The 3D AIDS Quilt was born out of the realization that the key to eradicating HIV/AIDS lies in three basic principles – Education, Empathy and Empowerment. Education to raise awareness about prevention and treatment; empathy to debunk the stigmas and stereotypes associated with HIV infection; and the empowerment that results from having the knowledge and the tools to make a difference in the fight against AIDS. It was conceived as a tool for bringing individuals and leading HIV/AIDS organizations together in virtual space to create a global, engaged and diverse community committed to the eradication of HIV/AIDS. It is part of the larger Karuna Initiative, which uses story, creative collaboration, innovation, and the unique properties of virtual worlds to create positive, lasting change.
Children are Key
Recognizing that children between the ages of 12 and 18 are one of the most “at risk” populations when it comes to HIV infection, Karuna has partnered with Jokay Wollongong and educators working in the Jokaydia virtual world to bring the 3D AIDS Quilt Project to young people. Jokaydia Grid is the premiere educational world using the Opensim platform, and attracts a wide range of teachers and educational institutions from around the globe.
On Jokaydia, the 3D AIDS Quilt Project will include a peer mentoring and leadership component. With guidance and support from their instructors and parents, teens will be encouraged to not only contribute to the building of the Quilt, but to share the results with and mentor their peers. To this end, this multi-generational project will provide a robust web interface and social networking tools designed to make collaboration and sharing easy and fun.