Darin BrownWhy come to a Rethinking AIDS Conference?
Posted by Henry Bauer on 2011/09/01
Those of us who have belonged to professional organizations or academic associations or recreational groups featuring competitions like bridge or chess know how rewarding as well as enjoyable conferences can be —not so much because of the formal program or competition, but because of the opportunity to make new friends and to learn informally and person-to-person about all sorts of things that we didn’t even know existed to be learned about.
The first Rethinking AIDS Conference in Oakland in 2009 exemplified those delights. Over the years (>50!!) I’ve attended innumerable conferences of various sorts: academic, professional, or scholarly conferences in electrochemistry and in science & technology studies (STS); tournaments of bridge and chess; meetings of the National Association of Scholars, and of the Society for Scientific Exploration; International Science Conferences sponsored by the Unification Church; get-togethers of very specialized fan clubs interested in Loch Ness monsters or UFOs. No doubt others as well. A general conclusion, which is shared by all the people with whom I’ve talked about this, is that the most rewarding and enjoyable meetings are those that bring together people with the greatest diversity of backgrounds who happen nevertheless to share a passionate interest in the meeting’s particular focus. That’s exactly what I experienced at Rethinking AIDS 2009 in Oakland, and it’s why I wrote that somewhat over-the-top paean to the Conference on my blog.
The Science and AIDS Conference in Vienna in 2010 was equally rewarding and enjoyable, yet very different in physical ambience; and most of the participants and observers had not been at Oakland, giving me the opportunity to make new friends.
All this is to say that anyone with the slightest interest in HIV Skepticism and AIDS Rethinking will do themselves an enormous favor by attending the forthcoming Rethinking AIDS Conference this December in Washington DC. For that matter, anyone with any concerns over the contemporary state of medical science and practice will find much of interest at this Conference, and, above all, will have the opportunity to meet and chat with and learn from a range of welcoming and interesting people from every sector of society and from many different parts of the country and of the world. If you have never been to a meeting of this sort, you will be very pleasantly surprised at how quickly you will feel accepted and an integral part of the gathering and its activities. I’ve been looking forward to the Conference with the keenest anticipation ever since it was first mooted, and I know that it will meet, indeed exceed my best expectations.
Do join us in Washington in December. You will be welcomed heartily and have a uniquely interesting and enjoyable experience.
This entry was posted on 2011/09/01 at 8:31 am and is filed under Alternative AIDS treatments, antiretroviral drugs, experts, HIV does not cause AIDS, HIV skepticism, HIV tests, Legal aspects, uncritical media. Tagged: Rethinking AIDS 2011, Rethinking AIDS Washington DC. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
HIV/AIDS Skepticism 
David Crowe said
Thanks Henry. RA 2009 was good for my brain, heart and soul. I learned a surprising amount of new information considering how long I’ve been involved. Pictures of street drugs containing shards of metal and insect body parts drove home the message that illegal drugs alone can cause illness. No virus needed. Just add strychnine or corn starch or chemical residues…But meeting so many people who were so passionate in their struggle meant even more. People who had been injured by the drugs, people who had survived years without drugs but who felt they were living a secret life. I met some of my heroes for the first time. Koehnlein and Fiala … and Bauer … Karri Stokely. The synergies of having people sharing many common ideas and goals, but also having many different perspectives, all in the same room (or at the same bar) was amazing.
Richard Karpinski said
That’s where Marco Ruggiero and I met first. We have made beautiful music. I am so proud to have been at all involved with his amazing probiotic yogurt MAF 314, undergoing clinical trials in the US right now.
But I can’t afford to attend RA2011 so far from home, except possibly by avatar or subsequently posted videos and interactive commentaries thereon. I hope serious consideration will be made to facilitate virtual attendance.
Wouldn’t it be delightful to have Skype video conferencing for remote attendees? During breaks and evenings, we could even conference with physical attendees at very modest costs.
If a local entrepreneur could provide the physical infrastructure, I’d pay $50 to be able to attend from home in my pyjamas. How hard would it be for a local computer repair facility to provide a couple of Skype capable machines for modest fees? Just think of how that business could grow to open many more conferences to much wider audiences. It could make even more sense than the wonderfulness that TED talk videos have become.