Washington State group launches Christian AIDS campaign

World Vision United States, a Washington State-based Christian humanitarian group, this week announced the launch of a new global campaign to fight HIV/AIDS that will include several Christian concerts; a Washington, D.C., summit; and an extensive media campaign, the The [Tacoma] News Tribune reports. The agency stresses abstinence for all unmarried people and monogamy for those who are married as the preferred ways to prevent HIV infections, but it does distribute condoms to members of high-risk groups. The organization also provides care to AIDS orphans and children whose parents are suffering from AIDS. The campaign will include a 15-city "Hope Tour" featuring educational events and Christian musicians; a 30-city concert tour featuring the Christian group 4Him; a radio and television campaign; and a summit to be held June 11-12 in Washington to bring together Christian leaders, members of Congress, and Bush administration officials in support of the president's proposed five-year, $15 billion international AIDS initiative.