Leaders of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, the Islamic Affairs Supreme Council and the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Makane Yesus were brought together here last Wednesday on the occasion of the National Religious AIDS Week - the first of its kind, organized by the UNDP, UNAIDS and UNICEF.

Leaders of the three religions voiced their commitment to fight HIV/AIDS- related stigma and discrimination through their respective organizations.

Although all the religious organizations have had a separate story of the fight against HIV/AIDS, such a commitment by leaders of various religions in the country was witnessed for the first time.

His Holiness Abune Paulos, Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, assured the meeting that his Church would be advocating an awareness campaign against HIV/AIDS.

The Patriarch is head of a Church with its followers constituting close to 50% of the country's population and has 500,000 priests at its service. Many, however, criticize the Church for not playing a decisive role in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

The Patriarch told Addis Tribune that he had never been skeptical of what his Church had so far accomplished in the fight against the epidemic. Asked whether the Church was planning to have a different approach to deal with AIDS, the Patriarch said the problem was exacerbated by young people's tendency to adopt western cultures. "We have been teaching our followers to obey the Church's will," the Patriarch said.

The Patriarch also confirmed that his Church would never be in a position to advocate the use of condoms. "Our Church's policy is virginity from birth to marriage and loyality from mirrage to death," he said.

Leaders of the three religious organizations have planned national and regional activities, are preparing pamphlets and posters in local languages addressing HIV/AIDS, stigma and discrimination, according to the UNICEF, and UNDP. Rallies and poetry and song contests also are being organized around the country.

The Religious AIDS Week, which was being observed from 6 to 12 May, was sponsored by the Norwegian government through UNICEF, UNDP and UNAIDS who contributed $ 65, 575, $ 21,000 and $ 10,000 respectively.