It’s estimated that more than 40 million people worldwide are living with HIV/AIDS, with the United States accounting for 2.5 percent of those infected. Locally, San Diego County is home to 16,000 HIV-positive men, women and children.

The new millennium has marked a seminal transition in the way the world views and treats HIV/AIDS, with the fight against the pandemic becoming increasingly multilateral. Transnational nongovernmental organizations like UNAIDS and UNICEF are helping shape global AIDS policy, influencing the 2005 G8 Summit to take steps toward universal access to treatment by 2010. This bold move by the international community gave way to this year’s theme of “accountability.”

A slew of nonprofit organizations and academic institutions in and around the greater San Diego area are hosting commemoration ceremonies, vigils and processions in observance of the globally recognized World AIDS Day on Dec. 1 of every year.

The 15th annual Tree of Life Lighting Ceremony, sponsored by Mama’s Kitchen, will take place from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 1, at the Village of Hillcrest Retail Center. Ornaments are available and can be personalized with a message honoring a relative, friend or loved one who has been affected by HIV/AIDS. Proceeds from ornament sales benefit Mama’s Kitchen. The trees and their commemorative ornaments will be on display throughout December. The Village of Hillcrest Retail Center is located at 3965 Fifth Ave. For more information, call (619) 233-6262 ext. 104 or e-mail jennifer@mamaskitchen.org.

The San Diego African-American World AIDS Day Conference on Dec. 1, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. will offer 12 workshops that address HIV/AIDS issues within communities of color. These workshops will provide information on the latest treatments, vaccine research and medical developments, women’s health concerns, roles of faith-based communities and socio-political issues surrounding HIV in these communities. Participants and attendees will receive the latest information and resources from a culturally sensitive panel of HIV/AIDS experts. The conference will also feature Piper Mandy, Ph.D. The event will take place at the Handlery Hotel and Resort, located at 950 Hotel Circle N. For more information, call (858) 277-6060 or visit www.neighborhoodfn.org.

The University of California, San Diego will recognize World AIDS Day on Thursday, Nov. 30, with a public viewing of the AIDS Memorial Quilt. The quilt will be on display at the Price Center Ballroom on the UCSD campus from 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Founded in 1987, the AIDS Memorial Quilt is a memorial for use in preventing new HIV infections and is the largest ongoing community arts project in the world. Along with the AIDS Quilt, UCSD will sponsor a number of other events in recognition of World AIDS Day on Dec. 1. A morning vigil will be held from 7:00 to 9:00 a.m. at the Price Center Ballroom. At 3:00 p.m. at the Price Center Ballroom, a performance will take place addressing the impact of HIV/AIDS on people’s lives. This presentation will draw on the lived experiences of UCSD community members and their personal journeys within the pandemic. For a complete list of events, call (858) 822-3493 or visit http://lgbt.ucsd.edu.

UCSD-TV will premiere “HIV/AIDS: Where Are We Now? A Report-Back to the Community” at 10:30 p.m. on Dec. 1. The special was created by UCSD’s AIDS Research Institute and Antiviral Research Center. Recorded Nov. 2 at an HIV/AIDS Community Forum held at the UCSD Medical Center, the 90-minute program includes presentations by Drs. Douglas Richman, Constance Benson, Susan Little, Richard Haubrich and Scott Letendre, all of whom are UCSD faculty members. The program will repeat on UCSD-TV throughout the month. UCSD-TV airs on Cox Digital Cable Ch.135, Time Warner Cable Ch.18, Adelphia Cable Del Mar Ch. 68 and UHF (non-cable) Ch. 35. For more information, visit www.ucsd.tv.

Students and community members are invited to join San Diego State University at the Free Speech Steps in commemorating friends and loved ones who have died of AIDS on Nov. 30 at 7:00 p.m. The LGBT Student Union will provide candles. There will be time for remembrance, a few remarks from the LGBTSU and an open mic for the public. The candlelight vigil will be followed by a procession around campus. SDSU is located at 5500 Campanile Dr. For more information, call (619) 594-2737 or visit www.prideatstate.org.

The San Diego Youth Council is helping combat the AIDS epidemic by bringing education and awareness to schools in San Diego County. On World AIDS Day, trained peer educators and adult staff will come to schools wearing “Don’t Test it, Get Tested” shirts. During a break (usually a lunch period), student volunteers will help hand out cards with various HIV statistics on them to their peers in addition to having signs and posters on display. Youth Council members will be present at a booth with information that promotes testing sites and youth services close to school, and will also have raffle prizes and other fun giveaways. The Youth Council will be available to provide HIV 101 trainings and classes to any schools or organizations requesting it. The Youth Council is a group of diverse youth and youth service providers who meet to talk about health and social problems that concern today’s youth, specifically HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections. This group of youth advocates speaks out for young people who are HIV positive or at risk for HIV infection. They help connect them to the youth-friendly services they need to maintain healthy lifestyles. For more information, call Brian Hayes at (619) 846-9228 or visit www.ucsdmcap.org/youth.

On Dec. 1, California State University, San Marcos will host a candlelight vigil from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. The vigil will take place in the Chavez Plaza on campus. A quilt panel from the AIDS Memorial Quilt will be on display in the library through Dec. 4. Funds raised will be donated to two local AIDS facilities and the World Health Organization. CSU San Marcos is located at 333 S. Twin Oaks Valley Rd., San Marcos. Call (760) 750-4300 or e-mail gvaladez@csusm.edu for more information.

Dozens of groups from every corner of the University of California, Los Angeles campus will come together to mark both World AIDS Day and the 25th anniversary of the pandemic on Dec. 1. The eclectic mix of activities from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. will include performances, workshops, free HIV testing, multimedia displays, a lunchtime march and rally, and exhibits at the Fowler Museum. The UCLA Film & Television Archive’s Research and Study Center will present “AIDS and The Moving Image 3,” selections of AIDS-themed films and television programs covering many genres. Included will be daytime talk shows, news broadcasts, documentaries, feature films and titles from the Outfest Legacy Collection. The event will take place at the Powell Library, Rm. 270, on UCLA’s campus. Call (310) 206-8588 or e-mail arsc@ucla.edu for more information.