Abstract: Asia is rich in ethnicities, cultures and beliefs. It is the cradle of world great religions. As such, it is the land of diversity. It is also the land with an urgent challenge of HIV and AIDS, as it is the second in HIV prevalence after Sub-Saharan Africa.
Local Catholic organisations including religious groups and lay groups are responding to this challenge by working with all affected people, regardless of their beliefs, cultures, ethnicities or gender orientation.
Asian Interfaith Network on AIDS (AINA) has been set up to link and mobilise faith leaders and communities already engaged in this ministry through sharing and dialogue among themselves and with affected population. Local Catholic groups play a significant role in this ministry by leaving no one behind in the total human development with full respect of their human dignity as the image of God.
Rungrote Tangurakit has a masters degree in development studies. He worked 13 years with Caritas Thailand, 3 years in urban organising in Bangkok slums, 18 years as a board member of Catholic Committee on HIV/AIDS (CCHA) under the Catholic Bishop’s Conference of Thailand (CBCT), 16 years as board member of the Justice and Peace Commission (CCJP) of CBCT.
He worked for 13 years as local consultant of Caritas Switzerland on HIV/AIDS and other related projects, 4 years as convenor of Catholic Asia Pacific Coalition on HIV/AIDS (CAPCHA) and 5 years as board member and coordinator amnesty international of Asian Interfaith Network on AIDS (AINA).