The I AM My Sister's Keeper Movement.
• Utilizing our website as a place where community members get to know each other --- sharing personal stories and/or happened upon information that can benefit each other --- staying on top of the latest information --- and spreading individual pieces of information across their personal networks.  

SO WHY SHOULD WE CARE ABOUT HIV/AIDS?  YOU ASK...

The number one goal of The I AM My Sister's Keeper Movement, has been to foster a deeper sense of thoughtfulness and commitment toward our neighbors.  To foster a fundamental understanding that HIV/AIDS is a threat to the black community --- especially to our women --- and that if we don't stand together and create change today, the effects will be too devastating for us to handle tomorrow.  Our number one goal will always be to help fellow community members realize why they should care, and to get those that care to contribute to The I AM My Sister's Keeper Movement, by:

• Taking The I AM My Sister's Keeper Pledge.
• Being a visible part of the movement --- in hopes that your visibility, will encourage others to take action.
• Standing along side those on the front lines --- and saying to those that cannot... "I stand here for you, to let you know that even though you are not here, I know that you are with us.  That I know that you fundamentally understand that we are all Our Sister's Keeper, and that if we all contribute in whatever small way possible, we can stop the spread of HIV/AIDS in our community.

SO WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT HIV/AIDS? YOU ASK...

Through The I AM My Sister's Keeper Movement, Chicago adolescents and adult women and men have joined our efforts to help prevent the adolescent and adult women in our communities from contracting the virus, and to ensure that women in our communities:

• Get the facts about how the virus is spread and spread the facts about about how the virus is spread.
• Take advantage of opportunities to participate in healthy conversations about how the virus is affecting their communities, what is being done about it, and how they can help.
• Get Tested for HIV and promote testing for friends, loved ones, and fellow community members.
• If positive, get linked to services immediately.
• If negative, commit to adopting tested and proven methods of staying negative.
• And, last but not least --- regardless of status --- understand that stopping the spread of HIV/AIDS is the responsibility of each and every one of us.  Because, we are all Our Sister's Keeper.

Furthermore, local adolescent and adults are lending their talents and telling their stories --- doing their part to encourage fellow citizens to share in the responsibility of stopping HIV/AIDS in our communities.

TODAY, we are all encouraged to remember the words of our 44TH President --- President Barack Obama.

"Change will not come if we wait for some other person... or, if we wait for some other time.  We are the ones that we've been waiting for.  We are the change that we seek."

For more information about the I AM My Sister's Keeper Movement, take the I AM My Sister's Keeper Pledge above.  Be sure to let us know why you believe you are "Your Sister's Keeper" and we will be in contact with you soon.

Note: by visiting YESIAM.US and considering this Pledge, you automatically become a part of the I AM My Sister's Keeper Movement in spirit.  And while the movement is growing --- even by your presence today --- we hope that you will become a visible part of the movement, inspiring other thoughtful committed citizens to help us move towards The Dream of an AIDS Free Generation.  

When attending any calendar event, be sure to check with a representative from our community-building media partner --- Wnu3 --- and secure your space among the official members of the I AM My Sister's Keeper Movement.