“Lhe Student vore oF the University of Prince ‘Edward 'sland

is there courage?

“We have the technology to rid the world of famine. The money invested for research into the Star Wars Project was enough to make all of Africa arable...We have to ask ourselves...Are we a civilization that invests in death or one

that invests in life?”

-Bono of U2

by T.H. Heathrow

In 1978, I had arrived in In- dia.. A severe deluge had devas-~ tated the land—leaving whole cit- ies of people homeless. I was walk- ing in the chaotic streets, and on this one occasion, I bent down to tie my shoes. I looked up and saw a boy. He had no shoes. In fact he had no clothes.

I was fully clothed.

Ilooked behind him, and saw thousands of shabby bivouacs housing schools of families. I can- not begin to describe the over- whelming effect it has on an indi- vidual to stand before the face of homeless thousands.

“Powaqgqatsi” is a word from the Hopi language. It is defined as being “an entity, a way of life, which consumes the life forces of other beings in order to further its own life.” Famine continues to live in Africa. We have separated our- selves from it.

Did we aid famine for the sake of their humanity or for the sake of the morale of this nation?

Today, we are still perceived as “Powaqqatsi” in their eyes.

North Americans have fre-, syiently been criticized for having Knowledge of human crises, and doing nothing but continuing to invest in their desires.

For critics, it must be said that there is an extreme difference between “knowledge of” and “re- alization of” a situation. In order for a situation like the thirty mil- lion homeless people in Bangla- desh to “truly” mean something, you have to have been there. But everyone—everyone—has access to “understanding” humanity. There is noproblem in being there.

Can you imagine all of Can- ada homeless?

There are two kinds of atti- tudes which exist in the world: One kind sabotages human ideals and the other builds or supports them.

A Voice of Camelot: With Bangladesh.

Planned Famine a Success

UPEI students raised about 2000 last week to be sent to Zim-

Dabwe for a water project. This -

“Planned Famine” was organized oy WUSC and open to the pub- lic for participation.

“The main objective wasn’t to raise money. It was to raise peo- pie’s awareness,” says Susan Arb- ing, a student who took part in the Planned Famine.

About fifty people took part

in the project which started on -

October 12 at 9:00 AM and ran Until 3:00 on the 13th. However, ‘ was not compulsory to fast for

the entire 30 hours that. marked

National Food Day. As well as making a size-

able contribution to the $7,700 which was needed for the wa- ter project in Zimbabwe, this Planned Famine managed to raise awareness of the s!udents, profes-

sors, and others who took part. Many people aren’t aware of

the struggle for life that takes ~

place every day in many third- world countries. The participants of Planned Famine were able to experience for a brief moment

what the pain and suffering is all about. .

“It was nowhere on the same scale,” says Arbing. “I felt more weak and tired than hungry.”

However, the advantage that these participants had was that they could eat at any time, and they knew that once the thirty hours were over they could eat

again. Unlike the citizens of Zim- babwe, they weren’t being forced

into starvation.

If anyone has more contribu- tions to make, or has collected more pledges, the money can be® dropped off at Dr. Morrison’s of- = fice on the second floor of Main. =

Mhunsday\October Zo, 988

KNOWLEDGE IS OUR BEST

PROTECTION

By: Laura Kilfoil Before the early 1980’s, social

diseases were rapidly spreading but most of them were curable.

; Since the vast outburst of AIDS

cases, the words “ sexually trans- mitted diseases” and AIDS ahve become synonymous. The seem- ingly sudden appearance of this deadly disease has caused panic. The misconceptions have spread more quickly than the virus itself.

What are the origins of the

AIDS virus? Do we understand

how the HIV virus evolved the unique but lethal qualities that cause the Acquired Immunities Defiency Syndrome?

To answer the question on the origin of the virus, retroviruses have been studied in apes. This led to the discovery of the SIV- which is related to HIV- in the African Green Monkeys. The SIV virus in the monkeys is similar to AIDS and is thought to have been transmitted from the Green Monkeys in South Africa. The SIV doesn’t cause disease in the Green Monkeys, but when the

virus is introduced into Mada- cada Monkeys, these monkeys which were newly infected de- veloped symptoms of the dis- ease. For a clearer understand- ing, consult David Suzuki’s book on AIDS, or Scientific American, Oct., 1988, p.64.

Our knowledge of the AIDS virus is new but retroviruses have been a part of our world for a time. As early as 1910 a retro- virus that caused cancer in chick- ens was discovered.

Sexually transmitted diseases have plagued society and have been carried around the world for centuries. Syphillis was once thought to be a punishment to sinners as AIDS is now. Syphillis is cured with penicillian and hopefully soon the AIDS virus will have a cure.

For now it is best to drop be- liefs that AIDS is a homosexual disease, or that it affects only cer- tain people and will not affect us. It is time to fight it- through ed- ucation.

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