Kansas State University

World-renowned health activist to host training, conversation

Submitted by Garrett Wilkinson

World-renowned health activist Paul Davis will visit Kansas State University on Friday, Sept. 22, to host two advocacy trainings for students and community members on how to work with legislators concerning the health of vulnerable Americans.

RESULTS K-State and the K-State Alliance for Peace and Justice, both registered student organizations, invite those interested to attend one of these two trainings:

• 1:30-3 p.m. in 401 Hale Library.
• 7:30-9 p.m. at The Fellow, 1125 Westport Drive in Manhattan. 

For those who care about social justice and human rights, the trainings will discuss how to effectively engage their members of Congress on health care policy and an understanding of how and when to use civil disobedience tactics. The trainings also are an opportunity to connect with local activists and create strategies for organizing around health care and other important issues for future actions.

Call Garrett Wilkinson at 620-513-6245 or Kennedy Hackerott at 620-262-7261 with any questions. 

Davis is the national advocacy coordinator with Housing Works. He leads work in Washington, D.C., to preserve affordable quality health care in the U.S. for people living with and at risk for HIV. Davis focuses on direct advocacy work and tracking federal funding and works closely with Jaron Benjamin, Housing Works' vice president for community mobilization, to engage allies, and members of national networks at this critical time for health care in the U.S.

Davis has led campaigns to fight AIDS for more than 20 years. As a member of ACT UP, he helped win increases in funding for Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS, worked to end the federal funding ban on syringe exchange, and fought for improvements in state Medicaid managed care programs.

Davis is a co-founder of Health GAP and played key roles in removing U.S. barriers to generic medicines that quickly led to massive price reductions for antiretrovirals in developing countries. He helped lead grassroots and legislative campaigns to launch the nonprofit organization Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, as well as the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief during each of its five-year authorizations. He lived in Kenya for five years, accompanying frontline HIV organizations to successfully demand more from global health initiatives like PEPFAR, as well as their own governments.

Davis is the recipient of the fourth annual Keith D. Cylar and Virginia Shubert AIDS Activist Courage Award from Housing Works in 2008.