From 2001 through the end of 2006, Stephen Lewis’s term as UN Special Envoy for AIDS in Africa, Stephen and a small team that he assembled advocated for more attention and improved responses to HIV/AIDS — by the governments and societies of African countries most threatened by the pandemic, by the wealthy nations in a position to subdue it, by the international organizations and agencies charged with finding and acting on solutions, and by global citizens.

The Envoy’s team demonstrated that advocacy is the enemy of complacency, and that without advocacy — persistent, persuasive and uncompromising — promises fade and progress falters.

AIDS-Free World was created to continue and expand on that work.

The new organization was established under the non-profit umbrella of the Tides Center in 2007. But given our roots, AIDS-Free World was able to start immediately with an established reputation and excellent access: to world leaders, top-ranking government and UN officials, key opinion- and decision-makers, leading scientists and academics, influential journalists and major media outlets, celebrity spokespersons, countless of the grassroots leaders, activists and advocates representing women, youth, people living with HIV/AIDS and the disabled, and – by virtue of extensive travel, particularly in the most affected countries in Africa – to the community organizers, caregivers, health workers, service providers and other frontline champions of the struggle against AIDS.  

Our plan is to continue building on that solid foundation, broadening our reach, pursuing new lines of advocacy and taking on new challenges as funding allows.