Richard Gere and AIDS campaign

Richard Gere and AIDS campaign

American actor Richard Gere was among the main speakers in a recent packed international conference on Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome or AIDS, held in Bangkok. He called for the press to take a greater role in fighting the deadly disease, asking them to devote more space to covering AIDS eradication and prevention.

Gere encouraged governments, ordinary people and celebrities to support AIDS treatments and prevention.

Along with AIDS, people in Indonesia are also facing problems with drugs. Indonesia has just commemorated International Anti- Drug Day, marked by President Megawati Soekarnoputri's rejection of appeals for clemency by drug dealers facing execution.

There is a similarity between people who fall victim to AIDS and drug users -- they are an amorphous group often subject to discrimination.

What Gere has done in the fight against AIDS has inspired many people, especially celebrities worldwide, to do the same.

Some Indonesian celebrities have also shown they care for people who live in misery. Gere's commitment to AIDS eradication and prevention has encouraged them to care for those who fall victim to AIDS and drugs. -- Kompas, Jakarta