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IRELAND

Sad Loss of Prominent HIV Activist:
Noel Walsh Dies in Amsterdam

■ Noel Walsh, who died in Amsterdam at the weekend. photo courtesy Rainbow Project

DERRY, November 10, 2008  –  It is with sadness that The Rainbow Project has learnt of the sudden death of Irish HIV activist Noel Walsh who died at the weekend.

He had attended an HIV conference in Oslo last week and was returning to Ireland via Amsterdam where he died.

Noel had strong connections with The Rainbow Project’s Foyle Office and Londonderry in general and spent many times there campaigning for the rights of HIV-positive people and speaking at numerous conferences and seminars in the city.

He was also the HIV Editor of Gay Community News in Dublin and did many press interviews right across the world speaking out as a HIV-positive man with the aim of challenging the stigma associated with HIV and Aids.

In his work Noel campaigned tirelessly for the rights of HIV-positive men, women and children irrespective of their backgrounds.

Noel was the chairperson of the Republic’s Anti Stigma Campaign and when The Rainbow Project set up its Positive Voices Programme in 2003, Noel was inspirational in getting HIV-Positive people from right across Ireland to Derry on a total of twelve occasions to attend our residential weekends.

The Programme provided the first opportunity for many HIV-positive people in Ireland, North and South, to meet other people in similar circumstances.

“This is very sad news for the Gay Community and HIV-positive people in general this country,” Sean Morrin of The Rainbow Project said this evening in a statement.

“Noel dedicated his life to educating people, removing the stigma of HIV and worked tirelessly to promote the rights of people living with HIV.  When he became HIV-positive in the 80s, rather than giving up, he taught himself about the disease and started helping others in a similar situation.  Noel was an amazing human being and an inspiration who made a major contribution to L’Derry and our own fight against the prejudices experienced by HIV-positive people.

“Our thoughts are with his partner, family and his many friends around the world.”

Seed Newsvine