Christina Sunley

In this 1995 AIDS Memorial Quilt Conference in San Francisco, Christina Sunley presented a keynote on the potent use of the AIDS Memorial Quilt as a tool for HIV prevention education. Sunley, from the NAMES Project, underscored the importance of the quilt not only in memory of those lost to AIDS but as an educational instrument that could save lives.

Sunley opened with a poignant anecdote about a quilt panel from a sister who lost their sibling to AIDS, reflecting on how early education about condoms might have saved their sister's life. This underscored the urgency of using the quilt for educational purposes.

In assessing international quilt project endeavours, Sunley referred to a questionnaire included in the attendees' registration documents. Responses from 24 countries revealed that education was the predominant interest among the issues of display, logistics, fundraising, media relations, and volunteers. Sunley highlighted the quilt's utility in schools and community displays and noted that while some countries teach HIV prevention along with quilt displays, others work with groups that provide that information.

The presentation detailed how the NAMES Project in the U.S. reaches thousands of students annually, with a specific focus on young people, given that AIDS is a leading cause of death among 25- to 44-year-olds in the country, many of whom were infected as youths. Sunley articulated the urgent need to educate this demographic, wherein half of all new infections occur in individuals under 25.

A key initiative is the National High School Quilt Programme, which aims to utilize the quilt as the focal point of HIV prevention education. Through displays that last a week and include panels made in memory of young people, the programme is designed to make AIDS personal for students and spark discussions on HIV/AIDS. The comprehensive programme provides a free suite of materials to schools, such as teacher lesson guides, videos, books, and student worksheets.

Throughout the presentation, emphasis was placed on making AIDS relatable to students and initiating conversations about the disease. For example, students from a high school for the deaf performed skits discussing AIDS, highlighting the quilt's ability to engage students in AIDS prevention education through various creative approaches.

The efficacy of the quilt in HIV education is backed by data showing that after seeing the quilt, a high percentage of students reported they were more likely to take steps to reduce their chances of getting HIV and find out more about protection.

Sunley concluded by illustrating various creative adaptations by different communities to the quilt education programmes and by highlighting the adaptability of the quilt as an educational resource that transcends cultural boundaries.

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Christina Sunley

1990s, aids memorial quilt, aids memorial quilt conference 1995, christina sunley, hiv / aids, names project, new zealand aids memorial quilt, san francisco, united states of america

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