Concerning the lack of HIV/AIDS clubs at UBC

PETITION SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND: 

In the past four years, several groups with a primary focus on HIV/AIDS have been rejected club status by the Student Administrative Commission (SAC).  While other universities across Canada have one or more clubs specifically concerned with HIV/AIDS there is currently no club at UBC with a chief focus on discussing and confronting the complex issues surrounding the global pandemic.  HIV currently affects over 40 million people worldwide, and Vancouver is one of the largest HIV sites in the developed world; the Vancouver Downtown Eastside (DTES), popularly referred to as "Canada's poorest postal code" has infection rates of between 8-11% of higher, which is higher than many other developing countries around the globe.  HIV/AIDS is one of the biggest problems facing our generation and we are concerned that no HIV/AIDS clubs are currently constituted by the AMS.
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ACTION PETITIONED FOR:

We, the undersigned, are concerned students, faculty and staff of the University of British Columbia who care about HIV/AIDS. We feel that as one of the largest universities in Canada, the student body needs to recognize and take leadership in addressing this grave public health issue. We urge the Student Administrative Council to work closely and engage in active dialogue with HIV/AIDS groups on campus, and support them in their many endeavours to help increase awareness about the local and global epidemic.